Preventive Diplomacy and International Violence Prevention: Additional Resources

These references supplement the Knowledge Base Essay, Preventive Diplomacy and International Violence Prevention.

Additional Explanations of the Underlying Concepts:

Online (Web) Sources

Conflict Prevention and Early Warning in the Political Practice of International Organizations. The Hague: Clingendael Institute.
Available at: http://www.clingendael.nl/publications/1996/19960000-cru-paper.pdf  [Backup Link]
This lengthy report analyzes whether and to what extent international organizations have formulated and implemented strategies of conflict prevention. SPecifically, the report focuses on the development of early warning mechanisms.

"Conflict Prevention in the Greater Horn of Africa: Preventing and Mitigating Violent Conflicts: A Revised Guide for Practitioners." , 1900
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]

A guide to "to help support efforts to promote peace and development, especially in the Greater Horn. This Guide was researched and prepared by a multi-disciplinary team, integrating specialists in the Greater Horn of Africa region with experts in conflict prevention, policy analysis, economics, democracy-building, civic society and development. "

Reychler, Luc. "Field Diplomacy: A New Conflict Prevention Paradigm?." ,
Available at: http://www.gmu.edu/academic/pcs/reychler.htm  [Backup Link]

This article discusses the urgent need for an effective mechanism/plan for preventing and dealing with destructive conflicts. The author discusses reasons for the failure of traditional conflict prevention efforts, and goes on to propose a possible new paradigm for prevention called, field diplomacy. Field diplomacy is characterized by a credible presence in the field, a serious commitment to conflict transformation, a multi-level approach, elicitive engagement, a broad time perspective, attention to the deeper layers of the conflict, preference for an integrative conflict-prevention policy, and the recognition of the inter-dependency between seemingly different conflicts.

Preventing Deadly Conflict: Final Report of the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict. Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict.
Available at: http://wwics.si.edu/subsites/ccpdc/pubs/rept97/toc.htm  [Backup Link]
This page provides access to all of the pdf files that comprise the final report of the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict. It is the view of the Commission that "prevention consists not only of avoiding escalation in a crisis, but also of creating a durable basis for peaceful alternatives. In the long run, we can be most successful in preventing ethnic, religious, and international wars by going beyond ways to avert immediate confrontation between hostile groups to promote democracy, market economies, and the creation of civil institutions that protect human rights. Effective preventive strategies rest on three orientations: early responses to signs of trouble; a comprehensive, forward-looking approach to counteract the risk factors that trigger violent conflict; and an extended effort to resolve the underlying causes of violence. All of these are considered in the Commission's work." - Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict

Shelton, Garth. "Preventive Diplomacy and Peacekeeping: Keys for Success." African Security Review, Vol. 6, No. 5 , 1997
Available at: http://www.iss.co.za/Pubs/ASR/6No5/Shelton.html  [Backup Link]

This article argues that there are "four important issues which have not received adequate attention by peace operations studies and which are of critical importance to any government contemplating involvement in preventive diplomacy or peacekeeping. These issues are: early warning and the early response to a crisis; adequate financial support for peacekeeping; an accurate assessment of casualty tolerance in peacekeeping operations; and sufficient information for successful peacekeeping." -From Article

Allison, Graham and Hisashi Owada. "The Responsibilities of Democracies in Preventing Deadly Conflict." , July 1999
Available at: http://wwics.si.edu/subsites/ccpdc/pubs/democ/democ.htm  [Backup Link]

This essay addresses the question: What are the special roles and responsibilities of democracies in preventing deadly conflict, not only between themselves, but also among other states in the international system?

The Role of Foreign Assistance in Conflict Prevention: Conference Report. US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Available at: http://pdf.dec.org/pdf-docs/PNACM076.pdf  [Backup Link]
This is a report on a conference sponsored by the USAID and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The purpose of the conference was to shape a new vision for foreign assistance by developing a long-term strategy keyed to conflict prevention and building capable societies. This new perspective involves rethinking of traditional concepts of national security to embrace a broader spectrum of political, economic, and social issues that will have a direct impact on the core needs of the American people.

