Peace and Conflict Studies Commons^™

Symposium On Leadership Competencies For Peace Leadership: An Overview And Invitation, Whitney Mcintyre Miller

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"This Symposium proposes eight leadership competencies, presented by experts in each area, as examples of ways in which leadership can be aligned with peace in order to bring about sustainable, positive change. This Symposium does not argue for just another list of leadership skills and practices, but rather, illustrates that when leadership competencies are intentionally combined with peace practices, we can engage in the work of peace leadership: leading our communities, organizations, and societies toward peace and equitable justice. Therefore, this Symposium utilizes these competencies as a “jumping off point” to nudge the field of leadership studies to begin to …

Ecological Niches Applied To Socioeconomic Phenomena: The Case Of The Colombian Internal Conflict, Alexander Alegría, Laura Jiménez, Jhon Jairo Alvarado-Quintero

Peace and Conflict Studies

Recent studies of the Colombian conflict have shown that struggle for resource accumulation and territorial control, in a very competitive and violent environment in which the illegal armed groups are involved, is crucial to their survival and development. Here, we applied a highly successful methodology from ecology (Ecological Niche Modelling) to the problem of identifying the ideal socioeconomic conditions for the presence of a Colombian illegal armed group, named the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). We analyzed some determining factors of FARC´s presence and permanence within the Colombian territory that reflect aspects of the socioeconomic dynamics and productive capacity …

The National Defense Authorization Act V. The Bill Of Rights, David W. Bolton

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is an annual renewal of authorization for the Pentagon to spend money separately appropriated in an appropriations bill. Authorizations contained within this controversial document have grown from permission to spend funding on military munitions to allowing the use of indefinite detention and certain ‘advanced interrogation’ techniques by the members of the armed forces against those actively or perceived to be seeking to dismantle the integrity of the American governmental structure. In 2011, it was signed into law in the middle of the night on New Year's Eve by President Barack Obama. For the purposes …

Finding Identity Complexity Through Dialogue, Johanna Solomon

Peace and Conflict Studies

Intractable conflicts like the longstanding one between Israel and Palestine have the social psychological effect of exacerbating and enshrining negative inter-group dynamics (Bar-Tal, 2007; 2013). In these conflicts the welfare, status, power, and resources of the in and out-groups can seem directly at odds with each other (Brewer, 2001) leading to dehumanization, violence, and difficulty seeing the other side as potential partners in ending war. Groups affiliated with these conflicts around the world often also find themselves polarized, disconnected, and even threatened by groups on the ‘other side.’ College campuses, cities, and workplaces can become mired in hostilities that interfere …

Heads Above The Parapet: Personal Motivation And Professional Practice Among Northern Ireland's Community Of Grassroots Peace Practitioners, Ann C. Kelleher Dr., Anna Leon-Guerrero Dr., Maureen Hetherington Ceo Retired

Peace and Conflict Studies

Members of the Northern Ireland’s grassroots peace practitioner community have sustained their careers-long dedication to constructive local engagement across the deep historical divide throughout the decades of The Troubles, the post-agreement era, and up to the present. An exploration of their development as individual practitioners and as a community of practice will contribute to our understanding of grassroots level peace-building.

Based on 29 in-depth interviews with Northern Ireland community practitioners we examine why they, with widely differing personalities, capabilities, and backgrounds, came to care deeply about their society, and how their dedication to changing its historical trajectory produced constructive cross-community …

Code Blue: How Police And Health Care Providers Disrupt Healing For Violently Injured Black Men, Cherrell Green

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

While Black males are disproportionately impacted by gun homicide, they are also grossly impacted by non-fatal shootings. The impact of gun violence extends far beyond the immediate physical harm inflicted by bullets; this harm can permeate and disrupt personal relationships, create lasting psychological distress, and undermine a sense of safety within communities. However, the needs of injured Black men are often overlooked in public discourse. Despite the prevalence of these traumatic experiences in the lives of low-income Black men, their response to trauma is often treated as pathology, with fewer resources devoted to addressing the adverse consequences associated with these …

The Disappearing Fishermen, Areli Palomo Contreras

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

The Disappearing Fishermen is one of a series of ethnographic journalism stories about the violence embedded in the web of power structures shaping our global market system. In the Honduran wetlands of the Central American Gulf of Fonseca, these structures result in multiple forms of harm and damage to artisanal fishing communities. During the eighties and the nineties, the shrimp farming industry that settled in these wetlands was conceived to meet the Global North’s “need” for shrimp. Powerful international institutions including the World Bank and development agencies such as USAID provided loans to private companies, while the Honduran government enabled …

The Sexuality Of Technology: Memories Of Existing In Techno-Societies, Mardiya Vip Lab Fellow

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Sexuality of Technology is a research-based-fiction that puts together accounts of queer Ghanaians navigating threats and anxieties in a digital society. It examines technology-facilitated surveillance as violence and power that creates inequalities in motion illustrated through the lens of three friends navigating the intricate relations of power. The project grounds pain, rage and practices of survival of queer people, moving away from the ‘acceptance’ narrative to highlight that for many queer people in Ghana, violence and power is messy, unspectacular, and embedded in their every day existence within techno-societies.

