Last updated November 12, 2001 15:57 EST

After the war, what?

Understanding peace, peace-building and security

What is peace-building? by A. Ramsbotham, for the UNA-UK.


A compendium of peace-building experiments

War is easier to wage than peace is to build. Many important issues will have to be contended with in the course of this war, starting from the rightness of an armed response to how one distinguishes between terrorists and freedom-fighters, to call on a cliché. We will also have to consider whether ridding ourselves of armed assailants will rid us of the grievances they hold. We will have to walk a fine line between assisting the peace transition and imposing a peace. But, if human history is littered with conflicts, it is also marked by repeated efforts to build and keep the peace. It is immaterial as to the motivations behind these efforts and their success. What is important is to take cognizance of them and to learn what we might for the future.

In this section, I list resources that describe some more recent efforts. I particularly request the assistance of area specialists in identifying good analytical resources for each case.

Accord, an International Review of Peace Initiatives.
Accord issue specifically on Cambodia

Lessons from a Venture into Peace-Building, by Janet E. Heininger. Policy in Perspective. The Century Foundation. (Discusses Cambodia and Haiti.)

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