Peace and Conflict Vocabulary - Global Politics

Negative Peace

absence of direct and physical violence = India-Pakistan border ceasefire after rising tensions from Kashmir shooting, halting hostilities and direct violence

Direct Violence

Visible, intentional, and designed to hurt either individuals or communities = the Syrian Civil War has had violent military crackdowns killing and displacing millions of people

Structural Violence

institutionalized forms of violence, discrimination, and exclusion that are built into the framework of society and often go unnoticed = The Syrian Civil War has large-scale poverty, inequality, and marginalization, causing food deficits and limited job opportunities, with a lack of representative institutions and freedom of speech for justice

Cultural Violence

Relates to aspects of culture such as religion, art, language, sport, and ideology used to justify and legitimize direct or structural violence = Actors of the Syrian Civil War attempt to distort public perspective to legitimize brutal violence and create divisions between majority and minority to increase use of heavy artillery and subsequent massacres

Positive Peace

Removal of structural and cultural violence to develop attitudes, institutions, and structures to create and sustain peaceful societies that support legitimacy, justice, and equality = New Zealand's response of gun law reforms and anti-racism campaigns after Christchurch mosque attacks

Balance of War

The best way to ensure peace is to make sure no single country is powerful enough to control their region or the world, as it presents a threat to others = Countries such as Australia, India, and Japan have strengthened their defense cooperation to balance China's growing military power

Feminist Peace

Understanding how gender (along with other indicators such as class, ethnicity, etc) changes how power is used in situations & how conflict is experienced to aim for freedom, equality, and positive change = Women-led peace advocacy in Sudan organized protests and pushed for gender-inclusive governance frameworks for equality

Destructive Conflict

War and abusive behavior = Russia-Ukraine War has led to mass casualties, destruction of infrastructure, refugee crises, and global economic instability

Constructive Conflict

Put pressure on tightly held ideals and ultimate progression in society (changes in ideas for the better = The MeToo Movement exposed systemic abuse in workplaces, leading to worldwide protection policies against sexual assault and abuse

Strategic Non-violence

Taking a non-violent approach because it is the most effective tool to achieve one's desired outcomes = The Hong Kong pro-democracy movement uses strategic non-violence to pressure the government for democratic autonomy

Non-violent Resistance

Method of struggle in which unarmed people confront an adversary by using collective action-- including protests, demonstrations, strikes, and noncooperation-- to build power to achieve political goals = Black Lives Matter movement had large-scale peaceful protests and civil disobedience against racial injustice

Pacifism

Rejects the use of violence or moral grounds = Global anti-war demonstrations (that are peaceful) against the Russia-Ukraine War

Geneva Conventions

A set of international treaties that outline the rights of wounded and sick soldiers, prisoners of war, and civilians, aiming to protect them from suffering and inhumane treatment = War crimes investigations in the Russia-Ukraine War showed Geneva Convention violations regarding the treatment of civilians and prisoners of war

Primary Disputants

They are the primary actors who are in conflict or disagreement with one another = Russia and Ukraine are the primary disputants in the Russia-Ukraine War

Interstate Conflict

Armed conflict taking place between two or more states = the Russia-Ukraine War is between two sovereign states

Intrastate conflict

Armed conflict taking place within states between two or more groups from within the same country = The Syrian Civil War is a conflict between multiple groups, such as the Syrian government, the Syrian Democratic Forces, and Turkish-backed rebel Groups

Secondary Parties to Conflict

They often provide assistance or support to their allies in the conflict, but they are not directly involved in the conflict itself = Countries in NATO are sending resources such as weapons to Ukraine for humanitarian aid

Third Parties to Conflict

May be mediators, arbitrators, or dialogue facilitators actively trying to cool or end hostilities, or neither engage nor be willing to take a side in the conflict (bystanders), or are negatively impacted by conflict in long-lasting ways (children are the main victims of this) = the Black Sea Grain Initiative was where Turkey mediated grain-export negotiations between Russia and Ukraine

Violent State Actors

Seeking to achieve their goals by violent means = The Syrian Government uses violent actions, such as heavy military crackdowns, to win the ongoing war

Collective Defense

A security pact where multiple nations or entities agree that an attack on any single member is an attack on all, triggering a unified response = NATO's primary military role: the collective defense of its member nations

Violent Non-State Actors

groups or individuals operating outside state control that use organized violence (terrorism, rebel groups, etc) for political, ideological, or economic aims = ISIS creates violent attacks in the Middle East and Africa, but operates outside of state authority

Non-violent State Actors

Use non-violent means to influence global politics rather than force and violence = New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs represents national interests through diplomacy, negotiation, and peaceful foreign policy — not through violence

Non-violent Non-state Actors

Influential individuals or groups that operate outside government control, wielding significant political power, aiming to shape policy and public opinion without using violence = Greta Thunberg's Fridays for Future climate movement has youth-led global protests using peaceful marches, strikes, and advocacy

Track I Diplomacy

The peaceful conduct of relations and negotiations amongst political entities, such as diplomats and heads of state = the US and China have high-level diplomats that have formal negotiations regarding trade and security

Track II Diplomacy

Unofficial actors who serve as intermediates or 'go-betweens' and work with the two conflicting parties = Peace dialogue workshops led by NGOs hold unofficial discussions to reduce tensions between Israel and Palestine

Non-state Conflict

A conflict between two organized groups, neither of which is the state, that can occur within one country or across borders = Armed groups in Libya, such as the 444 Combat Brigade, the Stability Support Authority (SSA), and the Radaa Force, are fighting each other without direct state control