La Discriminación Hacia La Mujer Wayuu Como Sistema De Violencia Colectiva En El Pueblo Wayuu En Venezuela Y Colombia, Dayanna Palmar Uriana

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Quería sacar a la luz la situación de las mujeres indígenas en Colombia y Venezuela, tomando en consideración la situación de las Mujeres Wayuu que habitan la frontera norte de ambos países. La identidad de una mujer indígena soporta una carga contenida en el género y la etnicidad que determina condiciones de vida y acceso a derechos dentro de una cosmovisión de vida colectiva de pertenencia hacia un pueblo indígena. Como mujer indígena Wayuu e investigadora en temas de derechos humanos mi objetivo fue identificar formas de discriminación mediante la escucha de mujeres Wayuu en territorio de ambos países, de …

Discrimination Against Wayuu Women As A System Of Collective Violence Against The Wayuu Indigenous People In Venezuela And Colombia / Errata Wayuumuin Sumuin Tu’ Wayuu Jiertkaa Jutuma’A Milia’An Jauhtu’U Jumaika’A Heka Jumana’A Tuu Wuomain Eh Venezuerraka Musia Colompianaka, Dayanna Palmar Uriana

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

I wanted to shed light on the situation of Indigenous women in Colombia and Venezuela, focusing specifically on the situation of Wayuu women living in the northern border of both countries. The identity of an Indigenous woman carries a dual burden—defined by both gender and ethnicity—that determines living conditions and access to rights within a worldview rooted in a collective sense of belonging to an Indigenous people. As a Wayuu Indigenous woman and a human rights researcher, my objective was to identify forms of discrimination by listening to Wayuu women in the territories of both countries. This approach allowed us …

When Is It Convenient For Indigenous Women To Influence State Policies?, Alaide Vences Estudillo, Norma Don Juan Pérez, Patricia Torres Sandoval, Fabiola Del Jurado Mendoza

Peace and Conflict Studies

This paper examines the difficulties that a network of Indigenous women in Mexico deal with when they seek peace for their people under a hybrid political structure. This paper discusses some distinctive aspects of the politics that these women engage in, how they conceive their political ideas, and how they use these ideas to structurally transform the colonial relationship that the liberal state maintains toward their people. They devise various strategies to influence state policies and to withstand the discrimination they face whenever they participate in democratic affairs.

Mobilizing For Peace: Civil Society’S Influence On The Peace Process Between The Colombian Government And The National Liberation Army (Eln) (2010-2021), Cécile Mouly, Esperanza Hernández Delgado

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article analyzes how different civil society actors in Colombia used civil resistance to influence the peace process between the government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) between 2010 and 2021, thereby contributing to a recent research agenda on civil resistance and peace processes. Drawing on interviews and documentary analysis, we examine how social actors employed nonviolent resistance tactics to: (i) get the parties to the negotiating table, (ii) carve themselves a space to participate in the process and influence it, (iii) press the parties to take measures to alleviate civilians’ suffering, (iv) help the parties overcome hurdles at the …

Exploring The Pathway Of Far-Right Radicalization In The Age Of Neoliberalism, Biko Koenig

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

This paper examines the complex relationship between young white men and the rise of far-right extremism in contemporary American politics, particularly in the context of the MAGA movement and its implications for political violence. The January 6th riot serves as a stark example of how mainstream political affiliations can rapidly devolve into radicalization, as evidenced by the profiles of participants who often lacked formal ties to extremist groups yet shared a commitment to conspiracy-laden narratives and grievances. By framing these shifts within the broader socio-economic landscape marked by neoliberal decay, I explore how feelings of inequality, alienation, and powerlessness serve …

Reintegrating Ex-Combatants Or Dividing Communities? Analysing Power Inequalities In Nigeria’S Amnesty Programme, Tarila Marclint Ebiede

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programmes are integral components of post-conflict peacebuilding. The reintegration of ex-combatants is seen as the hallmark of successful DDR programming. While there is significant analysis of social and economic reintegration of ex-combatants, research seldom analyses how DDR impacts power relations in conflict-affected communities. This study addresses this gap by analysing the impact of Nigeria’s Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), a DDR programme designed and implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria, on reproducing unequal power relations in conflict-affected communities in the Niger Delta. Based on primary data, the study finds that the implementation of PAP empowered …

