Introduction to Peace and Conflict

Studies

Sophia Daniel Sonime

 What is Peace and conflict studies

• It is a social science field that identifies and

analyses violent and non-violent behaviours as well
as a structural mechanisms.
Importance of Peace and conflict
• it explores a broad range of topics such as conflict
theory, history of non-violent protest, human rights,
self-awareness, critical thinking and effective
communication
 What is Peace?
No single definition of peace
• Having multiple meanings: a subjective or
intersubjective concept that is defined distinctively
by different individuals/groups
• A contested concept with no fixed meaning
Peace: what is constructed by human beings and
changes its meaning according to different
situations and environments
Peace
 Peace
• Three dimensions of peace (Suggested by Linda Groff
– an American peace scholar and futurologist)
1.Peace as goals/visions: what kind(s) of peace we
want to achieve
2.Peace as means/processes used to realize the
goals/visions
Negotiation, mediation, arbitration, dialogue,
reconciliation, (peace) education, military intervention,
development, etc.
3.Peace as feeling: How do we feel when we are
peaceful? How do we feel when we have achieved
what we envisioned as peace?
 Peace
• Public peace and private peace
• Public peace: Peace in public spheres
Inter-communal peace, inter-state peace, international
peace, peace within a community, peace within a state,
etc.

• Private peace: Peace in private spheres

Inner peace (serenity), peace within a family, peace
with close friends, etc.
Negative peace and positive peace
• Negative peace and positive peace: proposed by Johan
Galtung
Contributed to developing peace and conflict studies

Negative peace
• A narrow version of peace
An absence of direct/overt violence between/within states,
between individuals, between/within communities
Ceasefire agreement, power-sharing agreement, control of
violence by coercion or threat of force, authoritarian rule to
suppress violence in society, etc.
 Negative peace
An inherent view of conflict: Violence is intrinsic to
human nature of part of human biology
Violence: endemic in human history, society, and
international relations
Violence/conflict: endemic as it is rooted in human
nature
Use of force or coercion as the practical method to
suppress and control violence/conflict
The preservation of a pre-existing order/monitoring the
status quo by force or coercion
 Negative peace
• The Cold War
• Absence of inter-state war in international relations
• Balance of power and maintenance of the balance to
avoid the recourse to war: US-China relationship?
• Political confrontation but without recourse to conflict:
Korean Peninsula?
To keep the status quo without relational and structural
transformation
 Positive peace
• A broader view of peace
• Peace as an elimination of structural violence
• Peace as a construction of society free from fear and
poverty
• Peace as a participatory political system
• Peace as a construction of society that respects human
rights of all citizens beyond ethnic, religious, or cultural
differences
• Peace as creation of social environment wherein each
and every citizen can seek to achieve his/her vision or
dream(s)
 Positive peace
Critique of pessimistic view of human nature
• Cause of conflict/violence - Inherent aggressive, violent and
egoistic nature of human beings
Causes of conflict: multiple causes - social, political, economic,
psychological, etc.
• Conflict (especially armed conflict): being learned rather than
innate in human society
• Conflict: can be mutually and consensually resolved by human
beings
 Positive peace
• Optimistic view of human beings
• Human beings: Having the capacity to understand why
conflict arises and to produce a range of innovative
approaches to conflict
Compromise, agreement, institutional reform,
redistribution of resources, reconciliation, education,
etc.
Human beings: inherently possessing the capacity and
skills to learn new knowledge and modify the learned
knowledge creatively to resolve problems facing us
 Positive peace
• Foundational elements of positive peace
Conditions for sustainable and harmonious relations:
Minimization of all forms of exploitation
1.Equity as an essential element of peace
Elimination of various forms of discrimination as a
precondition for human self-realization/fulfillment as a
human
2.Development of equal opportunity: Empowering people
to sharpen their talents and skills to participate in
various aspects of development – social, economic,
political, cultural, etc.
 Positive peace

3. Enhancement of quality of life: Personal growth,

freedom, autonomy, solidarity, socio-political
participation, etc.
Positive peace: Social transformation, individual
empowerment in many terms, collaborative and
harmonious relationship, unity in diversity, etc.
• Critique of positive peace
The concept being too broad to be achieved: “Anything
goes” orientation
The concept could be expanded with no limit
 Dilemma of negative peace and
positive peace
Order, justice (especially social justice), and peace
The status quo vs social change
• Negative peace: peace for elites, existing government,
or those in power – maintaining existing order/status
quo on focus
• Positive peace: peace for people, the marginalized, the
underprivileged – social reform included
The meaning of peace differs according to people in
different social, political, or economic positions
Different peace(s) can clash or contradict each other in
one society or country
 Complementarity between negative
peace and positive in conflict
dynamics
• Conflict: dynamic process with different stages/levels of
tension
ABC Triangle changes constantly in conflict dynamics
– both negatively and positively
Different stages and levels of tension require distinct
approaches to peace
Different stages and levels of tension need respectively
different peace
 ABC Triangle (Do you remember??)

