Book introduction

　How do people survive and rebuild society when the state collapses due to war?　
　This ethnography explores postwar life in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where prolonged conflict devastated roads, trade, and basic infrastructure. In the absence of government support, local people—mainly rural traders—took matters into their own hands. They carved out new routes through forests and rivers, carried goods on foot or by dugout canoe, and gradually built grassroots transport networks that now span national borders. Their efforts sparked unexpected innovation: river transport evolved from hand-powered canoes to motorized boats and even large wooden ships. These bottom-up initiatives helped reconnect isolated communities, creating a foundation for social and economic recovery.
　Challenging common images of helplessness, the book highlights the resilience, creativity, and solidarity of people facing extreme adversity. It offers hopeful insights into how new forms of order and cooperation can emerge even when formal institutions break down.