Contemporary Peace Research Articles

Post-military Futures: Plans and Failure of the Peace Operations’ Infrastructure Handover in Darfur

ABSTRACT Peacekeeping missions have sought to contribute to local development, stability, and peace by building ‘sustainable’ infrastructure for co- and post-use by local communities. Yet, the unsuccessful handover of infrastructure at the end of the AU-UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) revealed the contested nature of such a planning process that precedes mission exit. Focusing on the material aspects of the ‘transition’, this article exposes the ambivalent logics that accompany contemporary peace operations. Peace operations' pursuit of sustainability during the closing phase might inadvertently maintain their grip on the landscapes that belong to communities for a post-peacekeeping future.

Transactional peacemaking: Warmakers as peacemakers in the political marketplace of peace processes

ABSTRACT World politics are changing with important implications for international peace processes. We argue that recent changes in world order have led to transactionalism becoming more pronounced in peace processes. This is because increased geopolitical competition often leads to a conflation of warmakers and peacemakers: States that provide military support to belligerents also engage in peacemaking. This renders peace processes political marketplaces with transactionalism as main modus operandi. Transactional peacemaking has three features: It prioritizes bilateral over multilateral approaches; is interest-based and exclusive rather than value-based and inclusive; and focuses on short-term deals instead of long-term outcomes. Drawing on over 70 interviews, we empirically demonstrate our argument with the peace processes in Libya, Syria, and Yemen. We conclude by discussing the consequences of transactionalism for the global peacemaking landscape. By providing a new conceptualization of an emerging phenomenon in contemporary peace processes, we contribute to the literature on changing peacemaking approaches.

Development and Evaluation of Peace-Oriented Education Activity for Preschool Children within the Scope of Sustainable Development

The aim of this research is to develop contemporary peace education that can be implemented in the pre-school period to ensure global citizenship. In this study, action research design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. The study group of this research consisted of five-year-old children who attend a public kindergarten and their parents, classroom teacher, and researcher. The data were collected by means of the peace value attitude questionnaire prepared for parents and classroom teachers, the technology-supported child interview form, the teacher diary form, and the researcher diary form. Research was carried out in three stages: needs analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Educational activities covering peace education were developed, and they were administered to the children for 12 weeks. Within the framework of the results obtained, it was determined that the five-year-old children who made up the study group consciously gained the value of peace, were sensitive to the multicultural structure, and strengthened their communication with their peers. In light of these results, we should develop integrated programs in preschool education, place the value of peace at the center, and provide peace education widely in the preschool period by all stakeholders for global citizenship.

Constructing the Local in Madagascar: Resistance and Politics of Scale

ABSTRACT Madagascar has historically served as an experimental ground for various externally led political and economic interventions and ideologies. This article uses the concept of scale to explore how these interventions have contributed to (re)defining and manipulating the local in Madagascar, at both epistemological and material levels. By focusing on three key periods (colonialism, post-independence socialist and communist policies, and contemporary peace processes), we show that the local in Madagascar has been associated with multiple, sometimes conflicting practices and interpretations, but that these understandings also constitute a source of power and resistance for Malagasy actors, possibly contributing to recurrent conflicts.

REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AS PEACE-BUILDERS: A LIBERAL APPROACH TO CONFLICT MITIGATION

The article focuses on the role regional organizations play in regional peace-building within the theoretical framework of liberalism. Using a critical analysis of some of the key organizations, including but not limited to, the United Nations, European Union, African Union, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, this study looks at how liberal cooperation, multilateralism, and institutional governance help in efforts to prevent regional conflicts. The performance of these organizations in managing conflicts in the diverse regional context identifies their successes and shortcomings. The region of study particularly shines the light on how challenges have arisen from applying Western liberal frameworks in regions that were supposed to be non-Western and takes into consideration historical, cultural, and political conditions that require more adaptability and inclusiveness in peace-building interventions. This article argues that though liberalism remains the most significant tool in contemporary peace building, however its future requires a more fluid and multilevel engagement aimed at bringing local, national, and regional actors together in work toward sustainable peace.

