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International Online Training Program On Intractable Conflict |
Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado, USA |
This is a very broad topic that does not really fit with our incremental approach, but so much is being written about it, and so much is being done in the name of "preventive diplomacy", that we thought it was important to address it here in some way.
The assumption with both conflict prevention and preventive diplomacy is that intractable conflicts are easier to avoid before they happen, rather than fix once they have occurred. There is a great deal of truth to this assumption, although some conflicts are likely to be unavoidable.
A fundamental assumption of constructive confrontation is that the destructive nature of conflict is largely avoidable. Hence we would advocate an incremental approach to both conflict prevention and preventive diplomacy. This means that latent conflicts should not be repressed or submerged altogether. (When this is done, they just tend to erupt, sometimes quite violently, at a later time.) To avoid this, conflicts should be allowed to surface, but that the complicating factors, especially escalation, should be limited to the maximum extent possible, and an effort should made to confront the core conflict with the most beneficial and least destructive strategies available. This means trying to put the emphasis on the exchange and integrative strategies, moving away from force-based strategies--especially illegitimate and excessive force.
The term "preventive diplomacy" is usually used in the international arena and refers to efforts of outside nations or groups of nations (for example, the UN) to prevent the escalation of conflicts between or within other nations. Although potentially effective, often nations feel that they should not intervene in the internal affairs of others if the situation has not yet become dire. By that time, preventive measures are likely to be impossible. (This happened in the Bosnian situation, for example). Nongovernmental organizations can also engage in what is generally referred to as conflict prevention (since they are not state actors). Given their ongoing presence in much of the two-thirds world, they are in a far superior position to try to intervene in developing conflicts early enough to put them on a constructive, rather than destructive course. Discussions about how this can be done can be found in some of the examples, below.
Conflict prevention also is useful in smaller-scale conflicts. To the extent that the parties can control complicating factors from the outset, define the conflict as a mutual problem rather than a competitive or win-lose situation, and utilize a strategy that depends most on integrative and exchange approaches more than force, the conflict is likely to be more productive than destructive. Once escalation sets in and other complicating factors develop, the strategy must change from conflict prevention to conflict management or resolution, which is generally considerably harder to accomplish successfully.
United Nations Preventive Diplomacy Efforts
The Security of States and People: A Conflict Resolution Forum for Southern Africa
Zaire Predicament and Prospects-USIP Peaceworks #11 - includes a section on Frameworks for Preventive Diplomacy
Field Diplomacy A New Conflict Prevention Paradigm - Reychler
The South China Sea Dispute: Prospects for Preventive Diplomacy - U.S. Institute of Peace
Preventive Diplomacy for the South China Sea- U.S. Institute of Peace
Preventing Violent Conflicts- U.S. Institute of Peace
Early Intervention and Power Sharing- U.S. Institute of Peace
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