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Peace and Conflict Summary, Reference: Kirsch, M. (2017). Global Politics.…
Peace and Conflict Summary
Contested meanings of peace, conflict and violence
Conflict
Types of conflict
Inter-state conflict
The actors of the conflict are government parties of different States, the issue affects the security in both of the warring parties.
Extra-state confict
Occurs between a state and non-state group outside its own territory. It can be devided into colonial and imperial wars.
Internationalized internal conflict
Occurs between the government of a State and internal opposition groups with intervention from other States.
Non-state conflicts
Relationship conflicts
It can arise when the parties involced are upset with one another, when a party has a negative perception or stereotype of the other, when poor communication damages the relationship, or when conflict parties have a history of problematic relations (e.g.: ethnic violence).
Data conflicts
Disagreements about what actually happened during an argument, battle, or massacre.
Interest conflicts
Occurs when there are percceived or actual competitive interests.
Structural conflicts
Structural conflicts are caused by destructive patterns of behavior or interaction, unequal control, ownership or distribution of resources, and unequal power and authority.
Intra-state conflict
Occurs between the government of a state and internal opposition groups.
Non-state armed conflicts
Use of armed force between two organized armed groups, neither of which is the government of a State.
Value conflicts
Different criteria for evaluation ideas or behaviour, different ways of life, ideology, and religion.
Definition
Actors in pursuit of incompatible goals. The aims of the parties are contradictory and as they seek to achieve these ends, ther clash.
Misconceptions of conflict
Are often generalized to one single factor.
Conflict parties are unitary actors, somone part of a conflict party is in conflict.
We only becmoe aware of a conflict when people express their dissatisfaction on how they are being treated. This fules the misperception that conflict can be only talked abut when the dissatisfaction is visible.
Conflict is always bad.
Stages of conflict
Latent conflict: stage of dissatisfaction, before the actual confrontation between the groups, useful to understand how a muted situation turns into a violent conflict.
Fake harmony: Not raising the issue.
Destructive conflict: Parties try to destroy each other.
Constructive conflict: Parties solve the differences constructively. It is usually done with the help of a third party.
Overt conflict: the confrontation between the groups.
Settling: The tensions become contained or neutralized.
Neutralizing: May lead to latent conflict and fake harmony as it does not resolve the conflict.
Violence
Justifications of violence
Just War Theory
Jus ad bellum
competente authority
just cause
right intention
necessity or last resort
proportionality
reasonable hope of success
Jus in bellum
Principle of discrimination
Principle of proportion
Necessity or minimal force
Types of violence
Physical violence
It is the most common type of violence and the most visible one. A subtype of physical violence is domestic violence.
Structural violence
Includes injustice- the unequal an unfair distribution of wealth and power. It is less visible, but it is real.
Cultural violence
Prevailing attitudes and beliefs that justify and legitimize structural and direct violence making it seem natural.
Peace
Creating Global-Local Cultures of peace: Linda Groff and Paul Smoker argue there are six stages in the evolution of the peace concept. Their model regards the broadest interpretation of peace as the final stage of the concept.
Wider forms of peace
Positive peace
Peace built upon sustainable economic development and institutions, in which there is no conflict nor any type of violence; including structural violence.
Feminist peace
It focuses on the individual level, rather than just global or state structures. Extends the interpretation of peace to the removal of any form of discrimination.
Holistic gaia-peace
Relates peace to living in harmony with the environment. The fate of the planet is the most important goal. Peace means living sustainably and harmoniously with the environment.
Holistic inner-outer peace
Includes spiritual, often religious, dimensions of peace. It includes being at ease with yourself.
Narrow forms of peace
Negative peace
There is no war.
Balance of forces
There is no war nor a likelihood of war erupting due to an imbalance of the world. It identifies how war could be prevented.
Internationally, it refers to a lack of a power vaccum.
Conflict resolution terminology
Peacemaking
Working towards a peace treaty to ensure negative peace will be maintained in the short term.
Peacebuilding
Establishment of justice and equality. (Positive peace).
Pecekeeping
Adresses physical violent conflict, it achieves to end the fighting between two parties. (Negative peace).
Conflict resolution and post transformation of conflict
Peacemaking
Stopping violent conflict and creating negative peace
Allows for further mediation/negotiation
Original causes are not solved, but enables stabilization
Peacebuilding, including reconciliation and work of justice institutions
Bring the perpetrators to justice
Offer amnesty
Ignore the conflict
A combination of the other three
Peacekeeping
Sustain negative peace to allow positive peace
Independent peacekeepers may be sent
Monitor agreements
Causes and parties of the conflict
Causes of conflict
Structural Factors
weak states
intra-state security concepts
ethnic geography
Economic/Social Factors
economic problems
discriminatory economic systems
modernization
Political Factors
Discriminatory political institutions
exclusionary national ideologies
inter–group politics
elite politics
Cultural/Perceptual Factors
Patterns of cultural discrimination
problematic group histories
Parties to conflict
Unitary actors with different motives
State–actors
Acts on behalf of a government
Morally and legally, have rights and obligations
Non–state actors
Not aligned to any particular state
E.g: terrorists, insurgents, rebels
Not hindered by moral and legal expectations
Balance of power
Bipolarity
Two big powers which have influence over all other states
Multipolarity
More than two countries which maintain their hegemonies in the world.
Unipolarity
One hegemony in international society
Conflict evolution
Manifestations of conflict, including non-violence
Violent Conflict
Guerrilla
Intended to cause attrition of the enemy.
Only able to proceed in the country the conflict develops in and practices control of territory
Legal in an international context, illegal nationally.
It targets military, police and administration staff, as well as political opponents.
Medium size with light weapons.
Commando-type tactics
Terrorism
Illegal
Intended to provoke psychological coercion
Small disorganized groups with specialized weapons and hand guns/granades.
Worldwide without control of territory
It taegets state symbols, political opponents and the public at large.
Specialized tactics like kidnapping, car-bombing, etc.
War
Intended to cause physiscal detruction
Only able to proceed in recognized war zones and practices control of territory.
Legal if conducted by rules, both in international and national contexts.
It targets military units, industrial and transportation infraestructure.
Large with a full range of militry hardware.
Joint operation involving severl military branches.
Non-Violent Conflict
Strategic logic
Nonviolent campaigns are more open to negotiations as they aren't life threatening to the target regime.
Regime violence against nonviolent movements is more likely to backfire against it.
Enhances domestic and international legitimacy which increases preassure on the target.
Prejudiced behaviour as a manifestation of conflict
Discrimination: Active exlusion
Physical attack: Violence
Avoidance: Keeping a distance
Extermination: Genocide
Antilocution: Hostile talking
Third-party involvement in conflict, including humanitarian intervention
Conciliation
The third party provides an informal communicative link between the parties for lowering the tension.
Consultation
The third party works on creative problem-solving through communication and analysis.
Pure Mediation
The third party works to facilitate a negotiated settlement through reasoning, persuasion and the suggestion of alternatives.
Power Mediation
This encompasses pure mediation nut also includes coercion by the third party, so it is a monitor and a guarantor of the agreement
Arbitration
The third party renders a binding judgement by considering the individual merits of the opposing positions and impones a just settlement.
Peacekeeping
The third-party involves military personnel in order to monitor a ceasefire or an agreement.
Reference: Kirsch, M. (2017).
Global Politics
. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
By:
Valeria Jaramillo
Victor Meza
Marisol Ramírez
Alejandra Bañuelos