Jongman, Albert J. "Towards More Successful Conflict Prevention: Obstacles and Solutions." Conflict Prevention Newsletter, Vol. 1, No. 1 , March 1998
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]

This piece is a summary of a longer article that discusses ways in which decision makers in international/regional organizations, governments and/or NGOs can overcome bureaucratic paralysis and rivalry in order to preventive take action in a timely manner. The author evaluates various proposals that been put forth as methods for closing the knowledge-repsonse gap in conflict prevention efforts.

Offline (Print) Sources

Leatherman, Janie, ed. Breaking Cycles of Violence: Conflict Prevention in Intrastate Crises. Kumarian Press, May 1999.
This book discusses how to organize and prioritize resources in societies at immediate risk for violent conflict. The text suggests guidelines for developing early warning systems, as well as presenting strategies for transforming early indicators of conflict. Much of the work focuses on the potential of preventive action and employs the cases of Burundi and Macedonia to ilustrate its points.

Cases and Strategies for Preventive Action. Century Foundation, 1998.
This conference volume is the second book in the Center for Preventative Action's (CPA's) series of Preventive Action Reports. It uses CPA's case studies to examine the effectiveness of the tools of preventive action in intrastate conflicts, and draws on comparative studies to guide the analysis of the case studies. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Reychler, Luc. Democratic Peace-Building and Conflict Prevention: The Devil is in the Transition. Coronet Books, November 1999.
This work focuses on the international shift toward democratization in the late twentieth century. It addresses questions about the definition of democracy; the spread of it; the assessment of progress and the factors influencing the successes or failures of the transition process. The author rejects theories that posit that democracy is not inherently universal. He counters this notion by arguing that empirical evidence has shown that democracy is the best instrument for guaranteeing freedom, respect for human rights, welfare and security. The author believes that as more people are convinced of democracy's merits, demand for the political system will increase. On the other hand, Reychler warns that there is potential for great problems in the transition to democracy and that many efforts will fail.

van Walraven, Klaas, ed. Early Warning and Conflict Prevention: Limitations and Possibilities. Martinus Nijhoff, November 1998.
"The result of an international symposium on early warning and conflict prevention in November 1996, this work examines this significant issue in international relations within the unique political framework of post-Cold War developments, making it an important resource for academics, policymakers, government officials, and others interested in the present and future state of conflict resolution" Chapters address the historical practice as well as contemporary examples assessing the role of international organizations as well.

Lund, Michael S. "Early Warning and Preventive Diplomacy." In Managing Global Chaos: Sources or and Responses to International Conflict. Edited by Crocker, Chester A., Fen Osler Hampson and Pamela Aall, eds. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1996.
This chapter discusses the international movement toward responding to early warnings of conflict and attempting preventive diplomacy before conflicts escalate to severely violent levels. The author provides definitions of various key terms including preventive diplomacy and conflict prevention.

Sriram, Chandra Lekha, Karin Wermester and Marian de Smet. From Promise to Practice: Strengthening UN Capacities for the Prevention of Violent Conflict. Boulder, CO: Lynne Reinner Publishers, April 2003.
This study builds on the findings of previous case studies carried out by the International Peace Academy and identifies key issues for further examination in preventive practice. The cases examined represent the growing scope of preventive action, both gepgraphically and in terms of approaches, from structural prevention to post-conflict peacebuilding as prevention. The cases covered Kenya, Fiji, Tanzania (Zanzibar), Tajikistan, Burundi, Georgia (Javakheti), East Timor, Liberia, and Colombia.

International Dimensions of Internal Conflict. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1996.
This book analyzes the domestic, regional, and international dimensions of internal conflicts, looking beyond the 'ancient hatreds' interpretation of popular journalism to understand why such conflicts are occurring now and how they might be ameliorated. The first part of the book examines the sources of internal conflicts and the ways these may spill over or draw in neighboring states and the international community. The second part examines specific problems, policy instruments, and key actors including: the control of aggressive nationalism, the prevention of secessionist violence, and the resolution of civil wars; the roles of the media and nongovernmental organizations; arms limitations and economic sanctions; military challenges; the policies of the United States and the United Nations; and the prospects for collective action. The book recommends specific approaches to help prevent and moderate internal conflict and to limit its spread when it arises.

