peace

Negative peace

The absence of direct or personal violence, but underlying causes of violence are not addressed

Treaty of Versailles

Direct violence

Intentional, personal violence meant to physically or psychologically injure another person or group

Russia's invasion of ukraine

Structural violence

Harm built into the structures of society through unequal power and resources

Kafala migrant labor system

Cultural violence

Aspects of culture such as religion or ideology used to justify direct or structural violence

The Crusades-justified with religion

Positive peace

Not just the absence of violence, but the presence of justice, equality, and cooperation in society

South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Balance of power

Peace maintained through multiple states increasing military power, ensuring no single state becomes powerful enough to dominate others

Arms race between USA and USSR during the Cold War

Feminist peace

Understanding peace through a gender lens, addressing how conflict affects people differently based on gender and identity

UN Security Council Resolution 1325

Destructive conflict

Conflict that causes harm and negative outcomes, such as war or abusive behavior

The Syrian Civil War

Constructive conflict

Conflict that leads to positive social change and progress

The Women’s Suffrage Movement

Strategic non-violence

Choosing a non-violent approach because it is the most effective tactic to achieve a goal

The 2019 Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests

Non-violent resistance

Unarmed collective action including protests, strikes, and noncooperation to achieve political goals

Gandhi’s salt march

Pacifism

A philosophical rejection of violence on moral grounds and opposition to war in all forms

Mahatma Gandhi

Geneva Conventions

Four international treaties adopted in 1949 that set out how prisoners of war, soldiers, and civilians must be treated in armed conflict; they form the basis of international humanitarian law

Ukraine-Russia War Violations

Primary disputants

The first or primary parties in a conflict who directly oppose one another; they have a direct stake in the outcome and their behavior is clearly conflictual

SAF and RSF in the 2023 Sudan Civil War

Interstate conflict

Armed conflict taking place between two or more states

USA-Iran conflict

Intrastate conflict

Armed conflict taking place within a state between two or more groups from within the same country

2023 Sudan Civil War

Secondary parties to conflict

Parties with an indirect stake in the outcome of a conflict who may provide diplomatic, economic, or military support to one side but are not directly involved themselves

UAE support of the RSF in the Sudan Civil War

Third parties to conflict

Outside parties such as mediators, arbitrators, or dialogue facilitators who attempt to end hostilities; may also include bystanders who are unwilling to take a side

The UN in the Sudan Civil War

Violent state actors

State-based groups such as militaries and paramilitaries that use violence to achieve their goals on behalf of a government

Ethiopian military in the Tigray War