Critiques of the liberal peace: a development model to understand responses to child sexual exploitation in the Philippines

Increased global awareness of child sexual exploitation (CSE) and its prevalence in the Philippines has resulted in an influx of donor interest and interventions to protect children. To facilitate this, attempts have been made to understand CSE in the Philippines, investigating victims, perpetrators and risk factors as with most development interventions. However, no attempt has been made to reflect critically on the response itself. Developing an understanding of CSE responses through international and local efforts is vital to protect children. To fill this knowledge gap, this research has interrogated the CSE response in the Philippines. A case study approach was applied consisting of observations, semi-structured interviews and collection of artefacts with three grassroots non-government organisations to understand the realities of CSE responses. To ensure the research engaged with multiple perspectives, local practitioners across government agencies, academia and international non-governmental organisations were also interviewed. Data was then analysed using thematic analysis. Theoretically, a critical approach was adopted to examine the relationship between international and local actors, using critiques of the liberal peace as a lens. Critiques of the liberal peace emerged to reflect on the failures of international peacebuilding efforts. Proponents argue that one key failure is the inability of international interventions to meet local needs. Taking this as a starting point, this research tests the application of these critiques to CSE responses. The analysis identifies that a tension exists between international and local actors, arising from the way international donors project their ideas, priorities and processes onto local actors who are expected to deliver programming. Firstly, the international response is driven by the projection of ideas, where international concepts of childhood and characteristics of CSE lack nuanced understandings of the Philippines. Secondly, a projection of priorities also influences the response, with international priorities framing CSE responses. Finally, a projection of processes informs how the response is implemented. The three forms of projection reveal a power imbalance, which resonates with critiques of the liberal peace. However, the research revealed that the relationship is not completely dichotomous. Scholars critiquing the liberal peace have a tendency to romanticise the local without critically engaging with flaws at this level. In addition, Philippine actors are still able to exercise their agency in unexpected ways that influence the CSE responses. While there is scope for international actors to more meaningfully engage with the local, local actors are not powerless. The thesis presents the use of critiques of the liberal peace as a critical lens, using examples from CSE in the Philippines to show that the tension present between international and local actors is not limited to peacebuilding interventions but is also an issue for development.