Chayes, Antonia Handler and Abram Chayes. "International Organizations and Conflict Preventions from Business." In The Handbook of Interethnic Coexistence. Edited by Weiner, Eugene, ed. New York: Continuum Publishing, 1998.
This chapter talks about how since the end of the Cold War a wide variety of international organizations have acted to prevent or manage violent conflicts on many occasions. Yet these interventions have often had disappointing results. One reason for these failures is a lack of coordination among the international groups. Primary Link

Ury, William L., ed. Must We Fight?: From The Battlefield to the Schoolyard - A New Perspective on Violent Conflict and Its Prevention. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, December 1, 2001.
In this book, the authors provide new research and insights into human behavior and human nature, which show that we are not, in fact, doomed to violent conflict. The book also outlines a brilliant program for personal and community empowerment called The Third Side. This new paradigm shows how we can intervene to support healthy conflict while preventing destructive confrontation.

Suganami, Hidemi. On the Causes of War. Oxford: Clarendon Press, May 1996.
The author examines the origins of wars by examining the complex interconnected spheres that play into the emergence of war. If the causes of war are better understood, it is more likely they can be effectively prevented.

James, Patrick and David Carment, eds. Peace in the Midst of Wars: Preventing and Managing International Ethnic Conflicts. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, June 1998.
Exploring the problem of ethnic struggle, this book provides a context for studying potentially violent ethnic conflicts and the mechanisms to deal with them. It evaluates instruments for conflict prevention; and suggests measures for improving peacekeeping and conflict prevention policies.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and UNESCO. Peace, Security, and Conflict Prevention - SIPRI-UNESCO Handbook. OUP/Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, April 2, 1998.
"Peace, Security, and Conflict Prevention: SIPRI-UNESCO Handbook is a comprehensive, concise volume on security and conflict prevention in the post-cold war period 1992-96. It is drawn from the results of SIPRI's research and includes chapters on major armed conflicts; armed conflict prevention, management and resolution; world military expenditure, arms production and the arms trade; nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons; the arms control and agreements currently in force and under negotiation; the United Nations Organization; and special studies of regional and subregional security in Europe and Asia. Readership: Scholars, students, policy-makers, and journalists working in the fields of strategic studies, international relations, and war and peace studies. " Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Gurr, Ted Robert. Peoples Versus States: Minorities at Risk in the New Century. Herndon, VA: USIP Press, July 1, 2000.
Following the book Minorities at Risk, Peoples Versus States addresses the risk that ethnic and nationalist conflict will place on minorities in the twenty-first century.

Jentleson, Bruce W. "Preventative Statecraft: A Realist Strategy for the Post-Cold War Era." In Turbulent Peace: The Challenges of Managing International Conflict. Edited by Hampson, Fen Osler, Chester A. Crocker and Pamela Aall, eds. Herndon, VA: USIP Press, July 2001.
The author of this chapter rejects claims that conflict prevention is an unrealistic endeavor. Instead, he broadens the notion of preventive diplomacy and develops the concept of preventive statecraft. Preventive statecraft is presented as an approach to conflict prevention that involves mixed strategies, rather than being confined to negotiation and other traditional forms of diplomacy. Preventive statecraft includes preventive threatrs as well as uses of military force and other coercive measures.

Chayes, Abram and Antonia Handler Chayes. Preventing Conflict in the Post-Communist World: Mobilizing International and Regional Organizations. Washington, DC: Brookings Institute, February 1996.
This volume consists of 13 essays that explore how various Europe-based international organizations are attempting to deal with post-Cold War internal conflicts. The main theme of the work revolves around how difficult it is to organize and achieve joint action on a sustained basis. Collectively, the essays push for a concerted effort by international organizations to work to discover how to effectively joint mobilize together to prevent ethno-national conflict.

