Introduction

There are few concepts in recent times to have so powerfully fired the imagination of social scientists and captured the attention of policymakers as that of social capital. Reintroduced within the past decade or so to debates on civic engagement and other political matters, the topic of trust and social relations is only now beginning to gather momentum in studies of peace and conflict. We find increasing interest, for example, in exploring the connections between social capital and violence to suggest ways in which interpersonal trust, institutional confidence, and associational membership may foster or impede security, and assist or stymie post-conflict community building and political transitions. Social capital is by and large recognized as a public good, as well as a vehicle for personal effectiveness, and is one which builds upon reciprocity and active engagement. Of special interest to us here is to consider the twists and turns that this human resource takes in contemporary global politics.