Africa: Ghana | Kenya | Nigeria | Rwanda | Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia | South Africa | Sudan/South Sudan/Darfur | Uganda | Zimbabwe  
Asia: East Asia | South Asia: Afghanistan | Central Asia 
Europe | Latin America | Middle East | North America | Other

Note

Africa​

• Building Sustainable Peace, a Nationwide Consensus Effort: Practical Reconciliation and Peacebuilding in Ghana - This case study applies Lederach's notion of "The Meeting Place" and Ricigliano's SAT model of peacebuilding to examine the reconciliation and peacebuilding work in Ghana, concluding that, while much is left to be done, Ghana has made great progress in reconciliation after numerous coups destabilized the country.

• The Democratic Republic of the Congo: A Case Study of War and Failed Peace - An analysis of the myriad DRC peace agreements, focusing on their successes and why they all, ultimately, have failed to establish the long-sought peace.  While the complexity of the DRC makes peacemaking particularly difficult, if past successes are built upon, DRC could still achieve its long-sought peace.

• ​A Case Study of Post-Civil War Peace Building Efforts in Liberia - This case study reviews the history of Liberia, the 1989-1997 civil war, and the multi-layered attempts to build peace and reconcile after that event.  Koziol observes that some aspects of the peacebuilding process were quite successful, while other aspects are still far from complete. Yet, her analysis gives readers much to learn both about peacebuilding in Liberia, and implications for such efforts more broadly.
• Examining Gender Inequality in the Post-Conflict Peacebuilding Efforts of Sierra Leone - This case study illustrates how the steps taken in post-war Sierra Leone to improve issues of gender inequality as part of a larger global peacebuilding agenda, failed to address ingrained patriarchal practices in the social, political, and cultural traditions outlined in the nation’s Constitution. Despite the enactment of several reformative bills and policies on both national and international levels, true change could not be achieved as these new policies conflicted with the outdated provisions of Sierra Leone’s Constitution. In order to overcome these problems, the outdated Constitution must be revised, and the peacebuilding groups formed by women must be given the opportunity to partner on a grassroots level with both the Government of Sierra Leone and NGOs who listen to them first, leaving personal and donors’ agendas aside.
• Capacity Building and Governance in Africa: Using Tools and Concepts from Strategic Peacebuilding to Address Long-Standing Challenges After several decades of unsuccessful development efforts in Africa, the international development community has reached consensus that good governance is a “critical prerequisite for sustaining development.” Good governance is in turn seen as contingent upon “environments of developed human and institutional capacities,” which has led to a proliferation of capacity building programs.
• Challenges of Regional Peacebuilding: A Case of the Great Lakes Region For the past twenty years, the Great Lakes region [of Africa] has been engulfed in a series of interrelated conflicts. In response, peacebuilding activities have taken a regional approach. Regional peace conferences, with the support of UN Special Representatives, diplomatic missions (by the UN, European Union [EU], major international development organizations, and donor agencies), and UN peacekeeping missions have been widely carried out in the region. This approach, although successful in some instances, is problematic. This essay argues for a comprehensive peacebuilding approach that synthesizes both peacebuilding policies and grass roots initiatives.
• Child Trafficking in Benin, West Africa This article focuses on the problem of child trafficking as it is practiced in Benin and western Africa more broadly. Although it is a problem in many parts of the world, it has reached epidemic proportions in Benin and the surrounding African countries.
• The Role of Civil Society in International Law: The Relationship Between Civil Society Organizations and the International Criminal Court in the Central African Republic This article looks at civil society's role in the activities of the International Criminal Court in the Central African Republic. Unlike the hostility of civil society in other African countries, the response in the CAR was more positive. This article examines why this might be so, and what can be done to enhance the work of civil society and the ICC throughout Africa and the wider world towards both justice and peace.
• Global Justice! The 2010 ICC Review Conference and the Future of International Justice in Africa This article describes the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to date and looks at the issues that will need to be considered at the May 2010 ICC review conference in Kampala Uganda if the ICC is going to become a successful provider of real justice for all, not just for some. This is co-listed as a case study and a personal reflection, as it has considerable factual material on the ICC, as well as the author's personal reflections on what needs to be done to make it better.