Preventing Violent Conflicts, Past Record and Future Challenges. Uppsala: Uppsala University: Department of Peace and Conflict Research, 1998.

Lund, Michael S. Preventing Violent Conflicts: A Strategy for Preventive Diplomacy. Herndon, VA: USIP Press, April 1, 1996.
"In this balanced and comprehensive analysis--the first of its kind--Michael Lund defines early warning and preventive diplomacy; assesses, after reviewing several recent preventive efforts, who does it, what methods work, and why; and suggests how multilateral and national entities (especially the U.S. government) can overcome operational challenges to effective preventive action. The book concludes by sketching the outlines of a more systematic, global preventive regime, one that draws on the strengths of individual states, the United Nations, regional organizations, and NGOs."

Preventive Diplomacy: Stopping Wars Before They Start. New York: Routledge, August 2000.
"Revised edition of the influential 1996 publication in which 20 leading diplomats and individuals explore and assess the impacts of military interventions and economic sanctions from economic, political and humanitarian perspectives. Many of the issues faced in the symposium sponsored by the Center for International Health and Cooperation are more commonly pushed under carpets. This cross-disciplinary approach demonstrates how, when new insights are applied to international tensions and disasters, they may bring new hope. Should be of interest to those concerned with diplomacy and security issues. Referenced and indexed."

Preventive Measures: Building Risk Assessment and Crisis Early Warning Systems. Boulder, CO: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1998.
This book is a compilation of articles on risk assessment and early warning models. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Zartman, I. William, ed. Preventive Negotiation: Avoiding Conflict Escalation. Rowman & Littlefield, December 28, 2000.
This work examines the characteristics of preventive diplomacy, focusing on the fact that negotiation lies at the heart of the pursuit. The work reviews how preventive negotiation has been practiced by looking at specific issues to which the practice has been applied. Eleven different authors contribute essays on topics including "boundary problems, territorial claims, ethnic conflict, divided states, state disintegration, cooperative disputes, trade wars, transboundary environmental disputes, global natural disasters, global security conflicts, and labor disputes. The editor's conclusion draws out general themes about the nature of preventive diplomacy." -Amazon.com

Wright, Quincy. "Project for a World Intelligence Center." The Journal of Conflict Resolution 1:1, March 1957.
"A 'project on a world intelligence centre', anticipating what has more recently come to be called early warning and conflict prevention. "

Adler, Emanuel and Michael Barnett. Security Communities. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
"This book argues that community can exist at the international level, and that security politics is profoundly shaped by it, with states dwelling within an international community having the capacity to develop a specific disposition. By investigating the relationship between international community and the possibility for peaceful change, this book revisits the concept first pioneered by Karl Deutsch: "security communities". Leading scholars examine security communities in various historical and regional contexts: in places where they exist, where they are emerging, and where they are hardly detectable. Building on constructivist theory, the volume is an important contribution to international relations theory and security studies, attempting to understand the conjunction of transnational forces, state power and international organizations that can produce a security community." Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Adelman, Howard and Astri Suhrke. The International Response to Conflict and Genocide: Lessons from the Rwandan Experience. London: Overseas Development Institute, 1996.

Vasquez, John. The War Puzzle. Cambridge: : Cambridge University Press, 1993.
"This book constructs a new scientific explanation of the onset and expansion of war and the conditions of peace. The author describes systematically those factors common to wars between equal states to see if there is a pattern that suggests why war occurs, and how it might be avoided or mitigated, delineating the typical path by which relatively equal states have become embroiled in wars with one another in the modern global system. Emphasis is placed on the issues that give rise to war and how the practices of power politics lead to a series of steps that produce war rather than peace. The book differs from others in that it employs the large number of empirical findings generated in the last twenty-five years as the basis of its theorizing, and integrates these research findings so as to advance dramatically the scientific knowledge of war and peace." Primary Link  [Backup Link]

