Civil Wars, Civil Peace: An Introduction to Conflict Resolution

Kumar Rupesinghe is Secretary General of the London-based International Alert, the leading non-governmental organisation working in the area of conflict resolution. IA's primary purpose is to seek and propose constitutional provisions in areas of international conflict, to alert international opinion in areas of potential conflict, mass killings and genocide, to promote human rights, to provide dialogue with a view to ending ethnic conflict and to provide mediation where necessary.

PREFACE

1 BEYOND THE COLD WAR
FROM WORLD ORDER TO DISORDER
POST-COLONIALISM AND BEYOND
THE RESURGENCE OF RELIGION
POVERTY, EXPECTATIONS AND STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT
DIFFUSION OF SMALL ARMS AND PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS
THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AND THE COST OF WAR
A STEP INTO THE PAST: THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE PREVENTION OF WAR
BOUTROS BOUTROS- GHALI’S ‘ AGENDA FOR PEACE’
THE U N’S RENEWED ATTEMPTS
“WE THE PEOPLE...”

2 CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERNAL CONFLICTS
WHEN DOES A CONFLICT TURN INTO A WAR?
FROM SOCIAL GRIEVANCES TO ARMED CONFLICT
ASYMMETRICAL POWER RELATIONS; A TYPOLOGY OF CONFLICT
THE CHANGING NATURE OF CONTEMPORARY WARFARE
THE INTRACTABLE NATURE OF INTERNAL CONFLICTS

3 FROM EARLY WARNING TO EARLY ACTION
THE CONTINUUM OF CONFLICT (3)
FROM CIVIL PEACE TO CIVIL WAR
SOUNDING THE ALARM - DEVISING A SYSTEM FOR EARLY WARNING
INFORMATION GATHERING INFORMATION ANALYSIS
RESPONDING APPROPRIATELY
FAILURES - LESSONS LEARNT FROM EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS (20)
GENERATING EARLY ACTION TAKING ACTION A RANGE OF OPTIONS

4 THE DIPLOMACY CONTINUUM
TRADITIONAL DIPLOMACY THROUGH THE AGES
COLLECTIVE SECURITY - GENERAL ASSEMBLIES AND PRINCELY LEAGUES
THE BIRTH OF MODERN ‘OPEN’ DIPLOMACY
THE UNITED NATIONS
LIMITATIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS
PITCHED INTO A NEW ERA - THE U N’S RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
THE ICRC AND INTERNAL CONFLICT
WHAT ALTERNATIVES EXIST? NON-STATE PEACEMAKERS
BURDEN SHARING
MAPPING A CONFLICT - THIRD PARTY INTERVENTION
COMPLEMENTARY INITIATIVES THROUGH CONFLICT PHASES
EVALUATIONS AND EFFECTIVENESS

5 TRANSFORMING CONFLICT - BUILDING PEACE
TRANSFORMING VIOLENT CONFLICT
FORMS OF VIOLENCE
WHEN THE CAMERAS STOP AND THE RED CARPET IS ROLLED UP
LESSENING THE RISKS OF DIRECT VIOLENCE
TACKLING STRUCTURAL ISSUES
BUILDING CIVIL SOCIETY

CONCLUSION
NOTES AND REFERENCES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX