GCS 300 International Conflict Resolution

Asymmetric warfare

One side in a conflict has a significantly stronger military capability than the other

Precursor - 1st Generation 1918 - 1945

First world war motivation on the need to prevent war

Foundation - 2nd Generation 1945 - 1965

Conflict resolution started in 1950s and 1960s at the peak of cold war (Johan Galtung, John Burton)

Consolidation - 3rd Generation 1965 - 1985

Drawing from wide range of discipline

Intrapersonal Conflict

Within individuals

Interpersonal Conflict

Between individuals

Group / Communal Conflict

Between ethnic, religious, or social groups

International Conflict

Between states

Constructive conflict

• Encourages dialogue

• Promotes reform and change

Destructive conflict

• Leads to violence and polarization

• Undermines social cohesion

Conflict Management

Limiting and controlling violence

Conflict Resolution

Addressing root causes of conflict

Track I Diplomacy

Official, state-led diplomacy

Track II Diplomacy

Informal, non-governmental mediation

Track III Diplomacy

Grassroots and community-level peacebuilding

Conflict

a perceived divergence of interests or a belief that parties’ current aspirations cannot be achieved simultaneously

Triggers

Sudden or acute events that “trigger”" destructive conflict and violence

Effects

Impacts and results of the conflict on society groups an1d individuals

Conflict analysis

the deliberate study of the causes, actors, and dynamics of conflict

SPITCEROW (Christopher Mitchell)

S = SOURCES

P = PARTIES

I = ISSUES

T = TACTICS

C = CHANGES

E = ENLARGEMENT

R = ROLES

O = OUTCOMES

W = WINNER

Light / Operational Prevention

• Short-term, immediate measures

• Aim: stop escalation from tension → violence

Tools: early warning, preventive diplomacy, mediation, rapid response

Deep / Structural Prevention

• Long-term transformation of root causes

• Address political, economic, and social inequalities

Tools, inclusive governenace, development, justice reforms

Negotiation

Any form of verbal (or non-verbal) communication, direct or indirect, whereby parties to a conflict of interest discuss, without resort to arbitration or other judicial processes, the form of any joint action…

Bargaining

the process of back-and-forth communication between partiesn over specific terms, often focused on dividing resources or resolving immediate issues

Positional Bargaining

win-lose, concessions are a sign of weakness

• competitive

• may result in compromise outcome

Interest Based Bargaining

win-win, mutually beneficial solutions

• cooperative

• may result in integrative solution

Principled Negotiations

• “Separate people from the problem”"

• Focus on interest, not positions

• Generate a variety of possibilities before deciding what to do

• Insist that the results be based on some objective standard

Distributive Bargaining

• “Win-lose”

• Divides fixed resources

• One side’s gain = other’s loss