Positive Peace Research Articles

The Road to Sustainable Peace: Galtung’s concept of positive peace as a framework to examine post-war reconstruction initiatives in Syria

Premised on Galtung’s theory of positive peace (1969), this study examines whether the Syrian government’s post-war initiatives to reconstruct the education sector aim to promote a culture of positive peace. Data is obtained from semi-structured interviews with twelve participants consisting of senior government officials, teacher educators from a public university and the equivalent of pre-service and in-service teacher training centres within a government-held area. The validity of meaning developed from interview data was also assessed through cross-checking emerging patterns with document examination. Research findings reveal that the government’s current approach to reconstruction is based on a negative concept of peace that aims to bring life back to ‘normal’ as it was before the conflict.

Pragmatism, courage, and ideals of peace in times of war

ABSTRACT After the demise of liberal peacebuilding, the policy literature often views peacebuilding as a project aimed at avoiding relapse into conflict, focusing on prevention, stabilisation and hard security. Also, critical peace scholars have predominantly narrowed peacebuilding down to gradual, small, hybrid, everyday work. There is no enthusiasm for pointing towards new ideals of peace. To this aim, this article engages with the work of the American social worker, feminist, and peace activist of the early twentieth century, Jane Addams, who was the first to theorise what a positive peace may be. According to Addams, a positive peace was about enlarging human relations and already emerging from the ashes of the First World War. Peacebuilding had to be heroic, courageous, and aggressive, substituting the virtues of war. Her pragmatist work is useful for thinking of alternative imaginaries of liberal peace in times when imagination about peace and peacebuilding has dimmed.

The Responsibility for Peace (R4P): Understanding the study of peace from a global justice and development perspective.

This article introduces a new conceptualisation of the relationship between global distributive justice, development, and the study of peace, which we label the Responsibility for Peace (R4P). In doing so, the article examines the notion of positive peace within peace studies, its relation to arguments within global distributive justice, and to what degree this important relationship is recognised in the primary international framework to prevent and protect populations from mass atrocity crimes, the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). The article argues that despite growing recognition about the links between peace and development within both R2P and global justice discussions, it remains insufficient in terms of positive peace, thus requiring a new heuristic. In response, we argue that global justice demands refocused moral commitments to jus ante bellum (establishing global justice before war) and that this necessitates greater focus on the study of positive peace mechanisms, the identification and reform of structural injustices (against structural violence), and a retooled emphasis on human-centred development that can transcend existing legacies. In other words, we need to better focus on causes and not symptoms. It is this triangulation that we label the Responsibility for Peace (R4P), which should operate both prior to, and independently of, the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

Bending Archaeology toward Social Justice: Transformational Action for Positive Peace

Bending Archaeology toward Social Justice: Transformational Action for Positive Peace

Constructing resistance in the quest for social justice

Abstract This study adopts the concept of “positive peace” and draws on critical discourse studies to investigate the texts of two Thai activists responding to the 2006 coup d’état and subsequent events in Thailand. The study analyses the texts from a systemic functional linguistic (SFL) perspective to show how the first text challenges the legitimacy of the coup, and how the second text reflects a widening of the cracks then appearing in Thai royalist hegemony. In particular, the study compares the construal of one social actor in the first text published in 2007 with that in the speech of the second activist three years later, highlighting how the meaning of a key word evolved from one of oppression to one of pride.

Black Woman Insighting Future Vision: Amanda Gorman’s The Hill We Climb as a Site of Liberatory Knowledge Production

ABSTRACT Situating a poetry performance as a form of autoperformance, I analyze the first National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States, Amanda Gorman’s 2021 Presidential inaugural poem, The Hill We Climb, to discuss the poet’s subjectivity as a young Black woman who invites her audience to be active agents for social change and pursuers of positive peace. I position Gorman’s poem as a narrative, containing life-giving ideologies including Afrocentricity, Black Feminist Thought/Black Feminist Rhetoric, and Coalition Building, capable of calling her audience into being the protagonists to bring about a liberatory future that recognizes their individual agency as Americans.

