This volume critically examines what happens when war formally ends, the difficult and complex challenges and opportunities for winning the peace and reconciling divided communities. By reviewing a case study of the West African state of Sierra Leone, potential lessons for other parts of the world can be gained. Sierra Leone has emerged as a 'successful' model of liberal peacebuilding that is now popularly advertised and promoted by the international community as a powerful example of a country that they finally got right. -- Back cover.

Introduction: when war ends : building peace in divided communities -- core issues / David J. Francis -- Saving liberal peacebuilding / Roland Paris -- Economic aspects of post-conflict development / Willemijn Verkoren and Gerd Junne -- Post-conflict peacebuilding in Africa / Oscar Mateos -- Sierra Leone : a case the international community finally got somewhat right / Bryan Crawford-Garrett -- Trickle-down peace : how liberal peacebuilding may be failing Sierra Leone / Carla Castañeda -- Public health and peace building in post-war Sierra Leone / Mohamed Kanu -- Role of higher education in developing and sustaining peace in Sierra Leone / Mohamed C. Kamanda -- Coming to terms with liberal peacebuilding in post-war Liberia and Sierra Leone / M.A. Mohamed Salih.