• Kenya

  • Kenya: The case of Internally Displaced People following the 2007 Post Election Violence - This essay outlines the issue of IDPs as a result of the 2007 general elections in which armed conflict claimed the lives of 1,500 people. The author focuses squarely on government action or inaction, and gives recommendations for ways in which the government  can work to reduce tension among the various communities.
  • The Power of Theatre in Transforming Conflicts at Kakuma Refugee Camp The author discusses the transformative potential of stage drama and artistic dance, as exemplified by a project organized by the Amani Peoples Theatre (APT) at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Northern Kenya.
  • Rebuilding Relationships Through Good Neighborliness Seminars in the Rift Valley, Kenya - This article, written by one of the peacebuilders in this effort, examines the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) effort to build peace and reconcilation following the 1992 violence in the Rift Valley and Western Kenya through a series of interventions.

• Nigeria

  • ​Ethnic Conflict Management in Africa: A Comparative Case Study of Nigeria and South Africa This case study examines theoretical explanations about the causes of ethnic conflict and then does a comparison of such conflict and its resolution (or not) in South Africa and Nigeria. The author examines the factors that appear to have made conflict resolution efforts in South Africa more successful than those in Nigeria.

• Rwanda

  • Post-Genocide Rwanda: A Unique Case of Political and Psycho-Social Peacebuilding An examination of the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide looking at the post-genocide peacebuilding  and the resulting political and psychosocial changes.
  • Comparison of Dialogue Practices -- An examination of dialogue practices in Rwanda and Uganda, in the wake of their mass violence, introducing the novel strategy of Photovoice.
  • The Rwandan Genocide This is the first of a series of articles that Kimberly Fornace wrote when she was taking a Peace and Conflict Studies class based on Beyond Intractability. Living in Rwanda at the time, and being extremely perceptive, her papers were of such high quality we asked her if we could publish them here. This is the first overview of the conflict parties and issues. More papers on other aspects of the conflict and long-term prospects are forthcoming as soon as we can get them uploaded.
  • Rwanda's Hidden Divisions: From the Ethnicity of Habyarimana to the Politics of Kagame - Written in 2011, this article argues that seventeen years after the genocide, with a charismatic leader and impressive economic gains, the assumption that the country is without conflict is gravely misleading. Championed by Western nations, the false image of Rwanda as a beacon of freedom may ultimately do more harm than good, as many aspects of the current situation are "strikingly similar to that of "pre-genocide times." 

• Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia

  • A Peacebuilding Case Study: Responding to Somali Piracy This article examines the underlying causes of the piracy epidemic in and around Somalia and proposes a set of nonviolent, peacebuilding-oriented responses to try to stem the tide instead of the largely unsuccessful military responses that have been tried so far.
  • Bottom-Up Approach: A Viable Strategy in Solving the Somali Conflict This paper discusses the difficulties that have hampered the peace process in Somalia, and argues that a "bottom-up" peacebuilding effort -- built around the initiative of grassroots actors -- might be a more effective solution.
  • Drought, Famine, and Conflict: A Case from the Horn of Africa This case study examines the interplay betweeen drought, famine, and conflict; the author argues that each exacerbates the others, making all three especially difficult to solve. Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Sudan are examined as examples.
  • The Ethiopia-Eritrea Peace Process: Teetering on the Brink This essay explains the background of the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea and examines the peace process that has been going on for the last six years.

• South Africa

  • History Education and Reform in Post-Apartheid South Africa - Although the TRC began a healing process in South Africa, Desmond Tutu and many others believe that a further examination of that nation's history is key to reconciliation. This paper examines the need for and challenges of history education as a means of rememberance of the past since the end of apartheid in South Africa and makes recommendations for improvement.
  • Reconciliation through Restorative Justice: Analyzing South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Process - This is a case study of the South African TRC.  It examines how the TRC came to be, how it worked, and assesses its strengths, weaknesses, and the lessons that can be drawn from it.  
  • Sport: A Tool for Bridging Racial Divides in Present Day South Africa The Case Study of 2010 FIFA World Cup - Under apartheid, sport in South Africa was segregated by race, which not only contributed to the blacks' oppression, but also resulted in the emergence of a powerful opposition and resistance tool, as South Africa was routinely expluded from major international sport competitions.  However, sport has emerged as a powerful tool for peacebuilding in post-apartheid South Africa.
  • The Nature of Internal Boundary Disputes: A Case Study of Matatiele Provincial Boundary Demarcation Dispute, Province of the Eastern Cape, South Africa  This paper investigates the nature of internal boundary disputes using one such dispute in South Africa as an examine. The paper also looks into community conflicts that cause and are results of boundary disputes, particularly involving issues of access to resources and government services, identity, and culture. 