George, Alexander L. and Jane E. Holl. "The Warning-Response Problem: Missed Opportunities in Preventive Diplomacy." Edited by George, Alexander L., ed. Washington, DC: Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict, 1997.
This report argues that leaders need the kind of warning that will induce them to act preventively, not simply warning that a bad situation is getting worse. Leaders tend to put off hard decisions as long as they can, and this has often resulted in delay or paralysis in dealing with developing crises. To prevent violent conflicts, leaders must overcome this initial policy paralysis. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Rothchild, Donald S. "Third Party Incentives and the Phases of Conflict Prevention." In From Promise to Practice: Strengthening UN Capacities for the Prevention of Violent Conflict. Edited by Sriram, Chandra Lekha, Karin Wermester and Marian de Smet, eds. Boulder, CO: Lynne Reinner Publishers, April 2003.
This report takes stock of the International Peace Association's research and policy development work on conflict prevention and in support of evolving UN policy and practice since 1999. The report seeks to identify achievements and advances in conflict prevention at the UN, as well as highlighting some of the opportunities and key challenges that remain for the future.

Bercovitch, Jacob. "Understanding Mediation's Role in Preventative Diplomacy." Negotiation Journal 12:3, 1996.
Bercovitch examines 241 international conflicts occurring from 1945 to 1990. Mediation was attempted, often multiple times, in 60% of those conflicts. Bercovitch identifies nearly 600 mediation attempts made over the course of these conflicts. Based on an analysis of the mediation attempts, the author identifies a number of factors which correlate strongly with successful mediation.

Burton, John W. Violence Explained: The Sources of Conflict, Violence and Crime and Their Prevention. New York: Manchester University Press, July 1997.
John Burton argues that one of the main sources of conflict and violence is the denial of human needs. He examines the adversarial institutions of society leadership, legislatures, the work place, the legal system and the international relations system, and considers what each would be like if it was designed to solve basic human needs problems.

Wenglinsky, Martin and Amitai Etzioni, eds. War and Its Prevention. New York: Harper & Row, 1970.
This edited volume presents a series of Cold War-era essays on the prevention of conflict.

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Examples Illustrating this Topic:

Online (Web) Sources

Karl, Terry. "Alarms and Responses: A Comparative Study of Contemporary International Efforts to Anticipate and Prevent Violent Conflicts - The Case of El Salvador." Conflict Early Warning Systems (CEWS).
Available at: Primary Link  [Backup Link]

This essay gives a narrative account of the El Salvador conflict. It details the causes of the civil war, and gives specifics about the peace process. Furthermore, this essay explains why this conflict could have been predicted, and how timely intervention could have lessened or even prevented its occurrence.

Nordquist, Kjell-Ake. "Boundary Conflicts and Preventive Diplomacy." Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict, 2002.
http://wwics.si.edu/subsites/ccpdc/pubs/zart/ch2.htm  [Backup Link]
This essay examines several cases where preventive diplomacy was used to de-escalate boundary disputes.

European Platform for Conflict Prevention and Transformation.
Available at: http://www.gppac.net/index.html  [Backup Link]
"The European Platform for Conflict Prevention and Transformation is an open network of some 150 key European organisations working in the field of the prevention and/or resolution of violent conflicts in the international arena. Its mission is to facilitate the exchange of information and experience among participating organisations, as well as to stimulate co-operation and synergy." This website is the home page of the network and provides access to information on: conflicts, conflict prevention and peace building; inspiring stories of efforts by non-state actors to prevent or resolve conflicts; profiles and contact details of international and local organisations working to prevent or resolve conflicts; contact details of key experts in a country or region; references to publications on conflict prevention, with a special focus on literature produced by NGOs and research institutes; events, conferences and campaigns focusing on conflict prevention and peace building.

More Than Victims: Women's Role in Conflict Prevention. Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Available at: http://wwics.si.edu/topics/pubs/ACF19D.pdf  [Backup Link]
This work discusses the role women play in conflict situations, usually as part of civil society movements. The report examines women's roles in organizing to prevent conflict, to help end it once it begins, and also as post-conflict peacebuilders. The paper includes examples from several conflict regions including Kashmir, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Rwanda, El Salvador, and Lebanon.

