Legacies of War: Violence, Ecologies, and Kin

Legacies of War by Kimberly Theidon explores the lives of children born of wartime rape and the experiences of their mothers and communities, offering a gendered theory of harm and repair. She reimagines harm by considering the impact of violence on individual people and more-than-human lives, bodies, and ecologies, and critiques policy makers, governments, and humanitarian organizations for their efforts at postconflict justice. She calls for an explicitly feminist peace-building and postconflict agenda that includes a full range of sexual and reproductive rights, including access to safe and affordable abortions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 128 pages
Publication date: 12 July 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

In her groundbreaking book, Legacies of War, Kimberly Theidon delves deep into the lives of children born of wartime rape and the profound experiences of their mothers and communities. Through extensive ethnographic research in postconflict Peru and Colombia, Theidon offers a gendered theory of harm and repair that challenges traditional narratives of trauma and healing.

Drawing from her rich fieldwork, Theidon explores the intricate environments in which conception, pregnancy, and childbirth unfold, highlighting the diverse contexts in which these life-changing events occur. She reimagines harm by considering the profound impact of violence on individual lives, as well as on more-than-human lives, bodies, and ecologies. Through this lens, she reveals how wartime violence underscores the interconnectedness of all life, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to healing and reconciliation.

Theidon's critique of policy makers, governments, and humanitarian organizations is equally compelling. She argues that their efforts at postconflict justice often take an anthropocentric rights-based approach that is steeped in liberal legalism. She challenges this approach, advocating for a more inclusive and feminist peace-building and postconflict agenda that encompasses a full range of sexual and reproductive rights, including access to safe and affordable abortions.

By rethinking the intergenerational reach of war and questioning what constitutes sexual and reproductive violence, Theidon calls for a transformative shift in our understanding of peace and justice. She advocates for an explicitly feminist peace-building and postconflict agenda that prioritizes the rights and well-being of women and girls, recognizing their unique experiences and needs in the aftermath of conflict.

Legacies of War is a powerful and thought-provoking book that sheds light on the hidden scars of war and the urgent need for a more inclusive and feminist approach to healing and reconciliation. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex dynamics of conflict, gender, and violence, and in working towards a more just and peaceful world.

Weight: 200g
Dimension: 151 x 228 x 10 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478018384