ABSTRACT
Security is a process of peace building and political reconciliation. As such, it is an active part of worthwhile development as any other basic human right. In this sense, security is part of a fabric of normative practical discourse to which there are two holistic approaches: transitional justice and restorative justice. These holistic approaches should be modified by a third normative approach to peace building and political reconciliation: localism. Localism differs from conventional forms of subsidiarity in which there is a division of labor between international, regional, national, and local political bodies. A local perspective serves as a prism through which events conducted at other levels are refracted. Localism does not override or take priority over other levels of peace building and political reconciliation. It refracts them in such a way that their limitations and their unrealized promises are more transparent. This can be done through music, film, dramatic reenactment, fiction, poetry, or other multifaceted forms of interpretation. In this chapter, the West African country of Mali illustrates the value of this local turn in development ethics.
