Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 23 of 23

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Towards A Digitally Mediated Transitional Justice Process? An Analysis Of Colombian Transitional Justice Organisations’ Posting Behaviour On Facebook, Jasmin Haunschild, Laura Guntrum, Sofía Cerrillo, Franziska Bujara, Christian Reuter May 2024

Towards A Digitally Mediated Transitional Justice Process? An Analysis Of Colombian Transitional Justice Organisations’ Posting Behaviour On Facebook, Jasmin Haunschild, Laura Guntrum, Sofía Cerrillo, Franziska Bujara, Christian Reuter

Peace and Conflict Studies

In Colombia, Transitional Justice (TJ) institutions were established after years of violent conflict as part of the 2016 peace agreement between the FARC and the Colombian government. By analysing the posting behaviour of the government-appointed TJ institutions on Facebook, we show how general TJ aims and opportunities for citizen participation were promoted in 2019. Our analysis reveals that the organisations rarely address topics related to reconciliation and that active online participation and two-way communication are rather scarce. Instead, Facebook is mainly used by the TJ organisations to increase solidarity with victims and disseminate information about their work and the TJ …


The Peace Is Uneasy And Needs To Be Won Everyday: Economic Assistance And Peacebuilding Among Marginalized Groups In Northern Ireland And The Border Area, Mehmet Yavuz, Sean Byrne Dec 2023

The Peace Is Uneasy And Needs To Be Won Everyday: Economic Assistance And Peacebuilding Among Marginalized Groups In Northern Ireland And The Border Area, Mehmet Yavuz, Sean Byrne

Peace and Conflict Studies

While Northern Ireland is still recovering from the violent legacy of the 30-year Troubles during a global COVID-19 pandemic, people still experience violence daily. Economic and political inequalities heighten intergroup tensions and insecurity contributing to the promotion of destructive stories. Brexit has escalated the culture wars between the Protestant Unionist Loyalist and Catholic Nationalist Republican communities as Loyalist youth and paramilitary groups protest on Belfast’s streets. Through 120 semi-structured interviews, we explore the experiences and understandings of Civil Society Organization (CSO) peacebuilding and reconciliation workers that liaison with ex-combatants and youth in Derry and the Border area of Northern Ireland. …


Interracial Dialogues In Dixie: Expressing Emotions To Promote Racial Reconciliation, Jeneve R. Brooks Phd, Sharon Everhardt Phd, Samantha Earnest Phd, Imren Dinc Phd Jan 2021

Interracial Dialogues In Dixie: Expressing Emotions To Promote Racial Reconciliation, Jeneve R. Brooks Phd, Sharon Everhardt Phd, Samantha Earnest Phd, Imren Dinc Phd

Peace and Conflict Studies

Given the legacy of racial injustice and mistrust that continues to plague race relations in the United States, it is important that citizens of different racial backgrounds come together to share their feelings and thoughts about race issues in order to advance racial reconciliation in their own communities. Saunders (1999) asserts that such dialogues can transform interracial relationships that could inspire the larger community to change itself. This study presents the results of nine interracial focus groups from two dialogues on race relations events held in Dothan, Alabama in 2015 and 2016. Our findings illustrate that many Black respondents displayed …


The Paradox Of Power In Conflict Dynamics, Daniel Rothbart Nov 2020

The Paradox Of Power In Conflict Dynamics, Daniel Rothbart

Peace and Conflict Studies

In recent decades the political state has been implicated in genocide, mass violence, political oppression, and targeted deprivations. Yet, in the field of conflict analysis, the meaning of state “power over” in conflict settings is under-theorized. In this article I probe the conceptual depths of state power to show that such power is neither singular nor simple. It’s neither ahistorical nor asocial. Beneath the surface of the state’s wide-ranging practices of governing its political subjects is a fundamental paradox that juxtaposes the state’s authority as the rightful authority over its subjects against the state’s vulnerability to potentially de-stabilizing threats to …


Words And Power In Conflict: Rwanda Under Mrnd Rule, Allan T. Moore Ph.D. Nov 2020

Words And Power In Conflict: Rwanda Under Mrnd Rule, Allan T. Moore Ph.D.

Peace and Conflict Studies

Rwanda under the rule of President Juvenal Habyarimana and the MRND government was a de facto totalitarian governed society, and throughout Habyarimana’s twenty-one year rule, it has been established that there was clear propaganda and hatred directed toward those citizens identified as Tutsi through their national identification records. This article examines the effects of centralized power harbored by Habyarimana and the MRND during this time utilizing a theoretical framework based on the intersection of complementary theory from Foucault, Dahl and Weber. The methodology includes a novel critical discourse analysis (CDA) of transcribed speeches delivered by Habyarimana and Leon Mugesera, as …


Imagining A Non-Violent World "The Be The Peace, Make A Change Project": A Rural Community Peacebuilding Initiative To End Gender-Based Violence, Nancy M. Ross May 2019

Imagining A Non-Violent World "The Be The Peace, Make A Change Project": A Rural Community Peacebuilding Initiative To End Gender-Based Violence, Nancy M. Ross