• Sudan/South Sudan/Darfur

  • Negotiating Peace for Darfur: An Overview of Failed Processes This essay evaluates the various attempts at peacemaking in Darfur, examining why they have failed and what will need to change if peace is to be achieved.
  • Darfur: The Crisis Continues Darfur has sunk from the news, but not from its misery. While less violent than it had been, peace has not yet been achieved in Darfur. This Dec. 2012 article by Yousif, Brosche, and Rothbart explains why.
  • Sudan and South Sudan: Post-Separation Challenges Authors Yousif and Rothbart analyze the current (Dec. 2012) relationship between the two countries. They survey the conflict over borders, the politics of oil, and the economic trade war that emerged following South Sudanese independence. Clearly, much work lies ahead before either country is stable and peaceful.
  • The First National South Sudan Education Curriculum - Even while it is still at war, South Sudan is trying to foster reconciliation though education as evidenced by its first national education curriculum.  Read here about how this is planned to work...and how it has worked so far.
  • The Darfur Peace Process: Understanding the Obstacles to Success This article examines the history of efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the violent conflict in the Darfur region of the Sudan. The author points out ways in which attempts at peacemaking have been lacking, and makes suggestions for future endeavors.
  • The Darfur Region of the Sudan The horror in Darfur was front-page news for months, yet the international community was unable (or unwilling) to stop the violence. Learn why the conflict in Darfur is so intractable.
  • Peace Agreement is the Same Game for War and its Escalation in Sudan - This article analyzes the Government of Sudan’s strategy of entering peace agreements with armed rebel groups in order to maintain political power, while at the same time orchestrating the continuance of conflict. 
  • Peace Politics in Sudan - This paper uses John Paul Lederach's notion of multiple lenses to examine the Darfur conflict from a variety of perspectives. 
  • Religious Actors in Sudan - This article examines post-referendum negotiations and peacebuilding efforts with respect to the role of religious actors. While the dominant liberal peace paradigm is skeptical about the relevance of religion in political affairs, this author argues that religious actors often traverse the division between the grassroots and elite political actors. Religious actors also live with ordinary people and have often provided them with services in the absence of government structures. For that reason, the author argues, they should have a major role in post-conflict peacebuilding efforts. 
  • The Case of Disarmament in South Sudan - This essay addresses the challenges of post–war disarmament looking specifically at programs initiated by the government of the Republic of South Sudan to disarm civilians, which, due to a variety of factors described in the essay, have not been successful.