Visions of peace: Exploring how Scottish youth understand and define peace

AbstractIn this article, we report on a study that explored how young people in Scotland understand and define peace. A total of 59 young people aged 12–18, from three schools (independent, state Roman Catholic, and state non-denominational) participated in this study. The young people were asked to participate in a peace data walk and, after that, to draw or paint pictures of what peace means for them in their local community and beyond. We utilize a combination of Personal Meaning Mapping, visual content analytic procedures, and visual art coding scheme to analyse the pictures. We drew on Critical Peace Education as an overarching framework to approach data collection and on the Peace Education Curricular Analysis framework to examine the presence of positive peace elements in youth drawings/paintings. Previous research in different contexts suggests that youth find it difficult to conceptualize peace, whereas it appears to be easy to explain war and negative peace (i.e., absence of war). Previous research conducted in Scotland showed that the curriculum focused on the element of wellbeing, with many other positive peace elements being either absent or not well represented. By contrast, youth in our study showed a strong understanding of positive peace, with a particular emphasis on the following facets: peace zone, eco mind, wellbeing, peace bond, and social justice. In our conclusion, we discuss these findings in relation to Scottish education policies and ways of capitalizing on this method of engagement and overall findings to support youth learning about peace.

Peace as Social Cohesion, Equity, and Democracy: Local Peacebuilders’ Conceptualizations of Peace

Peace is something that all societies value and desire, but very few can achieve and sustain. This paper offers an analysis of how local peacebuilders working in contexts affected by violent conflict and in postconflict areas conceptualize peace. Peacebuilders voices were collected through an open-ended survey, consultations on a digital platform called Padlet, and storytelling webinars facilitated by an Australian Indigenous storyteller. In these voices, we find a focus on achieving negative peace and deligitimizing all kinds of violence as well as a strong emphasis on positive peace that includes social cohesion; equity and inclusion; and democracy, human rights, and freedoms.

(De) Escalatory Framing Analysis of Photographs of Terrorist Organisation in the Press of Pakistan

This research focuses on analysing the representation of the Taliban conflict in four popular Pakistani dailies: Nawa-i-Waqat, Express, The News, and Dawn during three different regimes of Pakistan’s government from 2004 to 2015. The research is concerned with the analysis of escalatory and de-escalatory images to examine the patterns of media reports on the events at different phases of the conflict. The observation confirms that with references to intensity of the war, there is more conflicts reflected in photographs identified. High tension symbolic pictures of the conflict accompanied with violent images were most commonly used, stressing the role of media in presenting the conflict merely as the act of violence. Positive peace messaging or what I refer to here as de-escalatory photos, largely encompassing effort to denote phases of war, were noted frequently during the containment and agreement phases though tremendously reduced during phases of escalation. This implies a change of editorial policies and possibly a change of tack in how media handles the reporting of conflict. There are also observations regarding newspaper’s preference – Express prefers more of strong escalatory photos while Dawn is moderate. Indeed, it was possible to observe only miniscule shifts in the application of the general principles of peace journalism that are supposed to offer a more balanced perspective of the conflict. It therefore supports the notion the media plays an important role in informing the public on conflict. The type of images the media specialising in the conflict with the Taliban used in its outputs shifted with time and primarily focused on escalation because of the changes in the editors’ concerns and audience interests. Keywords: Photographs, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, (De) Escalation, Peace Journalism, Conflict

The gap between ecological violence and social injustice from mining industries in post-conflict West Aceh

This study examines the role of the mining industry in promoting positive peace in post-onflict West Aceh, using qualitative content analysis of secondary data sources such as media and documentation. The findings reveal a significant gap between the current trajectory of the mining sector and aspirations for long-term peace. While the mining industry has transformative potential, its progress is marred by ecological damage and social injustices, particularly conflicts between local communities and mining companies over land tenure and environmental impacts. This study proposes a socially inclusive approach to mining development that balances economic benefits with sustainable peacebuilding. Key recommendations include stronger environmental regulations, increased community participation in all phases of mining projects, and robust conflict resolution mechanisms. This study is limited by its reliance on secondary data, which may not fully capture local nuances and may be biased by media sources. Further research with primary data collection is recommended to validate and extend these findings.

From conflict to coexistence: Reaffirming belonging and property rights through the ‘sons of village’ discourse in post-conflict Kenya

This article explores the puzzle of victims of political violence in Kenya committing to return to contested spaces of their prior victimhood and displacement. It considers how political violence has been brought to bear on understandings of property rights and belonging among Kikuyu victims of political violence in the Burnt Forest area of Uasin Gishu County in Kenya. It is reported that the iteration between the collapse of the multiparty Kenyan state commitment to protect Kikuyu land rights in their state settled areas and the partisan character of neo-customary tenure that restricts the admission of co-ethnic outsiders, induced Kikuyu spontaneous resistance to their spatial political confinement motivating their formulation of an organic discourse of belonging. The article introduces the ‘sons of village’ concept as a bottom-up framework for understanding the informal mechanisms for claiming property rights and belonging in contested spaces in Africa. By challenging notions of belonging rooted in contested histories and emphasizing credible links to land and space, this concept embodies inclusive citizenship with the potential to foster conciliatory relations between previously hostile groups in post-conflict scenarios. The 'sons of village' identification, therefore, offers a promising avenue for fostering positive peace in regions afflicted by chronic violence in Africa and beyond.

