This paper looks at the evolution of policy commitments and thinking on peacebuilding, against the backdrop of other agendas such as the responsibility to protect (R2P). It analyzes disjunctions between policy and practice overall, and focuses on gaps in the areas of democratic governance and economic development. It looks at tensions between short-term measures and the longer-term structural changes necessary to prevent the recurrence of armed conflict. Going beyond the common focus of peacebuilding debates on international agencies, the paper examines less visible contributions by national actors such as municipal governments and women’s organizations.