Mobilizing Memory Diasporas, Transnational Sectarianism, And The Memory Of Violence, Mirna M. Wasef

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Memory has power. Memory and narratives of violence—beyond the acts themselves—shape identity and subjectivity. The significance of narrative lies not just in the story told, but in the political, social, and nationalist contexts surrounding it. When is memory invoked and why? How are acts of violence contextualized, narrativized, and mythicized? What galvanizes, or not, around the memory of the violence? Furthermore, how does violence expose the significant underpinnings of power inequalities and societal fissures that contribute to conditions conducive to its occurrence? The connection between memory and violence is crucial in understanding how memory is used to bolster, challenge, and …

Beyond Borders: Confronting Transnational Violence Against Black Migrants, Nana Afua Yeboaa Brantuo

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Beyond Borders: Confronting Transnational Violence Against Black Migrants explores the systemic violence and exclusion faced by Black migrants throughout their migration journey, with a focus on the U.S. immigration system. Synthesizing literature, data, and expert interviews, the paper highlights the intersecting forms of violence—political, community, racial, and gender-based—that Black migrants experience before, during, and after migration. The paper emphasizes how structural racism, anti-Blackness, and inadequate legal protections contribute to the compounded vulnerabilities of Black migrants. It calls for comprehensive policy interventions, including trauma-informed care, policy and legal system transformations, and community-based support, to address these multifaceted challenges and promote a …

California Threats And Harassment Initiative: A Literature Review Contextualizing The Environment Of Threats And Harassment Of Local Elected Officials In The United States Between 2013 And 2024, Ioli Filmeridis, Rachel Hodel, Thomas Oliver

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Given the attention dedicated to violence targeted against national figures and representatives, this literature review focuses on the less prominent, but nonetheless critical, issue of threats and harassment directed at locally elected officials. In particular, it considers school board officials, members of city councils, community college boards, elected sheriffs, city and district attorneys and mayors in Southern California as well as across the United States. It draws on traditional media coverage, academic and think tank discussions of the scope of threats and harassment faced by local officials, the drivers of threatening and harassing behavior, and their impact on local officials …

Korea: The Enduring Policy Blindspot, Justin Malzac, Rene A. Mahomed

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

The threat posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is a neglected and under prioritized problem across the US government, requiring a dramatic change of approach. Most proposals for Goldwater-Nichols reform focus on geography, either increasing or decreasing the number of geographic commands. Based on our personal experience as Joint military planners at strategic-level headquarters, we argue that the change needs to go further, focusing on global national security problems instead of geography. This article’s analysis and conclusions will provoke conversation across the national security enterprise about how the United States competes with multiple global threats.

Parameters Winter 2024-25, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Winter 2024–25 issue of Parameters. This issue consists of an In Focus special commentary, three forums (Indo-Pacific, Security Cooperation, and Historical Studies), and the regular Civil-Military Relations Corner installment.

The American Way Of Studying War: What Is It Good For?, Michael P. Ferguson

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Academic military historians, government institutions, and defense practitioners have unique purposes for advancing the study of war that influence the way they consume and produce history. Although there is substantial scholarship covering how the discipline of military history has changed since the late nineteenth century, the literature surrounding why it changes and how it is used is less plentiful. Using primary and secondary sources to contextualize debates between historians, this study traces major developments in military historiography, considers the US Army’s relationship with its history, and explores potential connections between a history’s purpose and its use for military professionals.

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Indigenous Conflict Resolution Mechanism And Peace Building Process In Nigeria: An Analysis Of The Yoruba Traditional Institution, Fasuan Emmanuel Olawale

Student Works (2020-2029)

This study delves into the conflict resolution and peace building processes in Africa, focusing specifically on the traditional institutional systems of the Yoruba people in Southwestern Nigeria. It examines how the Yoruba traditional system is characterized by various processes and pragmatic dynamism that fosters social cohesion. The study highlights the significance of cultural and traditional institutions in conflict resolution, particularly from an African perspective, in response to the ethnic, communal, and violent conflicts prevalent in Africa. By shifting the focus from international to local practices in conflict management and peace building, the study explores the role of Yoruba traditional approaches …

The Peace Project: Creating Elementary School Peace Spaces And Places, Whitney Mcintyre Miller, Annmary S. Abdou, Cristie Suzukawa Clancy, Kelly Stephens

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: This pilot case study paper demonstrates how school programming can be aligned and enhanced to better create a climate of peace on an elementary school campus by utilizing an integral peace leadership lens. Working collectively as a Peace Leadership Advisory Group, the elementary school leadership team, and the university research team helped to align existing programming and explore and implement new programming to create a comprehensive plan for bringing peace ideas together at the elementary school level.