• During conflict (both non-violent and violent), the

triangle shows constant change
 Conflict dynamics, negative peace
and positive peace
• Low intensity
Negotiation, mediation, arbitration, problem-solving
workshop, etc.
The aim being to prevent non-violent conflict from escalating
into violent one and resolve the conflict peacefully
• Mid intensity
Power mediation: mediation with third-party having coercive
power
• High intensity: breaking of violence
Power mediation, negotiation or military intervention if
necessary
Conflict dynamics, negative peace
and positive peace
• De-escalation stage
Ceasefire agreement
Imposition of peacekeeping force to monitor the
ceasefire and prevent the resurgence of violence
Problem-solving workshop wherein parties to conflict
engage in dialogue to exchange opinions and explore
mutually cooperative solutions
Reconciliation: Restoring broken relationship and
building constructive community that can manage
conflict peacefully and creatively in future
Conflict dynamics, negative peace
and positive peace
Implementation of positive peace needs negative peace
In case of violent conflict, positive peace cannot be carried out
without securing negative peace
Need to understand negative peace and positive peace as a
continuum
Of course, conflict and peace are not so simple as shown by the
dynamics model.
So, our flexibility and creativity are required to respond to real
conflict properly…
 week 2
Key concepts in peace and conflict
studies: Peace
Objective of today’s class
• To examine and discuss complexity and diversity of
peace
Structure of today’s class
1. To examine negative peace and positive peace
2. To analyze conflict dynamics and peace
3. To look at key concepts related to peace:
peacemaking; peacekeeping; and peacebuilding
4. To discuss what kind(s) of peace we should create
 Other key words related to
peace
1. Peacemaking
• An approach seeking to bring parties to conflict to a
ceasefire agreement by peaceful means – negotiation,
mediation, or conciliation
Building negative peace

2. Peacekeeping
• The imposition of international armed forces to
separate the parties to conflict and monitor and support
humanitarian assistance delivery
Other key words related to peace

2. Peacekeeping
• Established in 1956 by the UN
• Dispatched following the ceasefire agreement and
consent from parties to conflict
• Main mission: To prevent the re-eruption of armed
conflict and oversee the implementation of a political
settlement
To keep negative peace so that positive peace can be
discussed and practiced
Peacekeeping itself does not address the causes of
conflict and achieve positive peace
Other key words related to peace
3. Peacebuilding
• A holistic approach to peace that underpins
peacemaking and peacekeeping by addressing social,
political, and economic structures that cause conflict
and build a constructive relationship between/among
parties to conflict
A holistic approach to build positive peace in the post-
conflict nation/society to prevent a relapse into violent
conflict and create a sustainable society
Other key words related to peace
Peacebuilding
• Origin: (1)Agenda for Peace (1992) by UN Secretary-General
Boutros Ghali: Post-conflict peacebuilding – to demobilize
conflictants and hold multi-party election and establish
democratic system
• (2)Supplement to An Agenda for Peace (1995) by Boutros-
Ghali: Extended the scope of peacebuilding by adding
humanitarian, economic, and political areas besides
demobilization of combatants and multi-party election
• The roles of external actors – International Organizations,
NGOs, states, etc. – emphasized in carrying out peacebuilding
Other key words related to peace

Peacebuilding
Since 1990s, peacebuilding has been the center of
international conflict resolution enterprise
However, it also has caused many problems and criticism –
Western versions of peace vs locally and culturally oriented
view of peace
Clash of different visions of peace – we will look at it in later
week class
 Future visions of peace
• Examples suggested by Linda Groff
1. Feminist peace: Elimination of physical, structural
and cultural violence on both micro (community, family
and individual) levels and macro (state, inter-state, and
international levels) and patriarchal values, attitudes and
organizations that block people’s opportunities
Issues of gender and cultural relativity need to be
discussed
Can feminist view be a universal value or is it an
Western one?
 Future visions of peace
2. Intercultural peace: Peace between/among diverse
cultures, civilizations and religions
Increase of the interaction between/among values, norms
and lifestyles raises the need for mutual understanding and
co-existence
Appreciating the rich cultural diversity of humanity as an
essential component of a more harmonious world
What can we do to promote intercultural peace on both
micro and macro levels??
 Future visions of peace

3. Holistic Gaia peace: Peace between human beings and the

global environment
Peace between human beings and the Mother Earth and all
her diverse ecological system and species
The recognition of the Earth as a complex, self-organizing
living system or humans as part of that
Sustainable development and SDGs (Sustainable
Development Goals)
How can we promote holistic Gaia peace from our daily
lives?
 Future visions of peace
4. Holistic inner and outer peace
Mixture of socio-political and economic peace and human
internal peace
Religious peace: Promoting human inner enrichment for
transformation: Compassion, mercy, meditation,
mindfulness, touching divinity (God), etc..
Many religions also preach social justice as part of peace
 Conclusion
Peace: complex and multi-dimensional enterprise
Positive peace: Need for providing concrete and viable ideas
according to different circumstances
Though positive peace invites critique for its ambiguity, it
also empowers us to be creative
What kind(s) of peace do you want to achieve?