Editors: Dr Mukul Kumar Baruah, Dr Rahul Kanti Nath & Dr Joyobrato Nath (2025)

ISBN: 97978-93-94174-62-7

Transdisciplinary Approaches to Conflict and Peacebuilding: A South Asian Perspective

Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Patharkandi College, Sribhumi (Karimganj), Assam, India

Contemporary conflicts, especially in ethnically and culturally diverse societies, require more than traditional political or military solutions. They demand a transdisciplinary framework that bridges disciplinary boundaries and integrates insights from political science, anthropology, ethics, environmental studies, and legal scholarship. This chapter investigates the potential of transdisciplinary approaches in understanding and addressing conflict and peacebuilding in South Asia, with particular emphasis on India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It explores how identity politics, structural violence, historical marginalization, and state policies intersect to produce protracted conflict, while also highlighting the limitations of conventional state-centric conflict resolution models. Using case studies such as the ethnic tensions in Northeast India, the post-civil war reconciliation process in Sri Lanka, and the autonomy movement in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts, the chapter illustrates the value of integrating local knowledge systems, cultural narratives, and participatory governance mechanisms into peacebuilding processes. By promoting a holistic and inclusive vision of peace, this chapter argues that transdisciplinary approaches can foster more just and sustainable outcomes. It concludes with policy recommendations for embedding transdisciplinary principles into peace research and conflict resolution practices in divided societies.

*Corresponding author; e-mail: cjamalu@gmail.com

Cite this Chapter: Jamal Uddin Choudhury. 2025. “Transdisciplinary Approaches to Conflict and Peacebuilding: A South Asian Perspective”. In: Mukul Kumar Baruah, Rahul Kanti Nath and Joyobrato Nath (Eds.), Transdisciplinary Science: Mapping the Future of Research. Excellent Publishers, India. pp. 47-58. doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/978-93-94174-62-7_5