• Uganda

  • Community Peacebuilding and Performing Arts in Northern Uganda: Reflections from the Field In Uganda, the site of protracted violence for more than two decades, a variety of contemporary and indigenous forms of creative expression were created by local artists and shared widely among war-affected communities. Drawing from more than six years of experience in this field, and the musical and theatrical works of a variety of local artists, this essay provides three reflections on performing arts’ contribution to community-based peacebuilding in northern Uganda.
  • Comparison of Dialogue Practices -- An examination of dialogue practices in Rwanda and Uganda, in the wake of their mass violence, introducing the novel strategy of Photovoice.
  • An Interactive Media: Reflections on Mega FM and Its Peacebuilding Role in Uganda In stark contrast to the radio stations that escalated the Rwandan Genocide, Mega FM in Uganda is a strong voice for peace. This article describes their programming and how it has led to de-escalation and conflict transformation in one of the brutal rebellions in Africa.
  • ​​Gender, Violence, and Peacebuilding in Northern Uganda - Without falling into the “women as victims” paradigm, this article details the complex issue of gender-based violence within IDP camps in northern Uganda. It goes on to suggest ways in which peacebuilding efforts could better promote a sustainable peace, both in Uganda, and worldwide.
  • ​Shadowy Renditions: Reflections on the Conflict in Northern Uganda Northern Uganda is often perceived to be a region under relentless siege by a brutal rebel militia. This perception is not inaccurate; however, the media's oversimplification of the conflict and dehumanization of the militia has increased -- not decreased -- the intractability of the situation.
  • The Acholi Traditional Approach to Justice and the War in Northern Uganda This essay discusses the impact of the Northern Ugandan war on civilians and examines whether the traditional Acholi approach to forgiveness and reconciliation is beneficial in that extreme situation and how it relates to Western approaches to justice.
  • The Power of Storytelling: Personal Reflections On Ododo Wa, a Storytelling Project of War-affected Women in Northern Uganda
  • The Role of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative in Uganda's Peacebuilding Among the many NGOs working to resolve the conflict in northern Uganda, one group of diverse religious leaders is unique, and has effected significant change. This paper discusses the accomplishments of that group -- the Acholi Religious Leader Peace Initiative -- and also discusses the challenges that the group faces moving forward.
  • ‘Forgiveness is our culture’: Amnesty and reconciliation in northern Uganda. This paper examines the assertion by religious and cultural leaders in northern Uganda that continued extension of amnesty to the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels is part of their ‘culture’. Examining ‘everyday life’ in one of the Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camps where amnesty is granted to former captives and soldiers of the LRA, the author considers the traditional coping mechanisms available to victims and the implications of forgiveness in a setting of fear.
  • When Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clash: Can Both Prevail Together? This essay examines the difficulties inherent in pursuing justice and peace (or human rights and conflict resolution) goals simultaneously.  Both are necessary for lasting peace, yet they often are at odds with each other in terms of goals and actions.  These challenges are examined in the context of Bosnia and Uganda. 
  • Substantiating the Claim: Establishing the Effectiveness of a Post-Conflict Directory - This is the final article in Hook's four-part series on Directory-Oriented Peacebuilding in which she applies the idea to the aftermath of the Ugandan Civil War. The first three articles are not location specific, so they are in the "essay section" of BI.  However, they are also linked at the beginning of this case study.

• Zimbabwe

  • The Power and Risks of Conversation in Zimbabwe This case study describes one of the authors' peacebuilding work in Zimbabwe, where he found that facilitating conversations was a good way to stimulate conflict transformation. The essay also includes a broader examination of the power of conversation as a peacebuilding tool.
  • Addressing Past Injustices in a Wounded Zimbabwe: Gukurahundi - Gukurahundi was the massacre of about 20,000 people in Zimbabwe, perpetrated by government forces against "dissidents" that took place in the 1980s.  The author of this case study contends that reconciliation has not yet occurred.  To attain such, he argues, peacebuilding based on truth-telling and acknowledgement must occur.

Asia

• East Asia

  • Exploring the Role of Collective Memory for Reconciliation:  A Comparative Case of Guatemala and Cambodia This paper explores how collective memory (the memories of a group generated through shared experience and values) can be used post-trauma for healing and reconciliation.
  • Justice for Cambodia? Lessons from the Khmer Rouge Tribunals for the Future Direction of International Criminal Justice This article examines the Extraordinary Chambers of the Court of Cambodia (ECCC) -- the tribunal recently created to try Khmer Rouge leaders for the Cambodian "killing fields." It not only examines the potential effectiveness in the Cambodian
  • Conflict Over Tibet: Core Causes and Possible Solutions This article describes the conflict between China and Tibet and recommends nonviolent ways in which this conflict might be transformed.
  • context, but also the larger role of hybrid local/international tribunals in the context of the ICC and other war crimes tribunals.
  • Unraveling the Mindanao Conflict through the Lens of John Paul Lederach’s Psalm 85 Framework - Lederach's Psalm 85 framework looks at the intersection of truth, justice, peace, and mercy as four components of reconciliation.  This article examines the history and current (as of 2013) of the Mindanao conflict, and then considered how these four elements play a role in the ancestral domain argument made by separatists and the economic hardships in Mindanao.
  • Spreading the Culture of Peace through Family Traditions and Family Values: The Case of Mongolia This case study is a fascinating exploration of basic Mongolian cultural values and their potential impact on Mongolia's ability to avoid ethnic tensions and war.
  • Globalization - With a focus on Sourth Korea and the WTO. 