Anger and Reconciliation

Emotions are a much-neglected aspect of contemporary peace ethics, which is surprising if only because the concept of positive peace encompasses a certain emotional commitment. Moreover, some emotions explicitly promote separation, conflict, and even violence. Anger is an ambivalent emotion that, on the one hand, evokes conflict but, on the other hand, expresses a sense of justice. Anger can be soothed by forgiveness, and forgiveness can lead to reconciliation. However, in individual ethics, the conceptual and factual connections are easier to explain than in political contexts, where collectives must be considered as actors. Martha Nussbaum recently subjected both anger and forgiveness to a well-founded critique. In contrast to this, however, a qualified defense will be made in the following.

Micro-level experiences, understandings and visions of peace in Sri Lanka’s war victory

ABSTRACT It is widely recognised in contemporary peace and conflict scholarship that exploring micro-level experiences is important for a fuller and more nuanced understanding of the forms of peace that emerge post-war. In this article, we argue that such inquiry might be particularly urgent in the context of a victor’s peace. Much research on victor’s peace focus on the state and macro level and seldom account for the outcome across local contexts. Based on focus group discussions conducted across communities and geographical localities in Sri Lanka, we explore and compare narratives of peace in order to elucidate plural understandings, experiences and visions. The study moves beyond the dichotomous peace conceptions often associated with the notion of victor’s peace and provides insights into varieties of peace at the local and everyday level, and into challenges and possibilities for transforming conflict relationships post-war.

Beyond Clueless Mothers: Israeli “Women Wage Peace” Activists’ Perceptions of Why Women Are Key to Peacemaking

Abstract Focusing on a contemporary peace movement in Israel, Women Wage Peace (WWP), this article studies female Jewish and Arab-Palestinian activists to understand if/why they believe in women’s peacefulness and why they chose a women-led movement. While not challenging the idea of women’s peacefulness, the activists’ testimonies shed light on various explanations behind the “women and peace hypothesis,” beyond maternal arguments. Despite a militaristic/patriarchal context where maternal collective action frames are culturally resonant, some activists refuse to be reduced to one-dimensional mothers. The article also finds that through caring practices, WWP creates a unique feeling of belonging, including for Arab-Palestinian activists experiencing a deficit of belonging. The article draws on qualitative methodologies, interviews, and ethnographic work conducted in 2019–2020. Implications include the value for women’s peace movements to use both maternal and feminine collective action frames, decoupled from motherhood, and to actively create “safe spaces” where women feel that they belong.

Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves: How Female Combatants Help Generate Gender-Inclusive Peace Agreements in Civil Wars

This article examines the effect rebel women have on the shape of civil war peace agreements, paying particular attention to the specific gender-inclusive provisions female rebels advocate for. I argue that, through conflict experiences and socialization, rebel women develop group identities that foster collective demands. Their identities as fighters and women from marginalized groups encourage rebel women to lobby for provisions that address the grievances of women from these societal groups. Using data on women’s participation in conflict and the terms written into contemporary peace agreements, I find support for this contention. Greater participation of female combatants is associated with an increased likelihood of observing gender-inclusive agreement provisions calling for the inclusion of women from marginalized groups and addressing the specific post-conflict needs of female ex-combatants. This study is one of the first to show that women’s participation in rebellion matters for the shape of post-conflict peace.

Community Based Peace Education for Youths and Adults: A Panacea for Conflict Prevention and Peace Building in Nigeria

Conflict and insecurity has become major social problems constraining the socio-economic and political progress of multi-ethnic society like Nigeria. Conflict prevention and peace building become a global challenge. Education has been described as an instrument for conflict prevention and peace building in the contemporary peace building efforts of the world. This paper draws attention to the possible ways of preventing conflict and peace building using Community Based Peace Education (CBPE) programme for Youths and Adults in Nigeria. The paper finally suggests that the promotion of good inter and intra groups’ relationship as well as a well-designed CBPE programme for youths and adults should be integrated into the educational system of the country for conflict prevention, peace building and national security in Nigeria. So also, more efforts should be intensified in promoting education for youths and adults and redesigning their curriculum, primers and other materials to promote non-violence culture of peace, tolerance and integrity, gender equity and active citizenship for peace and national unity in the country.

