ABSTRACT
Globalisation has brought about the elimination of many physical and psychological barriers, facilitating a vast transfer of power away from traditional centres (mainly governmental institutions, see Box 1), and in turn contributing to the empowerment of business and the decentralisation of decision-making. It has facilitated increasing connectedness but also alienation and the concentration of wealth in the hands of narrower circles. The unstable relationship between peace, business, and democracy comprises a full range of processes and mechanisms associated with society’s attempts to understand business duties and responsibilities in this era of globalisation. In this chapter, I discuss that peace and democracy are increasingly urgent for environmental, social, and economic reasons. However, I also note that peace- and democracy-building are processes subject to contradictions. It is also true in the empirical sense, as demonstrated by the cases of Myanmar and Zimbabwe, and the WTO. This chapter also reflects on what we have learned from previous chapters in this book. It discusses how they enrich our understanding on the relationship between peace, business, democracy, and human rights and what they tell us about the ways that peace- and democracy-building manifest in the business context. By applying some of the insights derived from this study of complex business dynamics, we may be able to strengthen the ability of societies to prevent, manage, and recover from crises and conflict.