• South Asia

  • Afghanistan:

    • ​Conflict Analysis: Afghanistan Since 2001 - The paper is based on the International Alert conflict assessment framework.The paper begins with analysis and a discussion of historical dynamics, actors, structures and international interventions, which are followed by discussion of the root causes. It will provide an overview of the current trends (circa 2015), impediments, and recommendations to address the conflict.
    • Peacebuilding in Afghanistan - This is another analysis of the conflict in Afghanistan and what peacebuilders must do to being to unravel this very complex and intractable conflict.
    • Leadership and Strategic Peacebuilding in Afghanistan - This paper will describe the need for Afghan leadership to redefine power as something to be shared (rather than a zero-sum game), and as useful for building peace.  The paper further defines a strategic leader as someone who has a vision and a systems-thinking approach to peacebuilding. The next paper is a follow-on to this one.
    • Leading Peace with Information and Strategy in Afghanistan - This paper reviews the situation in Afghanistan in 2015 and then calls on Afghan leaders to utilize information and strategy to learn about the needs of people. By developing evidence-based yet creative responses to the current crises, they can improve the current situation as well as the longer-term. 
    • Women as Active Partners: Building Peace in Afghanistan This case study shows how Afghan women are playing a part in the construction of a just and fair society, despite the continued tenuousness of their official social and political status.
  • Internal Displacement: Simplifying a Complex Social Phenomenon - Focusing on Kashmir, this paper seeks to provide a systematic and a holistic understanding of the myriad issues that surround internally displaced persons and to explain the IDP phenomenon as an event that is not only triggered by conflicts in most situations, but as one that can potentially become a cause for conflicts in subsequent phases of displacement.
  • Kashmir: The Clash of Identities The conflict in Kashmir is multi-faceted and deep-rooted. This paper explores the conflict in detail, and then suggests a series of incremental goals that might be pursued in order to resolve the conflict.
  • Development, Democratization, Good Governance and Security: A Case Study of Burma / Myanmar Burma/Myanmar has been changing very rapidly. This 2012 case study briefly examines Burma's history and the governance changes that have taken place over the last two years. Bergen then goes on to consider what challenges lie ahead and how these might best be met.
  • The Potential for and Challenges of a Local Peace Committee (LPC): A Study of the District Level Peace Forum in Kavre, Nepal This article, written by the secretary (the administrative officer) of the Local Peace Committee in the Kavre District of Nepal, talks of the challenges and successes of those local peacebuilding structures. It also recommends additional steps that could be taken to make such local peacebuilding bodies more effective.
  • Root Causes of Conflict in Baluchistan, Pakistan - The conflict in Baluchistan is protracted and extremely complex. This article examines the historical, political, and social factors that have caused this conflict to spiral out of control. 

• Central Asia

  • Conflict Transformation and Strategic Peacebuilding in Central Asia This case study examines the importance of economic and social security in peacebuilding. By examining the post-Soviet societies of Central Asia (the "stans"), the author explores the hypothesis that peaceful transitions to democracy are more likely to be stable if the state economy is strong and the opportunities for personal security and well-being are high.

  • Russia as a Divided Society: a Look at the North Caucuses - Written by a Russian scholar, this essay examins the post-war situation in Chechnya and the Russian Federation. 

  • Peacebuilding in Tajikistan This essay discusses ways of building trust -- and through that -- peace in Tajikistan.

