Negotiating Universalism and Cultural Relativism in Peace and Development Studies

Abstract

Culture is an Indispensable Factor for both Sustainable Development and Lasting Peace since Itforms the Fabric for People‟s Mutual Respect and Co-Existence. Thepaper Argues for the Need Toconstantly Negotiate between Universalism and Cultural Relativism in Peace and Development Studies.It Argues that any Attempt to Radically Lean towards either Universalism or Cultural Relativism Withoutproviding Room for Aconversation between the Two would either Lead to Narrowly Focusing on the Localcontext without Taking into Account the Global Discourses or Followingtheglobal Discoursesthat Maybe Far Removed from the Local Context to Make any Sense to the Affected People. without Soundingidealistic, the Paper Argues for the Need to Nurture and Create Space for Hybridity that Emerges out Ofthe Negotiation between Cultures Rather than Suffocate it in Favor of the Local Context or Universals.Thepaper Argues for Adoption of Concepts such as Cosmopolitan Localism that take into Account Globaldiscourses but Also Maintain a Strong Focus on the Context in which People Experience Conflict, Peaceand Development as Perceived and Experienced by them