Opportunities Missed, Opportunities Seized: Preventive Diplomacy in the Post-Cold War World. Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict .
Available at: http://wwics.si.edu/subsites/ccpdc/pubs/opp/fr.htm  [Backup Link]
This page offers access to the pdf files that comprise the Carnegie Commission's book on preventive diplomacy. It is a comprehensive discussion, with contributions from multiple authors, covering the role of preventive diplomacy in the post-Cold War world. The work consists of theoretical background as well as analyses of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the conflicts in Cechnya and Nagorno-Karabakh, and the successes of preventive diplomacy in the Balkans.

Weissman, Stephen R. Preventing Genocide in Burundi: Lessons from International Diplomacy. United States Institute of Peace (USIP).
Available at: http://www.usip.org/pubs/peaceworks/weissm22/weissm22.html  [Backup Link]
This USIP Peaceworks report, examines international responses, namely diplomatic ones, to the violent ethnic conflict in Burundi and develops valuable lessons for peacemaking in Burundi and other areas of genocidal conflict.

The Minorities at Risk Project. Center for International Development and Conflict Management (CIDCM).
Available at: http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/inscr/mar/  [Backup Link]
"This is a university-based research project that monitors and analyzes the status and conflicts of 285 politically-active communal groups in all countries with a current population of at least 500,000. The project is designed to provide information in a standardized format that aids comparative research and contributes to the understanding of conflicts involving relevant groups...MAR focuses specifically on ethnopolitical groups, non-state communal groups that have 'political significance' in the contemporary world because of their status and political actions." Part of the reasoning behind this project is that if people are aware of what is going on with at-risk, potentially volatile political factins, conflict may be prevented before it erupts.

UNDP Early Warning System for Southeastern Europe. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Available at: http://earlywarning.undp.sk/Home/  [Backup Link]
This is the home page of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Southeastern Europe Early Warning System, established in 1997. "The objective of this project is to promote the process of democratization and aid transition in South Eastern Europe through the provision of an Early Warning System that will assist NGOs and governments in forecasting regional crisis." The seven countries included in this regional system are: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania.

Offline (Print) Sources

Touval, Saadia. "Case Study: Lessons of Preventative Diplomacy in Yugoslavia." In Managing Global Chaos: Sources or and Responses to International Conflict. Edited by Hampson, Fen Osler, Chester A. Crocker and Pamela Aall, eds. Washington, D.C.: USIP Press, 1996.
In this chapter, Touval describes the failure of diplomatic attempts to prevent war and maintain a unified Yugoslavia. He argues that these efforts at preventative diplomacy lacked clarity and credibility. Based on his analysis of the Yugoslavian case, Touval draws five lessons for future attempts at preventative diplomacy. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Matthews, Dylan. "Committee for the Protection of Peoples Dignity: Nigeria 2000." In War Prevention Works: 50 Stories of People Resolving Conflict. Edited by Matthews, Dylan, ed. Oxford, UK: Oxford Research Group, October 2001.
This is a brief account about the successful conflict prevention efforts of the Committee for the Protection of People's Dignity, who worked to prevent violence among Nigerian youth.

Troebst, Stefan. Conflict in Kosovo: Failure of Prevention?: An Analytical Documentation 1992-1998. Flensburg , Germany: European Centre for Minority Issues, 1998.
It " ... documents attempts by international organisations and NGOs to mediate in the Kosovo Albanian-Serbian conflict over Kosovo from the beginning of the war in Bosnia and Hercegovina in the spring 1992 to the Drenica massacre of early March 1998. The author pays particular attention to recommendations by diplomatic actors and other third parties seeking to improve the tense status quo, to find interim solutions or to achieve a resolution of the conflict." full text avaliable at http://www.ecmi.de/doc/download/working-paper-1.pdf Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Miall, Hugh, Oliver Ramsbotham and Tom Woodhouse. Contemporary Conflict Resolution: The Prevention, Management and Transformations of Deadly Conflict. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press, April 1, 1999.
This book gives statistics of deadly quarrels, theories and frameworks of conflict management, and causes and preventions of war. It also has case studies of Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo.

