Issue 47 – April 2024
TOPICS: Conflict Resolution, Peacebuilding, Peace Studies, Ethnic Conflict
Coordinator:
Christian Chereji and Ciprian Sandu
Content – Sommaire:
ARTICLES in Issue 47 – April 2024:
Colombia: Assessing the Roles of the European Union in Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding
Furqan Adil JABBA & Hussein Mezher KHALAF
Abstract:
Colombia’s internal armed conflict, dating back to the 1960s, has garnered international attention and become a priority for many donor countries. The resurgence of violence in the 1990s, combined with the influx of drug trafficking funds and the emergence of new illegal actors, resulted in fresh humanitarian crises and human rights violations. Concurrently, the internationalization of the armed conflict, spearheaded by the government of Andrés Pastrana (1998-2002) through the policy of diplomacy for peace, brought the shared responsibility approach to drug control onto the global stage. The European Union has played a significant role in Colombia, particularly in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and supporting the country’s development process. In contrast to US cooperation, European engagement has been characterized by a less militaristic approach to addressing the ongoing armed conflict in Colombia. This approach is evident in intervention strategies more directly linked to civil society. These strategies encompass cooperation in peacebuilding and the promotion of human rights. This research aims to elucidate and analyze the strategies employed by the European Union in resolving the conflict and fostering peace in Colombia, while also assessing their effectiveness.
Keywords:
European Union, Colombia, strategies, peacebuilding, conflict resolution.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24193/csq.47.1
The Methodological and Epistemological Developments in Conflict and Peace Studies
Hussein Mezher KHALAF
Abstract:
Conflict and peace studies is a field of knowledge and a contemporary academic discipline whose theories and concepts were formed in the second half of the twentieth century. However, the phenomenon of conflict is considered one of the oldest human phenomena. This article seeks to study and analyze the emergence and development of conflict and peace studies as a new scientific field, from its beginnings in post-World War II to the present time. In other words, this article deals with the progress of this scientific field through a review of all the basic stages that this field of knowledge has gone through. In its approach, this study resorted to the method of surveying many Western political references in the field of conflict and peace studies. Next, the study broke down the process of starting up and growing in this scientific field into specific periods that have basic elements. These include figuring out how important each stage is, how long it takes for this scientific specialization to become established, and what the most important ideas are at each stage. Finally, we compared these stages to discover the nature of the change and development in this scientific field.
Keywords:
Conflict, peace, studies, methodological, epistemological developments.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24193/csq.47.2
Zimbabwe: Teaching Peace in Challenging Environments. Lessons From the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Bulawayo
Ndakaitei MAKWANISE & Octavious MASUNDA
Abstract:
Although the United Nations, governments, and other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are putting efforts into promoting peace education in Africa, challenges remain due to “challenging environments”. A “challenging environment,” as defined in this paper, is an environment that neither fully permits nor bars the teaching of peace. This is typical of environments where peace is introduced, especially in third world countries. When the UN and prominent NGOs advocate for peace education, governments are often willing and quick to comply, but numerous challenges hinder the teaching of peace. Based on practical experiences in establishing a peace course across faculties, the authors draw several lessons from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) experience. Tasked with the mammoth goal of establishing peace programs, the authors faced challenges including: (1) an unstable economic and political environment; (2) student demonstrations linked to economic challenges; (3) large classes and few lecturers; (4) a lack of teaching materials; and (5) being housed under a different department. Experience has shown that it is possible to teach peace in such environments, provided certain tactics, such as being creative in sourcing material, are used. Peace education has limited teaching materials, and even if the materials were to be purchased, acquiring enough books for a large number remains a challenge. As noted by the authors, they resorted to creative ways of finding teaching materials, including assigning different topics to students and then combining the research to create a material base, using newspaper articles to test conflict resolution skills in students, etc. Creative teaching methods include adopting a student centered approach rather than a lecturer-centered one and transforming the environment through engagement in conflict transformation programs. As part of community engagement, the lecturers participated in transforming campus conflicts through the NUST Campus Dialogue Initiative, as well as providing community training in churches and government institutions.
Keywords:
Teaching, peace, challenging environments, lessons, NUST.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24193/csq.47.3
Central African Republic: The Politicization of Religion and Conflict
Robert Kosho NDIYUN
Abstract:
The Central African Republic (CAR) has been a theater of hostilities for decades, including the Seleka rebellion in December 2012, which caused religious-based discrimination, especially between the Muslim minority and Christian majority. Opportunistic political leaders and armed groups have misused religion for political and egocentric gains in the CAR. The purpose of this qualitative content analysis research is to investigate the use of religion for political motives in the CAR and how such actions impact conflict and sectarian divides in the so-called phantom state. The paper recommends ways to mitigate political influence and the misuse of religion by political and armed group actors in the CAR. Very little or no literature on conflict in the CAR has specifically addressed the influence of politics on religion and how it contributes to fueling conflict in the country. This study fills the gaps in the literature by investigating the historical narratives of the CAR conflict while highlighting instances of political abuse of religion. A review of existing literature on the political manipulation of religion establishes the basis for a critical analysis of the influence of politics on religion in the CAR and its impact on conflict.
Keywords:
Politics, religious identities, conflict, Central African Republic, anti-Balaka, Seleka.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24193/csq.47.4
Ethiopia: Ethnic Conflict and Tragedy. A Comprehensive Analysis of the Hamar, Koro, and Arbore Communities
Temesgen Woza WONBERA
Abstract:
Ethnic conflict is a prevalent issue in numerous countries worldwide, including Ethiopia. One common challenge faced by multi-ethnic federal states is the emergence of nationalism among ethnic-regional communities. Nevertheless, I contend that ethnic diversity alone is not typically the primary cause of ethnic conflict in Ethiopia. Considering these factors, the study centered on ethnic conflict among the semi-pastoral communities of Hamar, Karo, and Arbore. This study adopted a qualitative research approach and used informant interviews and survey methods to collect primary data and examine relevant literature from secondary sources. As a result, the study found that the desire for self determination, competition for resources, arms smuggling and marginalization, lack of good governance, poor cultural traditions, and political interests are the factors driving destructive ethnic conflicts in the study area.
Keywords:
Conflict, Ethiopia, federalism, Karo, resources.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24193/csq.47.5