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article will profile the innovative community engagement process initiated by the "Be the Peace, Make a Change" project to end gender-based violence in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, and conclude with lessons learned. These lessons were summarized as "headlines" to imagine a future with new narratives for interpersonal relationships. This project was a three-year grassroots initiative of Second Story Women’s Centre, funded by Status of Women Canada. It engaged the rural communities of Lunenburg County to develop a coordinated response to violence against women and girls. It focused on the engagement of all genders, youth, and adults in exploring and …


The British Art Of Colonialism In India: Subjugation And Division, Aziz Rahman, Mohsin Ali, Saad Kahn May 2018

The British Art Of Colonialism In India: Subjugation And Division, Aziz Rahman, Mohsin Ali, Saad Kahn

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article utilizes a three-pronged analytical model to examine the mechanics of British colonialism and its socioeconomic and political consequences in India. Those three elements are divide and rule, colonial education, and British laws. The British took some reformative initiatives that ostensibly deserve appreciation such as the development of a predictable legal system, investment in infrastructure development, and education in the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. However, most colonial policies and reforms were against the will and welfare of the people of India. The British took away India’s resources and introduced the English educational system to create an educated and …


The Togolese Truth, Justice And Reconciliation Commission: Lessons For Transitional Justice Processes Elsewhere, Jeremy J. Sarkin Prof, Tetevi Davi Apr 2017

The Togolese Truth, Justice And Reconciliation Commission: Lessons For Transitional Justice Processes Elsewhere, Jeremy J. Sarkin Prof, Tetevi Davi

Peace and Conflict Studies

Certain truth and reconciliation processes around the world remain understudied. This means that valuable lessons for transitional justice processes elsewhere are not learned. This article therefore examines lessons from the Togolese Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission (CVJR). It examines the historical context of violence in Togo in order to understand why the country decided to establish a truth commission and looks at how previous inquiries established the need for such a process. Other issues examined are the CVJR’s mandate, the time period provided to do its work, and the pros and cons of the choices made with respect to these …


The Trouble With Truth-Telling: Preliminary Reflections On Truth And Justice In Post-War Liberia, Gabriel Twose Ph.D., Caitlin O. Mahoney Ph.D. Jan 2015

The Trouble With Truth-Telling: Preliminary Reflections On Truth And Justice In Post-War Liberia, Gabriel Twose Ph.D., Caitlin O. Mahoney Ph.D.

Peace and Conflict Studies

This study investigates perceptions of the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), particularly focusing on understandings of, and the links between, truth, justice, and reconciliation. Forty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted at three research sites in Liberia. Findings indicate that although most Liberians agreed with the TRC in principle, most of those who followed its proceedings saw major problems in its implementation, harming perceptions of reconciliation. Participants expressed concerns that the Commission had failed to discover the full truth of wartime abuses, that the truth that was discovered was not told in the right way, and that there had been problems …


Counteracting Dynamics Of Violent Communication In Bullying, Jacques L. Koko Nov 2013

Counteracting Dynamics Of Violent Communication In Bullying, Jacques L. Koko

Peace and Conflict Studies

This study examines fourteen conversations from observations conducted on bullying among 8th graders in 2002, in a Middle School in Virginia in the United States of America to: (1) identify power disparity in verbal bullying between bullies and targets, (2) examine how power disparity in verbal bullying empowers the perpetrator against silent targets, (3) explain how targets’ verbal responses neutralize bullies or stop bullying, and (4) design an approach to counteracting verbal bullying –the “agere contra” approach to bullying, which demonstrates how words could also be used, not only to counteract bullying, but also to heal both the perpetrator and …


Constructive Noncooperation: Living In Truth, Mark A. Mattaini, Kristen Atkinson May 2011

Constructive Noncooperation: Living In Truth, Mark A. Mattaini, Kristen Atkinson

Peace and Conflict Studies

Mohandas Gandhi often indicated that nonviolence was “a science,” and he appears to have meant this literally. Consistent with this vision, in this paper, we outline and apply principles of behavioral systems science, an emerging data-based approach to understanding the dynamics of complex cultural systems, to the practice of constructive noncooperation (Gandhi’s “constructive programme”). Although Gandhi emphasized that constructive action was the most important and potent of nonviolent strategic options, constructive alternatives have been the least developed in the literature of nonviolent struggle. The reconceptualization of constructive noncooperation in behavioral systems terms offered here suggests that rigorous analysis of Havel’s …


Volume 18, Number 1 (Spring 2011), Peace And Conflict Studies May 2011

Volume 18, Number 1 (Spring 2011), Peace And Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies

No abstract provided.