Conflict Entrepreneurs in Prolonged Civil War in South Sudan

South Sudan has travelled a long and difficult journey in its quest to seek lasting peace which has been jeopardized by multifaceted factors and a multiplicity of actors including state and non-state operatives. Such determinants of internal peace processes, which have stood along the way, have been firmed up by deep and powerful players in this youngest state in Africa. Much clarity on what continues to transpire in South Sudan is grounded on scholarship which accounts for the roles of regional dimensions and international dynamics of conflict and peace processes in Sudan and South Sudan. Literature indicates that ethnonationalism, greed, grievance drivers, the Islamisation of politics when the south was part of the north, and the high-handedness of the Khartoum regime was central in the polarization of the state. We also examine the effect of natural resources particularly oil and militia factions in protracted conflicts in South Sudan. When South Sudan seceded in 2011, the state started from a fluid beginning, with weak institutionalization and the problem of ethnicization of the government and its related agencies. Although the explanations grounded on the conventional understanding of ethnicization of politics and loyalty deficits towards authority are critical, the state as an entity is bound by other activities that it maintains with external agents such as trade entrepreneurs who partly invest and occupy a wide economic space and agendas of wealth creation which informs the regimes economic wellbeing. This subject is understudied especially considering the contemporary peace processes and conflict resolution in South Sudan. In this study, I seek to explain the significance of conflict entrepreneurs in the peace process in South Sudan. Conflict Entrepreneurs consist of diverse actors including entities with commercial interests, MNCs, political elites, and states who directly and indirectly are involved in plundering resources and economic opportunities in civil war-torn South Sudan. The question is: which actors can be regarded as conflict entrepreneurs in South Sudan’s conflict context and why? Second, what roles do these entrepreneurs play in South Sudan’s peace process? Using governmental reports, newspaper analysis, and secondary research, these questions are addressed throughout this paper.

Evolving Conceptualizations of Peace Education in Hiroshima, Japan

Japan is a world leader in peace education, and Hiroshima is one of the world’s centers for peace. While the peer-reviewed literature on Japanese peace education is growing, few studies address how present-day peace educators in Hiroshima conceptualize peace education. This study aims to better understand how peace educators in Hiroshima (re)conceptualize, adapt, and apply their work. Using a grounded theory approach, we answer the following research questions: (a) How do contemporary peace educators in Hiroshima conceptualize their work? (b) How has this conceptualization changed or evolved over time? Interviewees presented convergent and divergent insights around three main themes: definitions of peace as a collective identity and constructivist process, metaphors for peace as informing pedagogy, and efforts to challenge taboos through a social justice lens.

Civilian Dimensions of Peace Support Operations in Africa

Abstract Civilian dimensions complement the Military and Police components of Peace Support Operations (pso s) in contemporary peace missions. This article will focus on enhancing civilian capacities to enable them play their roles in mandate implementation. To properly interrogate this phenomenon, the concept of civilian dimensions in pso will be clearly defined in the light of rationale for participation. Furthermore, existing mechanisms in the UN, AU and ecowas will be utilised to underscore the significance of civilians owing to the changing dynamics of the conflict and security environment. The structures of two missions, African-led International Support to Mali (afisma) and African Mission in Somalia (amisom) will be used to highlight the achievements and existing gaps, in civilian dimensions in Africa. The final section addresses the challenges militating against the development of civilian dimensions and its future in Africa.

Alpaslan Özerdem – Roger Mac Ginty (eds.)

This book offers a comparative survey of 18 contemporary peace processes conducted by leading international scholars.
 There is no standard model of peace processes and all will vary according to the context, type of conflict, timing, national and global economic climate, and factors like natural disasters. Therefore, making comparisons between peace processes is difficult, but it is beneficial – indeed, imperative – and is the principal motivation behind this volume. What works in one context may not work in another, but it can be modified and adapted to fit another context.
 The book is structured to maximise comparison between processes, and the case studies chosen are topical and span the major regions of the world. The concluding chapter systematically compares the case studies around 11 variables that cover the conflict context, peace process procedures, the responsiveness of the peace process to demands, and levels of participation and inclusion. Each peace process is then given a numeric score according to each of these variables, and the book thereby reaches judgements on whether each case can be termed a ‘success’ or a ‘failure’.
 This book will be essential reading for students of peace studies, conflict resolution, war and conflict studies, security studies, and IR.

