In-depth Notes on International Politics: Geographies of War and Peace

Nuremberg-type Criminal Tribunals

• Transitional Justice Mechanisms: Aimed at addressing injustices to promote reconciliation and healing in post-conflict societies.
• Peace as Individual Accountability: Focusing on holding individuals responsible for their actions during conflicts.
• Peace as Victims' Rights: Emphasizes the right of victims to truth, justice, reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence.
• Concepts:
  • Retributive Justice: Focused primarily on punishing perpetrators of crimes.
  • Restorative Justice: Concentrates on healing for victims and society, advocating for dialogue and understanding.
• Established through various means such as international treaties, UN Security Council resolutions, or multilateral agreements.
• Can be domestically driven, allowing for adaptations based on local contexts.

Peacemaking

• Definition: Involves diplomatic actions to mediate ongoing conflicts and facilitate negotiations to achieve peace.
• Can involve various actors such as envoys, governments, states, and organizations including the UN.
• Includes unofficial entities or individuals acting independently to resolve conflicts.

Peacekeeping

• Purpose: To stop or limit violence and maintain peace in regions affected by conflict.
• Key Activities: Involves deploying international personnel to:
  • Monitor ceasefires.
  • Protect civilians.
  • Support the implementation of peace agreements.
• Functions as a neutral third party to help maintain peace on the ground.

Peacebuilding

• Definition: Refers to long-term efforts aimed at addressing the underlying causes of conflicts and promoting sustainable peace and reconciliation.
• Activities Included:
  • Transitional justice mechanisms.
  • Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration (DDR) programs.
  • Post-war reconciliation initiatives.

Comparison of Terms

• Peacemaking:

• Focus: Ending active conflicts.

• Main Activities: Negotiation and mediation.

• Examples:

  • Oslo Accords (1993)
  • Dayton Accords (1995)
  • Kenya post-election mediation (2008)

• Peacekeeping:

• Focus: Maintaining peace on the ground.

• Main Activities: Deploying neutral forces, monitoring ceasefires.

• Examples:

  • UNFICYP (Cyprus)
  • MONUSCO (DRC)
  • UNMISS (South Sudan)

• Peacebuilding:

• Focus: Sustaining long-term peace after conflict.

• Main Activities: Rebuilding institutions and addressing root causes.

• Examples:

  • Gacaca Courts (Rwanda)
  • DDR programs (Liberia)
  • FARC reintegration (Colombia)

Conflict Stages and Intervention

• Stages:
• Escalation
• Rapprochement
• De-escalation
• Post-conflict
• Intervention Levels:
• Prevention
• Containment
• Negotiation
• Maintenance

Assumptions of Post-Conflict Peacebuilding

• Conceptual Framework:
• Peace is a linear process.
• Peacebuilding inherently benefits all civilians.
• Western liberal peace models are universally applicable and effective.
• Institutional reform leads to sustainable peace.
• Top-down approaches dominate as they are perceived as having better solutions.