Culture And Procedural Justice In Transitioning Societies, Landon E. Hancock, Tamra Pearson D’Estrée May 2011

Culture And Procedural Justice In Transitioning Societies, Landon E. Hancock, Tamra Pearson D’Estrée

Peace and Conflict Studies

In any transitional justice mechanism there are tradeoffs between the search for retributive justice and the practical limitations on what can be accomplished. To date, this tension has been discussed in reference to internationally established norms of justice, which the authors argue are limited in the extent to which they can explain why certain mechanisms—such as the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission or Rwanda’s gacaca courts—have been considered successful. We argue that mechanisms that have a high overlap between local culture and elements of procedural justice are perceived as more fair and just, even to those who may not …


Peacebuilding In Northern Ireland: The Past, Present And Future, Stephen Ryan May 2010

Peacebuilding In Northern Ireland: The Past, Present And Future, Stephen Ryan

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article explores the reasons for the slow progress being made in the Northern Ireland peace process. It examines complications that exist in dealing with the past, present, and future of the conflict between the two main communities whilst also arguing that it is hard to separate these time frames in practice. In terms of the present, some well known difficulties with the consociational approach are identified. Recent studies have also demonstrated a failure to address sectarianism at the grass-roots level and there has been a resurgence in activity by spoilers and rejectionists. When thinking about the future the two …


Rethinking Reconciliation: The Lessons From The Balkans And South Africa, Mitja Žagar May 2010

Rethinking Reconciliation: The Lessons From The Balkans And South Africa, Mitja Žagar

Peace and Conflict Studies

Reconciliation, described as coming to terms with the past, is considered an important component of normalization and development in post-conflict societies. The international community and some political elites promote it as a desired approach to (re)establishing trust and cooperation, ideally leading to clean slate situation, which might be possible only if all sides are fully committed to the process and unconditionally accept its outcomes. Reality, however, is often different. Exploring concepts, practices and experiences in the Balkans and South Africa the contribution studies successes, problems and failures of reconciliation. It attempts to rethink and re-conceptualize reconciliation and develop alternative approaches.


The Ifi And Eu Peace Ii Fund: Respondents’ Perceptions Of Funded Project Success In Promoting Peacebuilding And Community Development In Northern Ireland, Sean Byrne, Chuck Thiessen, Eyob Fissuh, Cynthia Irvin Aug 2009

The Ifi And Eu Peace Ii Fund: Respondents’ Perceptions Of Funded Project Success In Promoting Peacebuilding And Community Development In Northern Ireland, Sean Byrne, Chuck Thiessen, Eyob Fissuh, Cynthia Irvin

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article examines the views of ninety-eight study participants on community development and peacebuilding supported by the European Union (EU) Peace II Fund and the International Fund for Ireland (IFI). We elaborate the perceptions of community group leaders, funding agency civil servants and development officers regarding the role of both funds in Northern Ireland. Their experiences of the EU Peace II Fund and the IFI are discussed in the wider context of peacebuilding and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties. Furthermore, this article explores the importance of community development and cross-community contact through joint economic and social development …


Volume 14, Number 2 (Fall 2007), Peace And Conflict Studies Nov 2007

Volume 14, Number 2 (Fall 2007), Peace And Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies

Abstracts only.


University Students From Four Ethnopolitical Conflict Zones: An Exploratory Study Of Perceptions Of Self And Country, Sean Byrne, Colleen Mcleod, Brian Polkinghorn Nov 2004

University Students From Four Ethnopolitical Conflict Zones: An Exploratory Study Of Perceptions Of Self And Country, Sean Byrne, Colleen Mcleod, Brian Polkinghorn

Peace and Conflict Studies

This exploratory comparative case study examines hopes and fears for self and country of 300 students attending university in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. Students report living in stressful societies where ethno political and state violence were the norm. The results of this qualitative study indicate that while the young people are optimistic about their life changes, they are concerned that the conflicts could re-ignite and spiral out of control. In particular, the students’ images indicate the importance of the self-society relationship and that these young adults relish the challenge of being productive citizens in their post-conflict …


Volume 11, Number 2 (Fall 2004), Peace And Conflict Studies Nov 2004

Volume 11, Number 2 (Fall 2004), Peace And Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies

Abstracts Only


Bridge Across The Race-Class Chasm, Beth Roy Nov 2004

Bridge Across The Race-Class Chasm, Beth Roy

Peace and Conflict Studies

A Review of “Red, White, Black & Blue: A Dual Memoir of Race and Class in Appalachia” by William M. Drennen Jr. & Kojo (William T.) Jones Jr. (Ohio University Press, Athens, 2004)


The Prospect Of Multi-Level Voting In Post-Peace Accord Northern Ireland, Roger Mac Ginty Nov 2003

The Prospect Of Multi-Level Voting In Post-Peace Accord Northern Ireland, Roger Mac Ginty

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article reviews the possibility of multi-level voting in Northern Ireland in the wake of the 1998 peace accord. Post-peace accord elections can act as powerful indicators of the fate of a peace. Using Reif and Schmitt’s framework of second-order elections, it finds some evidence of varying electoral behaviour according to the electoral arena. The article also uses original data from a major opinion survey to assess public attitudes towards the suite of governing institutions with powers in or over a devolved Northern Ireland. The evidence of multi-level voting is limited and does not extend to electors abandoning ethnic voting …


Front Matter, Peace And Conflict Studies May 2003

Front Matter, Peace And Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies

No abstract provided.


Volume 10, Number 1 (Spring 2003), Peace And Conflict Studies May 2003

Volume 10, Number 1 (Spring 2003), Peace And Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies

No abstract provided.