A Synopsis of Perspectives on Peace Operations from Theories of International Relations

The post-Cold War era has witnessed a significant increase in the size and scope of peace operations. However, the role and purpose of peace operations have not received commensurate attention within the intellectual context of theories of international relations. Comprehension of theoretical foundations of international relations is quintessential in understanding the motives behind, and implications of third-party intervention in the quest for a viable peace. This paper presents a synopsis of major theoretical paradigms in world politics with particular emphasis on their understanding of and implications for contemporary peace operations. The paper strives to delineate the main planks of a particular theoretical paradigm with special reference to the underpinnings of peace operations. Towards the end, the possibility of training peacekeepers to serve as a bridge between the theory and practice of peace operations has been explored. The research findings shall serve the purpose of filling a theoretical gap in peace operations studies and shall decipher the theoretical basis of the acerbic arguments against peace operations espoused by the obstructionists to the peace processes.

Denaturalising the natural: a critical analysis of contemporary peace operations

Denaturalising the natural: a critical analysis of contemporary peace operations

Мирный процесс: к содержательному определению

Мирный процесс: к содержательному определению

Temporality and contextualisation in Peace and Conflict Studies: The forgotten value of war memoirs and personal diaries

This article contributes to debates on appropriate levels of analysis, temporality, and the utility of fieldwork in relation to Peace and Conflict Studies (PCS), and International Relations more generally. It observes a recentism or privileging of the recent past in our studies and a consequent overlooking of the longer term. As a corrective, the article investigates the extent to which wartime memoirs and personal diaries (specifically from World War I and World War II) can help inform the study of contemporary peace and conflict. In essence, the article is a reflection on the epistemologies and methodologies employed by PCS and an investigation of the need for greater contextualisation.

Whole of (coalition) government: Comparing Swedish and German experiences in Afghanistan

AbstractWhole-of-government (WOG) approaches have emerged as a blueprint for contemporary peace and state-building operations. Countries contributing civilian and military personnel to multinational interventions are persistently urged to improve coherence and enhance coordination between the ministries that form part of the national contingent. Despite a heated debate about what WOG should look like and how to achieve it, the causal mechanisms of WOG variance remains under-theorised. Based on 47 in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this study compares Swedish and German WOG approaches in the context of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). I argue that coalition bargaining drove the fluctuation in the Swedish and German WOG models. Strategic culture was an antecedent condition. In both cases, COIN and the war on terror clashed with foundational elements of the Swedish and German strategic cultures, paving the way for a non-debate on WOG on the political arena. Finally, bureaucratic politics was an intervening condition that obstructed or enabled coherence, depending on the ambition of the incumbent coalition government to progress WOG. Overall, the results suggest that coalitions face limitations in implementing a WOG framework when the nature of the military engagement is highly disputed in national parliaments.

Bargaining in intrastate conflicts: The shifting role of ceasefires

Research shows that conflict parties engage in ceasefires in pursuit of a variety of objectives, some of which reduce while others fuel violent conflict. This article provides a framework that links these objectives to a larger process. Building on bargaining theory, three distinct bargaining contexts are specified for intrastate conflicts. In the Diminishing Opponent context, leaders believe that a military solution yields a better outcome than a political settlement. In the Forcing Concessions context, they recognize the benefit of conflict settlement, but expectations about a mutually acceptable agreement still widely diverge. In the Enabling Agreement context, expectations converge, and leaders seek to pursue settlement without incurring further costs. In line with these readings, conflict party leaders adapt their strategic goal, from seeking to set up a military advantage, to boosting their bargaining power, to increasing the chances of a negotiated settlement. They may use ceasefires in the pursuit of any of these three goals, shifting the function of a ceasefire as they gain a better understanding of bargaining dynamics. A comparison of violence and ceasefire patterns in six contemporary peace processes and a congruence test conducted on the 2012–16 peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the guerilla organization FARC offer support for the theoretical framework. The findings highlight the important, and shifting, role ceasefires play in the transition from war to negotiated peace.