Europe

• A Civil Alternative: An Evaluation of the IOM KPC Program This article describes and evaluates the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC), which was a defense organization designed to facilitate the demilitarization, demobilization, and reintegration of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
• Conflict in Ukraine from the European Point of View  - This paper presents the impact of the crisis in Ukraine on the European Union’s foreign and domestic policies, especially the underlying consequences for Central and Eastern Europe, from a strategic policy point of view. It then identifies missing points in the EU’s approach and give recommendations.
• A Case Study of the Minsk II Accords - This paper uses the theories of realism and the spoiler problem to conclude that the lack of consideration given to Russian and American interests in the Minsk II Accords were largely responsible for their failure. 
• Culture Clash: Moroccan and Turkish Muslim Populations in the Netherlands - This is a basic conflict assessment of the cultural conflict between Moroccan and Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands with local populations.
• The Franco-German Relationship: From Animosity to Affinity -- An examination of how France and Germany transformed their relationship from long-term enemies to strong allies--a story of successful reconciliation unlike most others.
• Kurds in Turkey: Building Reconciliation and Local Administrations This paper recounts the history of the conflict between the Turkish government and the Kurdish community living in Turkey, and proposes specific strategies that could be taken by both groups in order to resolve it.
• La France aux Français (France to the French, National Front discourse from the 1980s) - This case illustrates the ongoing identity conflict, struggle and tension that exist in contemporary France, a deeply divided society. The divisive split along the lines of French national identity and that of the ethnically and religiously different Muslim community, in particular those of North African origin, is examined as of early 2011.
• Reconciliation in Bosnia Almost everyone living in Bosnia has deep emotional scars from the war. Despite their suffering, perpetrators and victims have to learn to work together to rebuild their country.
• Reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina - This second case study, written in 2017, is not as optimistic as the first--it argues that ethnic groups remain estranged and largely unwilling to work together to pursue stable peace.
• Reconciliation in the Ukraine-Russia Conflict - This case study examines the Holodomor (the Russian genocide of Ukrainians in the 1930s and examines the impact of that event and responses to it through the years since, including the present Russia-Ukraine conflict.
• The Question of Cultural Genocide and Racism: Personal Reflections on the Case of Northern Cyprus In addition to the tensions between Greeks and Turks on Cyprus, Ulas also explains that there is significant tension between Turks and Turkish Cypriots. In this piece, Ulas suggests that Turks are slowly destroying the Turkish Cypriot culture in an act that he suggests could be considered "cultural genocide".
• Northern Ireland: A Deeply Divided Society Conflict Assessment and Recommendations for Conflict Regulation and Transformation - This paper assesses the conflict in Northern Ireland, examines the peace negotiations and the resulting power-sharing system and makes recommendations for the continuance of a stable peace with an ultimate goal of reconciliation.
• Roma Marginality in the European Union: An Examination of Divisions in European Society - The Roma, with an estimated population of between ten and twelve million, are Europe’s largest and most marginalized ethnic population. They have faced hundreds of years of racism, persecution, and discrimination in all facets of life. This paper examines the reasons for the division between Roma and non-Roma in Europe and explores potential ways to transform the conflict.
• Russia as a Divided Society: a Look at the North Caucuses - Written by a Russian scholar, this essay examins the post-war situation in Chechnya and the Russian Federation. 
• When Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clash: Can Both Prevail Together? This essay examines the difficulties inherent in pursuing justice and peace (or human rights and conflict resolution) goals simultaneously.  Both are necessary for lasting peace, yet they often are at odds with each other in terms of goals and actions.  These challenges are examined in the context of Bosnia and Uganda. 
• Peacebuilding Around World War II: An Approach To Emotional Healing And Social Change This article describes a reconciliation workshop that took place in Germany, involving German Holocaust survivors and their descendants, perpetrators' descendants, and others who are still affected by the history of World War II. The workshop helped the participants to reach a better understanding of their shared humanity, and to become reconciled with each other and with themselves. It is co-listed as a personal reflection and a case study.