Theoretical evaluation of integrated Basin at Risk (iBAR) method for international water conflict-cooperation analysis

Comprehensive analysis of water interactions enhances understanding of the dynamic and complex conditions in transboundary river basins. The Basin at Risk (BAR) method is among common methods to analyze water interactions. The integrated Basin at Risk (iBAR) method has recently enhanced BAR. As an extension of BAR, iBAR emphasizes hidden drivers of water conflict and cooperation, whereas BAR includes visible ones. The novelty of iBAR is grounded in Johan Galtung’s theory of violence and the concept of positive peace. This method emphasizes the importance of capturing the hidden aspects of water conflicts as well as the concept of positive peace in water interactions. While iBAR has made significant improvements in addressing water conflicts, some challenges remain. This paper provides a review and theoretical analysis of iBAR. Initially, the iBAR development phases are reviewed in terms of positive peace conceptualization and contextualization in water interactions. Following this, the theoretical background of this method is discussed. The results suggest that the iBAR method could be further enhanced by revising concepts of positive peace, social justice, and environmental justice in water interactions.

The glaring gaps: environmental violence and peace research and practice

ABSTRACT Human-caused global impact on socio-ecological systems has been labelled the greatest challenge to human and environmental health. It is also a significant, and perhaps the greatest threat to global peace. Restricting peace research to direct violence alone causes a glaring gap in peace research and practice between different forms of human-caused mortality and suffering. Explicitly accounting for Environmental Violence can offer a critical component for building positive peace. This paper seeks to address what I consider to be strategic gaps that require the integration of multi-disciplinary research, intersectional peacebuilding practice, and concerted policy proposals. The four gaps are (1) failure to include environmental violence in peace research; (2) the multi- and trans-disciplinary gap; (3) the gap of scale and thinking in systems; and (4) failure in the specification of the harm and power differentials in contribution to and realisation of environmental risk. Generative pathways to reconcile these gaps are identified and explored.

In Honor of Johan Galtung, the Father of Peace Studies

In this tribute to Johan Galtung, I reflect on Galtung’s groundbreaking work in peace studies, particularly his focus on structural violence and the concept of positive peace. Galtung’s ideas have profoundly influenced scholars and activists, inspiring a shift toward holistic approaches to peacebuilding. Despite initial skepticism, peace studies has gained widespread recognition and integration into academic disciplines. In this essay, I also introduce the concept of ‘hyper’ form of negative peace, emphasizing the need to address historical grievances in peacebuilding efforts. Inspired by Galtung’s vision, the essay advocates for inclusive and participatory approaches to peace formation, envisioning a future where peace is synonymous with justice and human flourishing.

Intricacies of French engagement in Sahel with peace prospects

The Sahel region faces an extreme human security crisis with complex security challenges rooted in historical, ethnic, and geopolitical ties. Decades of armed violence and unstable socio-political systems have led to deteriorating security conditions, with crisis hotspots diversifying across the region. The mobilization of destabilizing actors has necessitated external support, yet outcomes have proven inadequate. This research explores France's engagement in the region, transitioning with dynamic policy shifts towards a more “Sahelian solutions for Sahelian problems” oriented approach. However, externally led peacebuilding exercises have fallen short due to lack of coherence, worsening conditions in the region, leading to adverse effects like the emergence of a 'coup belt'. Thus, this study aims to identify sustainable peace alternatives by investigating key questions like: How has France's role in the Sahel transformed, particularly in response to policy shifts and troop withdrawals? Why does France remain a prominent security provider despite changes in its military posture? What are the limitations and outcomes of peacebuilding processes employed in the region by various actors? How effectively can peacebuilding discourses translate into tangible security improvements for the Sahelian people? Thus, this paper aims to demystify conflict dynamics in the region, analyzing France’s evolving role in the Sahel and evaluating collaborative efforts to address security threats and promote development, empowering local actors. Additionally, it explores peacebuilding theoretically to understand Sahel's ground realities. Through a review of past interventions, it highlights limitations in fostering positive peace, offering recommendations for coherent policies and collaboration in the Sahel. In this regard, the paper explores contemporary events through peace, security, and policy lenses.