Extrastate Conflict

A conflict between a state and a non-state entity that occurs outside the state's borders and may not be confined to the territory of one state = France's military conducting airstrikes against ISIS in Syria

Identity Conflict

When citizens of a country feel threatened or attacked in a way that challenges or minimizes their identity as citizens of that country = Myanmar's government persecutes the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar

Interest-based Conflict

A conflict caused by the desire to defend an individual or group's interests = Territorial and resource conflict between major countries in Asia, such as China, Vietnam, and the Philippines

Human Needs Theory of Conflict

Suggests that people have basic human needs that must be met to maintain harmony, so that conflict does not ensue = Protests in Syria have started rising due to safety, economic, and humanitarian concerns

Ideological Conflict

Arise from differences in beliefs, how resources are allocated, how society is governed, and/or particular ideologies that claim both exclusivity and opposition = The Venezuelan Government with socialist values was competing for legitimacy against the opposition party that had liberal-democratic ideologies, causing a political crisis

Just War Theory

Seeks to ensure wars are morally justifiable and that they are conducted in a just way = Russia's invasion of Ukraine is widely considered a clear violation of international law and an unjust war

Symmetric Conflict

Opposing forces have similar military resources, strategies, and tactics = Through third-party aid for Ukraine, the Russia-Ukraine war has resulted in a relatively symmetric conflict

Asymmetric Conflict

Conflict between a stronger and weaker party, in which the weaker party may need a third party for aid = The Israeli military comes from a powerful and resourceful state, while Hamas is a non-state armed group in the Gaza conflict

Guerilla Warfare

Use of hit-and-run tactics by small, mobile groups of fighters who use knowledge of land and sympathetic civilians to fight larger, more traditional military forces over prolonged periods of time = Taliban used ambushes, roadside bombs, and small-unit tactics to wear down larger forces of the US

Counterinsurgency

Strategies and operations undertaken by a government to suppress, weaken, or eliminate rebellion or uprising against an established authority to gain control over the state and its resources = The Philippine government has used military action to suppress the armed communist group, the New People's Army

Terrorism

Use surprise attacks and guerrilla tactics characterized by violence to target non-combatants and exploit media coverage = ISIS attacks several places across Middle East and Africa to create fear and promote their ideologies and beleifs

Cyber Conflict

State & non-state actors using digital tools to attack, defend, or exploit information systems of other parties to create widespread panic to disrupt systems, expose injustice, or profit from stolen data = Russian cyberattacks hacked into critical Ukrainian Infrastructure disabling power grids, government websites, and communication networks

Non-violent Conflict

Struggles between groups or states using methods other than physical force (like protests, boycotts, civil disobedience, negotiation) to challenge power, demand rights, or change policies = The Pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong use peaceful protesting to advocate for political reforms

Peacemaking

Measures to address conflicts in progress and usually involves diplomatic action to bring hostile parties to a negotiating agreement = Turkey and the UN played a crucial role in mediating Russia-Ukraine negotiations, allowing grain exports and easing global food crises

Mediation

A process of conflict management that 'involves thr intervention of an outsider-- an individual, a group, or an organization with values, resources, and interests of their own-- into a conflict two or more states or other actors' = Norway facilitated negotiations between the government of Colombia and an armed opposition group (EGC) to cease all illegal activity and ensure peace

Peace Treaties

Formal agreements to end a conflict that include peace terms = The peace treaty between Colombia and FARC (opposition group) involved FARC demobilizing and transforming into a political party

Sactions

Measures of encouragement or punishment designed to reinforce a decision or make a policy authoritative = The US and its allies expelled Russian diplomats from their countries through political and diplomatic sanctions during the Russia-Ukraine War

Embargoes

A specific type of sanction on a country that can be comprehensive (covering all goods and services) or selective (targeting specific commodities like oil or weapons) as a punishment or diplomatic tool to pressure a country to change its behavior or policies = The US and EU placed embargoes on Russia after the start of the Ukraine-Russia war, restricting energy ports, banking, and technology to pressure Russia

Election Observers

Play an important role in helping to prevent and deter conflict by ensuring that elections are transparent, fair, and credible = The EU observed Kenya's 2022 general election, confirming transparency and verified results

Peacekeeping

The active maintenance of a truce between nations or communities through peaceful resolutions or use of force, depending on the situation = The UN sent troops to stabilize Mali after a Tuareg rebellion and jihadist insurgency, saving the lives of civilians and supporting the political process

Genocide

A coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of the essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves = The Myanmar military has been targeting Rohingya muslims, causing mass killings, displacement, and destruction of homes

Peacebuilding

The process of developing a positive peace so that the likelihood of conflict is minimized = The peacebuilding between Colombia and FARC (opposition group) allowed for land restitution, local development, and community reconciliation

Restorative Justice

Seeks to address the harm caused by criminal or wrongful acts through a process of reconciliation, focusing on healing, reintegration, and community involvement = A community-based justice system was revived in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide to process the overwhelming number of perpetrators, focusing on truth-telling, reconciliation, and allowing victims to confront perpetrators

Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRCs)

Investigate and report on past injustices and huma. rights abuses in societies that have experienced prolonged periods of conflict and authoritarian rule, aiming to uncover the truth of what happened during these time periods = South Africa's TRC has been making efforts to examine apartheid-era human rights violations and encouraged victim testimonies, reparations, and societal reconciliation