Latin America

• Exploring the Role of Collective Memory for Reconciliation:  A Comparative Case of Guatemala and Cambodia This paper explores how collective memory (the memories of a group generated through shared experience and values) can be used post-trauma for healing and reconciliation.
• Creating a Sacred Space: Cuban Reconciliation and the Catholic Church This essay examines the role of the Roman Catholic Church in fostering reconciliation between Cuban refugees now living in the U.S. and Cuban citizens still living in Cuba. Though hostilities between these two groups used to be strong, the church is making considerable progress in bringing families and larger communities together.
• Cultural Anesthesia in Colombia This short case study of the violence in Colombia asks why the population hasn't risen up against the continued violence.
• Deeply Divided Brazil - This case study examines the wealth and income inequality in Brazil, and the conflicts that have resulted from that.  It then continues to look at approaches for transforming these conflicts and the underlying inequality.
• Guatemala: Guerrillas, Genocide, and Peace - This case study examines the civil war in Guatemala and the aftermath, recommending further steps that might be taken to acheive a sustainable peace.
• Peacebuilding from the Grassroots: Equity Conciliation and Conflict Transformation in Colombia Conflict resolution efforts that attempt to work in cooperation with -- rather than in opposition to or in ignorance of -- the local culture in which a conflict is occurring are much more likely to succeed. Colombian culture already contains several powerful conflict resolution mechanisms, which may hold great potential for effecting lasting change. This case study focuses particularly on a mechanism called equity conciliation.
• The Chilean Truth and Reconciliation Commission The Chilean truth commission held after Pinochet lost power was not as successful as many had hoped, yet it did have significant impacts at both the individual and national level. This case study examines what the truth commission did, and what the short- and longer-term impacts were for individuals and for Chile as a whole.
• No Peace Dividend for Guatemala and the Irony of this Failure - This essay examines the history of peace negotiations in Guatemala and then examines the failure to carry out their promise.

Middle East

• Reconciliation in the Aftermath of the Yezidi Genocide - Reconciliation in the case of Yezidis is a process of transformation that involves dealing with the preconditions of protracted social conflicts through the intersection of truth, justice, peace and mercy at the communal, intercommunal and state level.
• East Versus West: Reconciliation in Post-War Jerusalem - This case study, written by a Palestinian now living in the U.S., argues that the two-state solution is "dead," and the only way to reconcile this long-lasting conflict is to realize that citizens of both cultures will need to learn to live together in harmony in a unified state.
• Moving Beyond: Interreligious Dialogue in Lebanon This article describes interreligious dialogue in Lebanon which, the author finds, provides a key to peacebuilding by creating space for people to be heard and accepted by "the other." The author describes her own dialogue experiences, explaining both its effects on her, and the wider effect of dialogue on the society as a whole.
• The Bedouins in Israel's Negev Desert: Ubiquitous yet Invisible to the Dominant Society The Bedouins of the Negev region of Israel exist on the margins of Israeli society, culture, and law. The authors discuss the challenges facing this disenfranchised population. This article is co-listed as a personal reflection and a case study.
• How a Document Determines Which Palestinian You Are In a very personal essay, the author explains the day-to-day hardships faced by all Palestinians and explains why she believes a one-state solution is the only possible answer for the Palestinians' problem.
• Kurds in Turkey: Building Reconciliation and Local Administrations This paper recounts the history of the conflict between the Turkish government and the Kurdish community living in Turkey, and proposes specific strategies that could be taken by both groups in order to resolve it.
• My Neighbor Is A Terrorist: Peacebuilding, Drones, and America's Presence in Yemen In this cross between a case study and a personal reflection, Allyson Mitchell reflects on the impact of US drone attacks in Yemen. Looking at the assassination of Anwar al-Awlaki in particular, and other attacks that have involved civilian casualties, Mitchell concludes that peacebuilding in Yemen cannot succeed if US drone strikes continue.
• The Role of Iraqi Refugees and Expatriates in Peacebuilding through Governance This article describes the plight of Iraqi refugees who have not been able to return home to Iraq, yet have not been able to make successful lives for themselves in their host countries. The author considers what needs to happen to allow the refugees successful return to Iraq.

