The post-Cold War change in political priorities brings with itself incompatibilities. Market competition and free trade have increased prosperity for some nations and groups but left others behind. Peace and human rights do not always go hand in hand. Democratisation and increased popular participation in government can lead to minority rights abuses. Economic development and democratisation cannot always be achieved simultaneously; in the long run, these values may be reconcilable, but in the short run, they can generate tensions.
Conflicts around the world have not declined, despite the end of the Cold War. From 1989 through 1993, a total of 90 large and small-armed conflicts occurred. At any given time, the number of violent conflicts fluctuates around 50 each year.
That′s why in the post cold-war era, it has become more important than ever that the three actors in conflict prevention and resolution - governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and intergovernmental organisations - went hand in hand. The crucial lesson learned from the previous peace processes had been that there could be no peace without the participation and the will of the parties and the populations involved, for which participation of civil society was fundamental.
Table of Contents
Preface
1. Conflict: issues, types and dynamics
1.1. Conflict issues
1.2. Conflict types
1.3. Conflict dynamics, or escalation
2. The incidence of conflicts
3. The continuum from war to harmony
4. The outcomes of conflicts
4.1. Avoidance
4.2. Conquest
4.3.Submission or Deterrence
4.4. Compromise
4.5.Award
4.6. Passive Settlement
5. Institutions and procedures for resolving conflicts
5.1. Negotiations
5.2. Mediation
5.3. Adjudication and arbitration
Objectives and Core Themes
The primary objective of this paper is to analyze the nature of national conflicts, their underlying causes, and the mechanisms employed for their management and resolution in the post-Cold War era. It investigates how changing global political priorities and the emergence of ethno-nationalism have necessitated new approaches to conflict prevention involving governments, NGOs, and intergovernmental organizations.
- Theoretical classification of conflict issues and types.
- Socio-economic and political root causes of contemporary national conflicts.
- Evaluation of conflict management outcomes such as avoidance, conquest, and compromise.
- The evolving role of civil society and international institutions in peace-building.
- Strategic analysis of conflict resolution procedures including negotiation, mediation, and arbitration.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Conflict: issues and types
Any social change can lead to a conflict. And in order to understand how to warn and prevent it, and when it's already broken out, how to deal with it - we should clearly define a conflict itself: its type, the involved parties, possible impact on the human security and structural stability, etc.
1.1. Conflict issues
According to K.J.Holsti, we can denote the following 6 types of the conflicts:
1. Limited territorial conflicts, where there are incompatible positions with reference to possession of a specific piece of territory or to rights enjoyed by one state in such as Israel's conquest of the Golan Heights and the Sinai peninsula in 1967, is fairly common. The issue of sovereignty over ethnic minorities is often related to the claim by one state to control territory held by another and, therefore, will also be classifies under the limited territorial conflict. Recent examples include a limited Ugandan invasion of Tanzania in 1978 to fulfil; a territorial claim; Somalia's 1978 "war of liberation" in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, claimed on historical grounds and on the fact that the region was populated by ethnic Somalis; and the Iraqi attack on Iran in 1980, with the objective of establishing full Iraqi authority over the commercially and strategically important Shatt-al-Arab waterway dividing the two countries.
Summary of Chapters
Preface: Discusses the shifting post-Cold War landscape, highlighting how globalization and democratization can inadvertently generate tensions and the critical need for collaborative conflict prevention.
1. Conflict: issues and types: Defines conflicts and classifies them based on territorial disputes, government composition, and national honor, while exploring subjective and objective triggers.
2. The incidence of conflicts: Examines the frequency and nature of conflicts, noting that they often arise when interests are perceived as threatened rather than from objective conditions alone.
3. The continuum from war to harmony: Explores the spectrum of conflict resolution and intensity, ranging from peaceful regulated mechanisms to violent confrontation.
4. The outcomes of conflicts: Analyzes various conflict resolution outcomes, including avoidance, conquest, deterrence, compromise, awards, and passive settlement.
5. Institutions and procedures for resolving conflicts: Outlines formal and informal procedures for conflict resolution, specifically focusing on negotiation, mediation, and adjudication.
Keywords
Conflict Management, Conflict Prevention, Ethnic Conflict, Ethno-nationalism, Peace-building, Negotiation, Mediation, Adjudication, International Organizations, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), Civil Society, Sovereignty, Political Stability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper explores the dynamics, causes, and management strategies of national and ethno-political conflicts in the contemporary post-Cold War world.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The themes include conflict classification, the role of national identity, causes of internal state instability, and mechanisms for conflict resolution by various state and non-state actors.
What is the central research focus?
The primary focus is to determine how effective conflict management can be achieved through the synergy of governments, NGOs, and international organizations.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The author uses a qualitative analysis approach, drawing on established political science and sociological frameworks to categorize conflicts and evaluate conflict resolution procedures.
What does the main body address?
It covers theoretical conflict types, socio-economic causes, outcomes like conquest and compromise, and procedural frameworks for resolving disputes.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include conflict management, ethno-nationalism, civil society, and international organizations.
How does the author define "Limited territorial conflicts"?
These are defined as conflicts involving incompatible positions over specific pieces of territory, often linked to sovereignty over ethnic minorities or historical claims.
Why is the "post-Cold War" era highlighted as a unique period for conflict?
The era is marked by the disintegration of empires, the emergence of new nation-states, and the transition of political priorities, which have triggered new, identity-driven ethnic conflicts.
- Quote paper
- Nataliya Gudz (Author), 2003, National Conflicts: Management and Prevention, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/24817