“Dirty War: Claudia Jones and Opposition to the Indochina War”

Claudia Jones was an advocate of “positive peace.” Positive peace, as it was explained by Johan Goltung, is “the absence of structural violence” which involves the “egalitarian distribution of power and resources.” Positive peace is not just the absence of war and violence (defined as negative peace), but it also includes justice for all people and “the elimination of the root causes of war, violence, and injustice” and a concerted and unified effort to create and uphold a just society. For Jones, this could only be achieved under socialism. She argued that capitalism fomented war, colonialism, and imperialism and it used state violence to secure control over resources and cheap labor. The advent of the Cold War increased the anxiety of individuals like Jones who feared that it made hot war a likely eventuality. Jones argued that the US commitment to containment meant policing the poor and the “darker side of the color line.” She theorized a notion of peace that proposed the destruction of capitalism and the structures it relied on to maintain power; this included racism, sexism, and the prevention of labor organization. Jones was also an anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist and she recognized that US containment policy was merely a re-branding of both. Though Jones died before the US escalated conflict in Vietnam, she watched events in Indochina with trepidation and she argued that the US was heading toward war there.

The Ibibio Concept of Peace and Its implication for Building an Egalitarian Society

Conflict and violence are phenomena that are common to every human society. It would not be an overstatement to say that conflicts, war and various forms of violence are clear, indications of a lack of Peace in any given society. Many scholars had work closely on various topics related to peace, yet, the attainment of peace in our human society (Ibibio) remains a mirage. On a daily basis, there are indications that, all over the African society, violence is on the increase, sending thousands of innocent people to early graves. In Ibibio society, the story is even worse. Different approaches towards achieving peace have failed to yield the needed positive peace. Yet, little or nothing has been done in terms of searching for peace within the indigenous African context. The aim of this paper is to examine critically the concept and causes of violence and lack of peace in the Ibibio society. The method adopted in this work is theoretical. It is, noted that lack of peace has physical, psychological, economic, social as well as political consequences in people’s lives which basically, result in death, suffering, injustice, poverty, and the human person’s loss of dignity. Yet, the Ibibio leaders, being mostly Ibibio natives, know what the Ibibio peace is all about. This paper has offered insight on how Ibibio elders should integrate indigenous peace initiatives in order to become more effective in building an egalitarian society. Keywords: Ibibio, Concept, Peace, Egalitarian and Society.

Governing after FARC: environmental peacebuilding in Caquetá, Colombia

ABSTRACT We examine the environment as a mechanism for building substantial integration in Colombia. In environmental peacebuilding, substantial integration is a positive peace dimension characterized by trans-societal links that foster social cohesion. Employing data from the Amazonian Department of Caquetá, we argue that the Government of Colombia is pursuing a peacebuilding approach that impedes opportunities to forge an inclusive social order. Instead, it has forcibly integrated frontier communities to advance an extractive peace that perpetuates longstanding patterns of resource violence. This generates a negative peace or “antagonistic integration” wherein peacebuilding creates trans-societal links without reducing violent conflict or increasing social cohesion.

Barbara J. Little, 2023 Bending Archaeology toward Social Justice: Transformational Action for Positive Peace, Tuscaloosa AL: The University of Alabama Press in cooperation with the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Barbara J. Little, 2023 Bending Archaeology toward Social Justice: Transformational Action for Positive Peace, Tuscaloosa AL: The University of Alabama Press in cooperation with the Society for Historical Archaeology.

NU and Muhammadiyah Communal Conflict: Social Interaction between NU and Muhammadiyah Communities in Cinta Karya Village, Plakat Tinggi District, Musi Banyuasin Regency

NU and Muhammadiyah are the two largest Islamic organizations in Indonesia. These two large organizations have differences in their religious understanding. These differences certainly invite communal conflict between fellow Islamic communities and have an impact on hampering the process of social interaction at all levels of society, especially in the Cinta Karya Village community. This writing aims to analyze the social interactions that occur between the NU and Muhammadiyah communities in Cinta Karya Village. This writing uses a qualitative approach method with an ethnographic type. The findings obtained in this research were that there was no violence or discrimination from each community group in Cinta Karya Village. However, in the context of worship, sometimes they don’t get along at certain times. This is the source of conflict between fellow Muslim communities in this village. Despite this, their social interactions can still be said to be well established. It is recommended that reconciliation be carried out in an effort to build peace from this cold war. Positive peace can only be achieved if we communicate well with each other. Through this dialogue, it is hoped that the parties in conflict can have an open view towards each other to avoid violence.