The motto of neoliberalism is: “if the economy’s doing well, everyone’s doing well.” Accordingly, economic freedom is to take precedence. This is an idea that has been put under a great deal of scrutiny, also in peacebuilding. While some people think that trading leads to mutual interests and therefore has a peacebuilding impact, others stress the divisive effect. Examples include when the interests of large corporations are prioritized over the needs of the people, or when the system only benefits a few people while exploiting the others.
In this issue, the authors discuss, among other things, why it is problematic for a system to be based solely on profit, what fair work means, and why people are taking to the streets to protest against neoliberal politics.
I hope you enjoy reading this issue.
Amélie Lustenberger, Editor of KOFF Magazine