Methods: This pilot was a single case study that utilized Participatory Action Research. Data were collected through observation, survey, and interviews with …

Giving Our “Paper Tiger” Real Teeth: Fixing The U.S. Military’S Plans For Contested Logistics Against China, Zachary S. Hughes

Joint Force Quarterly

This article explores the growing concerns about the U.S. military’s ability to deter or win a conflict with China in the Western Pacific, focusing on the role of logistics in future military success. China’s advanced missile systems pose a significant threat to the U.S.'s traditional deployment strategies, leading the Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force to adopt dispersed operations to enhance survivability. These strategies have proven logistically unsustainable due to their high resource demands and coordination challenges. The article also highlights technological innovations, such as sea-based resupply, additive manufacturing, alternative energy sources, and AI, which offer potential logistical improvements. However, …

The Joint Functions: Theory, Doctrine, And Practice, Matthew J. Tackett

Joint Force Quarterly

This article explores the complexities of military conflict and the frameworks used to navigate it. He begins by defining conflict as a serious disagreement that often leads to chaos, emphasizing the need for structure and order in warfare. Historical perspectives, including insights from Carl von Clausewitz, underscore the importance of understanding military functions to enable effective command and operational strategies. Tackett details the seven joint functions outlined in Joint Publication (JP) 3-0: command and control, information, intelligence, fires, movement and maneuver, protection, and sustainment. He highlights the ongoing tension between military theory, doctrine, and practical application, stressing the need for …

The Fragile Balance Of Terror: Deterrence In The New Nuclear Age, John William Sutcliffe Iv

Joint Force Quarterly

This book revisits the precarious nature of nuclear deterrence. Contemporary challenges—such as the multipolarity of nuclear powers, personalistic regimes, and the influence of social media—present new risks not seen during the Cold War. Contributors analyze these challenges alongside enduring issues, such as nuclear sufficiency and the survivability of nuclear forces. Deterrence cannot be taken for granted, especially in light of evolving technologies and the complex political dynamics of today’s nuclear powers.

The Military Legacy Of Alexander The Great: Lessons For The Information Age, Robert D. Spessert

Joint Force Quarterly

This book review examines the relevance of Alexander the Great's military strategies and leadership for contemporary national security challenges. The book addresses issues such as military organization, battle strategy, and the human dimensions of warfare. The authors illustrate how Alexander navigated political and military obstacles, emphasizing the importance of information in warfare and the consequences of mission creep during his campaigns in Central Asia and India. They highlight how his strategic choices after the Battle of Issus secured resources while underscoring the human aspect of conflict. The book also critiques Alexander's failures, including his treatment of Greek mercenaries, which raised …

Don’T Let’S Be Beastly To The Germans: The British Occupation Of Germany, 1945–49, Michael C. Davies

Joint Force Quarterly

In this book review, Daniel Cowling offers a compelling examination of the British efforts in post-conflict reconstruction following World War II. Drawing from his doctoral research and archival insights, Cowling narrates the complex dynamics of the British Army of the Rhine and the Control Commission Germany during the occupation. The book is organized into five parts, exploring the foundations of the occupation, the challenges of implementation, the ensuing crises, and the eventual adaptation that led to a successful transition towards German sovereignty. Cowling grapples with the paradox of balancing justice and empathy towards the German populace, raising critical questions about …

From Sparta To Hostomel: The Enduring Role Of Joint Forcible Entry Operations, Jonathan Maxwell Cohen

Joint Force Quarterly

Since World War II, the U.S. military has relied on global access to intermediate staging bases for the uncontested massing of combat power. However, recent advancements in antiaccess/area-denial (A2/AD) networks by strategic competitors like Russia and China threaten this capability. This article examines the historical context and current challenges of Joint Forcible Entry Operations (JFEO), emphasizing their necessity in future conflicts despite these threats. Analyzing the Russian military’s unsuccessful air assault at Hostomel Airport during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine provides critical insights into the complexities and risks associated with JFEOs. While the inherent risks of forcible entry operations have …

Better In Pairs: Divide The Indo-Pacific Theater In Half, Tim Devine

Joint Force Quarterly

This article explores the rationale for dividing the Indo-Pacific Theater into two geographic combatant commands to improve command and control, particularly in the face of growing strategic competition with China. The Department of Defense (DOD) reviews its Unified Command Plan (UCP) every two years, adjusting geographic boundaries and missions. Given the Indo-Pacific's vast size, rising security threats, and operational demands, USINDOPACOM's current structure may be insufficient. The article argues that dividing the theater, similar to the successful dual command model used during World War II in the Pacific, would ease command burdens, enhance strategic effectiveness, and better prepare the U.S. …