North America

• Reconciliation through Dialogue: Dialogue Circles and Reconciling Racism on the Eastern Shore of Maryland - A description of how Community Mediation Maryland and its associated community mediation centers have successfully used dialogue circles to address racism, particularly against blacks.
• The US Government Has a Long Way to go with Reconciliation: Japanese Internment Camps - Kupersmith applied John Paul Lederach's concept of the reconciliation "meeting place" of truth, justice, peace, and mercy to assess to what degree the United States has and has not reconciled with Japanese Americans after World War II.
• The Three R’s: Religion, Relationships, and Reconciliation: A Case Study of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in America - This case study examines the transition of Mormons in America from a violently persecuted minority to one that is broadly accepted--even admired.  The transition of this conflict into the post-conflict stage demonstrates that interpersonal relationship,s along with governance practices that support equality, are among the most significant factors in moving a conflict towards reconciliation.
• Everyday Third Siders Minimizing Conflict This essay is a personal account of how everyday people can fulfill the role of Third Siders to help minimize conflict and make the world a more peaceful place.  While it could be set anywhere, this particular essay is set in the United States.
• Labor Conflicts: The Case of Two Supermarket Strikes In 2003, California endured the longest supermarket strike in U.S. history. This article discusses labor conflict in the U.S. and how to avoid stalemates like the one in California.
• Locating Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Global Trends This article describes the truth and reconciliation commission that has been instituted to examine the treatment of aboriginal populations in Canada's "Indian Residential Schools." The author examines the problems and benefits of this effort, and how it relates to other TRCs around the world. The Canadian TRC is a critical case for analysis due to the fact that it is located outside the normal political dimensions for the use of truth commissions, it is focused on historical crimes committed against an indigenous population, and it lacks a justice mandate.
• Re-Storying Canada's Past: A Case Study in the Significance of Narratives in Healing Intractable Conflict This article explores the value of culturally-constructed narratives in the peacebuilding process. Specifically, the author discusses the part that consonant and dissonant narratives have played in the treatment of Aboriginal peoples in Canada.
• Red/Blue Polarization Across the United States, there is talk of the red/blue divide. Is this politics as usual or has the rift between Democrats and Republicans become intractable?
• Red vs. Blue: An examination of modern American polarization - This 2010 paper examines the causes of the U.S political polarization and then considers possible remedies.

Other ​​

• Globalization  This article introduces the conflict dynamics behind globalization with a focus on South Korea and the WTO.
• Peacebuilding and the War on Terror: The U.S. Drone Program This article argues that "in its current state, the U.S. drone policy does little to build peace and may in fact contribute to recruitment. As a result, the U.S. public cannot be complacent about allowing drone strikes to continue unabated. The Obama administration should curb its targeted killings and overhaul the drone program. Even beyond simply fixing the drone program, the United States must also review its long-term strategy in the War on Terror."
• Strategic Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation: The Catholic Contribution to Peace This essay tempers the popular idea that religion engenders violent conflict, by citing many examples in which religion (specifically the Roman Catholic Church and related entities) has worked to promote and sustain peace.
• The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme - Kimberley Process is a a multi-stakeholder collaborative effort between governments, civil society, and the diamond industry, introduced in 2003, and designed to regulate the rough diamond trade in order to eradicate conflict diamonds. This article reviews the problem of "conflict" or "blood diamonds," describes how the Kimberly Process came to be, and examines lessons learned so far (the paper was written in 2011).
• The Role of International Publicity Some NGOs try to utilize the threat of negative international publicity to prevent war crimes and other violations of human rights. This essay examines the methods of three NGOs who use this approach: Christian Peacemaker Teams, Peace Brigades International, and Witness for Peace. It examines their "theories of change" and the extent to which those theories lead to effective practice.
• We’ve Looked But Not Seen: War on Queers and LGBTIcide - This paper explores whether LGBTI individuals and groups are recognized as a distinct minority group and whether violence against LGBTI groups and individuals is accounted for in several indices that measure peacefulness. The objective of this paper is to help peacebuilders, practitioners, academics, and many others understand the gaps in these indices, and to highlight the way in which this silence reinforces violence against LGBTI individuals and groups. 
• Reconciliation and Conflict Transformation The conventional wisdom is that reconciliation can only begin once a peace agreement has ended the conflict (at least temporarily). However, if one adopts the perspective of conflict transformation, rather than conflict resolution, then reconciliation becomes a crucial part and parcel of conflict transformation. Along that line of thinking, this essay aims to examine how reconciliation can fit into the framework of conflict transformation.
• Catholic Strategic Peacebuilding: The Unique Role of the Laity This article examines the Catholic Church's involvement in peacebuilding and how it must engage its strongest asset, the laity, more intentionally in order to influence the world's culture towards peace.

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