Plain-language explanation.
Conflict and peacebuilding examines how violent conflicts can be ended and what conditions are needed for sustainable peace. Peace is not just the absence of war — it requires addressing the root causes of conflict, building legitimate institutions, and achieving reconciliation between former enemies. The field draws on political science, sociology, psychology, and law to understand both the dynamics of conflict and the challenges of peace.
Core concepts and standard treatment.
Conflict analysis frameworks: structural causes (horizontal inequalities — Stewart; resource curse — oil, minerals, and conflict financing; state fragility and governance failures) vs. proximate causes (grievance vs. greed — Collier and Hoeffler: empirical test shows economic opportunity costs of rebellion predict conflict better than grievance measures, though both matter). Conflict types: interstate vs. intrastate (civil wars dominate contemporary armed conflict); identity conflicts (ethnic, religious, and communal), resource conflicts, and ideological insurgencies. The "new wars" thesis (Kaldor): post-Cold War conflicts blur civilian/military, loot as motivation, population displacement as strategy — contrasted with conventional interstate war.
Deeper theory, debates and edge cases.
Peace processes and negotiations: ripeness theory (Zartman) — conflicts become ripe for resolution when parties face a "mutually hurting stalemate" and see a "way out"; spoilers (Stedman) — actors who use violence to undermine peace agreements; and the inclusion debate (Paffenholz) — broader inclusion in peace talks improves implementation but may delay settlement. Peace agreement design: power-sharing (consociationalism — Lijphart: executive power-sharing, mutual veto, proportional representation, segmental autonomy — Northern Ireland, Bosnia); federalism and territorial autonomy; and DDR (disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration) of combatants.
How it is applied in practice.
Transitional justice: mechanisms for dealing with past atrocities in post-conflict societies — criminal prosecution (Nuremberg, ICTY, ICC), truth commissions (South Africa TRC, Argentina CONADEP, Rwanda NURC), reparations (monetary, symbolic, restitution), and institutional reform (vetting and lustration). The peace vs. justice dilemma: ICC indictments may prevent peace deals (Sudan — Bashir case); peace agreements often include amnesties that conflict with international law obligations (Sierra Leone, Colombia). Statebuilding and peacebuilding: liberal peacebuilding critique (Mac Ginty, Richmond) — external actors impose Western liberal democratic models on post-conflict societies, failing to engage with local political cultures and priorities; the hybrid peace alternative — combination of liberal and local elements. Post-conflict development: security-development nexus; sequencing debates (security first vs. simultaneous tracks); community reconciliation and social cohesion; and the 10-year risk of conflict recurrence (World Development Report 2011: 40% of post-conflict countries return to conflict within a decade).