Ruth-Heffelbower, Duane. "Local Capacities for Peace Meets Conflict Resolution Practice." Journal of Peacebuilding & Development 1:1, 2002.
This case study of Ambon, Indonesia argues for the stronger use of development and aid groups in conflict prevention. It explains how the methods used by these organizations can help promote inter-group cooperation.

Gurr, Ted Robert. Minorities at Risk: A Global View of Ethnopolitical Conflicts. Herndon, VA: USIP Press, October 1997.
This book analyzes ethnopolitical conflict in all regions of the world. It provides a comprehensive survey of more than 200 politically active communal groups, as well as in-depth assessments of ethnic tensions in Western societies, the former Soviet bloc, the Middle East and Africa. Through the group-by-group analysis the author attempts to explain why disadvantaged groups mobilize, and evaluates strategies that have successfully reduced ethnic tensions in the past, including autonomy, pluralism, and power sharing.

Bagu, Chom. "Mitigating Conflict and Eradicating Poverty in Nigeria's North Central Region: A Critical Assessment of Current Efforts." Journal of Peacebuilding & Development 1:1, 2002.
The author argues that Nigeria should use conflict prevention methods to combat not only situations of inter-group conflict, but also of social conflict such as poverty.

Brown, Michael E. and Richard N. Rosecrance, eds. The Costs of Conflict: Prevention and Cure in the Global Arena. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing , January 1999.
"When it comes to conflict resolution, is an ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure? Leading scholars lay out an analytical and methodological framework for evaluating this question, and case studies on global hotspots from Bosnia to Somalia, Rwanda, Cambodia, and El Salvador (among others) put it to the test." - Editorial Review

Bell, Louise. The Global Conflict Prevention Pool: A Joint UK Government Approach to Reducing Conflict. London: Department for International Development (DFID); Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO); Ministry of Defence, 2003.

Posen, Barry. "The Security Dilemma and Ethnic Conflict." Survival 35:1, 1993.
"Posen argues that the security dilemma, not the age-old antipathies, causes variations in risks and intensity of ethnic conflicts among newly independent states. He also identifies factors that could produce an intense security dilemma when imperial order breaks down. He gives two examples of the former Yugoslavia, where violence occurred, and the case of Russia-Ukraine, where there has been no violence." -Netty Praditsarn

Starr, Harvey, ed. Understanding and Management of Global Violence: New Approaches to Theory and Research on Protracted Conflict. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, September 1999.
The essays in this edited volume approach social conflict through the study of "protracted conflict", or conflicts that are long-term and permeate all aspects of society. The work attempts to understand contemporary global politics and conflict by looking across levels of analysis, from international, to transnational to domestic behavior. The approach is grounded in two-level analysis, focusing on the analysis of crisis and the nature of identity groups and enduring rivalries. Included are examinations of Israel, the Palestinians, and Lebanon; the Philippines, Nicaragua; Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan; and Northern Ireland.

Carment, David and Frank Harvey. Using Force to Prevent Ethnic Violence: An Evaluation of Theory and Evidence. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
This work examines ways in which regional and international security organizations can prevent destructive ethnic conflict and manage cases in which violence already is at hand. The authors develop a theoretical framework for improving current research on the prevention and management of intra-state ethnic violence. After evaluating existing theories and data regarding the nature of ethnic conflict, they apply their own perspective, presenting a thorough study of NATO's role in Kosovo and Bosnia. Primary Link  [Backup Link]

Rotberg, Robert I., ed. Vigilance and Vengeance: NGOs preventing ethnic conflict in divided societies. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, November 1996.
This edited volume concentrates on international preventive action as carried out by non-governmental organizations. The work ultimately concludes that early warning and early action are not as straightfoward in practice as they sound in theory. Various obstacles to NGO's effectively participating in early warning systems are outlined. The work includes case studies on Guatemala, Macedonia, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, the Sudan, Rwanda, and Burundi to demonstrate its general points.

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