peace, conflict, violence definitions

peace

both the absence of conflict and violence as well as a state of harmonious relations

positive peace

absence of structural violence and removal of any form of discrimination

negative peace

absence of war or balance of forces; when there is no war or likelihood of war erupting due to an imbalance of power in the world

balance of forces

situation in which states of the world have roughly equal power. also could be a situation when various groups within a country have equal power thus preventing the outbreak of civil war.

feminist peace

achieving or advocating for the removal of all forms of discrimination

holistic gaia-peace

living sustainably and harmoniously with the environment

holistic inner-outer peace

living sustainably and harmoniously with the environment and spirtual and religious dimensions of peace

conflict

serious incompatibility between two or more actors over opinions, principles, or interests

inter-state conflict

conflict where the primary warring parties, who first stated the incompatibility, must be state actors

extra-state conflict

conflict that occurs between a state and non-state group outside its own territory

internationalized conflict

conflict where the government of a state and internal opposition groups with intervention from other states

intra-state conflict

conflict between the government of a state and internal opposition groups without intervention from other states

relationship conflicts

conflict where parties involved are upset with one another, when one party has a negative perception or stereotype of the other or when poor communication leads to a damaged relationship

structural conflicts

conflicts where the inequality in structures which can often lead to tensions between those who aim to create more equality and those who may protect the status quo

value conflicts

conflicts that revolve around different ideas or behavior such as different ways of life, ideology, religion

interest conflicts

conflicts that occur when there are perceived or actual competitive interests

data conflicts

conflicts caused by inadequete, inaccurate, or untrustworthy information. also when conflict ensues as a result of different interpretations of relevant data or disagreements over the accuracy of data.

violence

physical or psychological force afflicted upon another being

direct violence

behaviors that serve to threaten life itself and/or diminish one’s capacity to meet basic human needs. examples include killing, maiming, bullying, sexual assault, and emotional manipulation

structural violence

the systematic ways in which social structures harm or disadvantage individuals. often subtle and embedded in social, economic, and political systems, and can result in policies, institutions, and systems that disproportionately harm certain groups

cultural violence

form of violence that is embedded in cultural norms, values, and beliefs

latent violence

the potential for violence to occur in a given situation or context; often hidden and may not be immediately apparent but can be triggered by certain events or circumstances

manifest violence

violence that is is visible and immediate and can be observed or experienced directly

johan galtung

considered the founder of peace and conflict studies

common misconceptions of conflict

generalizations of conflict that lead to misunderstanding as it attributes conflict to a single factor

just war theory

set of principles specifically concerning the conduct of war, reasons for going to war, and the conduct during war which makes war inherently legal

jus ad bello

justice in going to war, critera includes: just cause, authorized by legitimate authority, war is a last resort, proportional response of agression, and a reasonable chance of success

jus en bello

justice in conducting war, key principles include: discrimination against civilians, proportionality of force, necessary military objective must be achieved, fair treatment of POW, and no crimes against humanity

just post bellum

justice after war, key considerations include: reconciliation amongst conflicting parties, reconstruction of war torn societies with justice and fairness, punishment and accountability for war crime committers, restoration of order is primary objective, and compensation and assistance to victims

responsibility to protect

primary responsibility for safety of citizens lies in individual states, but if states don’t uphold this responsibility and all other diplomatic means have been exercised, it falls on the international community to protect these citizens; new justifications for intervening militarily in conflict situations

just cause

self defense when it comes to war, justification of action of a state to defend itself, legal reason to engage in war

intervention

forcible action taken by one state against another state, without the latter state’s consent

humanitarian

being concerned with the interests of humanity, specifically through a desire to promote the welfare or reduce the suffering of others; altruistic

liberal intervention

theory that liberal values and institutions are universally applicable and (in appropriate circumstances) should be promoted by intervention in the affairs of other states

humanitarian intervention

military intervention that is carried out in pursuit of humanitarian rather than strategic objectives; intervention motivated by the desire to prevent harm to other people and desire to improve conditions and reduce human suffering

causes of conflict

structural factors such as weak states, intra-state security concerns, and ethnic geography

economic/social factors such as economic problems, discriminatory economic systems, and modernization

political factors such as discriminatory political institutions, exclusionary national ideologies, inter-group politics, and elite politics

cultural/perceptual factors such as patterns of cultural discrimination and problematic group histories

primary/core parties to conflict

parties that oppose one another, use fighting behavior, and have a direct stake in the outcome of the conflict. these parties can be state and non state actors.

secondary/actively influential parties to conflict

parties who have an indirect stake in the outcome of the conflict and are often allies or sympathizers with primary parties but are not direct adversaries; typically better at understanding the conflict and are more likely to be biased to a certain party in the conflict.

tertiary/marginal parties to conflict

parties who are usually mediators, arbitrators, or dialogue facilitators. can also be bystanders who may be pulled into the conflict.

uninvolved parties to conflict

parties who have no role or standing in the conflict

peacekeeping

keeping people from attacking one another by putting up some kind of barrier; barrier is usually neutral soldiers from the UN or a cluster of neutral nations

peacemaking

process of forging a settlement between disputing parties usually done with a mediating parties

peacebuilding

process of normalizing relations and reconciling differences between all the citizens of warring parties; long term process to establish positive peace

truth and reconciliation commissions

official, non-judicial bodies to discover and reveal past wrongdoings by a government or non-state actors to resolve conflicts from the past

retributive justice

is punishment according to the law. It is adversarial and done in retaliation to condemn and alienate individuals. It is done impersonally, blind and carried out in a humiliative fashion.

restorative justice

is healing according to the truth. It is about reconciliation, forgiveness, mercy, and redemption. It is done being human centered, sensitive, and carried out as an honor.