Across the Lines of Conflict : Facilitating Cooperation to Build Peace

Through a comparative analysis of six case studies, this volume illustrates key conflict-resolution techniques for peacebuilding. Outside parties learn how to facilitate cooperation by engaging local leaders of small, ethnically divided countries in intensive, interactive workshops. The contributors follow a systematic assessment framework, weighing the successes and failures of this particular approach to conflict resolution and the conditions under which such interactive approaches work. Through a comparative analysis of six case studies, this volume illustrates key conflict-resolution techniques for peacebuilding. Through a comparative analysis of six case studies, Across the Lines of Conflict: Facilitating Cooperation to Build Peace illustrates key conflict-resolution techniques for peacebuilding. Outside parties learn how to facilitate cooperation by engaging local leaders in intensive, interactive workshops. These opposing leaders reside in small, ethnically divided countriesBurundi, Cyprus, Estonia, Guyana, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistanthat have experienced communal conflicts in recent years. In Estonia and Guyana, peacebuilding initiatives sought to ward off violence. In Burundi and Sri Lanka, initiatives focused on ending ongoing hostilities, and in Cyprus and Tajikistan, these efforts brought peace to the country after its violence had ended. The contributors follow a systematic assessment framework, including a common set of questions for interviewing participants to prepare comparable results from a set of diverse cases. Their findings weigh the successes and failures of this particular approach to conflict resolution and draw conclusions about the conditions under which such interactive approaches work, as well as assess the audience and the methodologies used. This work features research conducted in conjunction with the Working Group on Preventing and Rebuilding Failed States, convened by the Wilson Center's Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity. Michael Lund is senior specialist for conflict and peacebuilding at Management Systems International Inc. and was consulting program manager for the Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity at the Wilson Center. Steve McDonald is a global fellow and former director of the Africa Program at the Wilson Center. "This volume presents peacebuilding initiatives that engage local leaders from opposing sides in intensive interactive workshops, comparing six cases from small, ethnically divided countries - Burundi, Cyprus, Estonia, Guyana, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan. All six initiatives were guided by outside third parties who worked to enhance interpersonal cohesion and ability to collaborate among local leaders and other actors. The countries have all experienced communal conflicts in recent years. In Estonia and Guyana, the initiatives aimed at warding off violence; in Burundi and Sri Lanka, the initiatives focused on ending ongoing hostilities; and in Cyprus and Tajikistan, the initiatives sought to build peace after violence had come to an end. The chapters follow a systematic assessment framework, including a common set of questions for interviewing participants, to prepare comparable results from a set of diverse cases. Their findings assess the successes and failures of this particular approach to conflict resolution, and draw conclusions about the conditions under which such interactive approaches work, as well as about the audience and the methodologies used. This work represents research conducted in conjunction with the Working Group on Preventing and Rebuilding Failed States, convened by the Wilson Center's Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity"--Publisher's website

Through a comparative analysis of six case studies, this volume illustrates key conflict-resolution techniques for peacebuilding. Outside parties learn how to facilitate cooperation by engaging local leaders in intensive, interactive workshops. These opposing leaders reside in small, ethnically divided countries, including Burundi, Cyprus, Estonia, Guyana, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan, that have experienced communal conflicts in recent years. In Estonia and Guyana, peacebuilding initiatives sought to ward off violence. In Burundi and Sri Lanka, initiatives focused on ending ongoing hostilities, and in Cyprus and Tajikistan, these efforts brought peace to the country after its violence had ended.

The contributors follow a systematic assessment framework, including a common set of questions for interviewing participants to prepare comparable results from a set of diverse cases. Their findings weigh the successes and failures of this particular approach to conflict resolution and draw conclusions about the conditions under which such interactive approaches work, as well as assess the audience and the methodologies used.

This work features research conducted in conjunction with the Working Group on Preventing and Rebuilding Failed States, convened by the Wilson Center's Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity.

Through a comparative analysis of six case studies, this volume illustrates key conflict-resolution techniques for peacebuilding. Outside parties learn how to facilitate cooperation by engaging local leaders in intensive, interactive workshops. These opposing leaders reside in small, ethnically divided countries, including Burundi, Cyprus, Estonia, Guyana, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan, that have experienced communal conflicts in recent years. In Estonia and Guyana, peacebuilding initiatives sought to ward off violence. In Burundi and Sri Lanka, initiatives focused on ending ongoing hostilities, and in Cyprus and Tajikistan, these efforts brought peace to the country after its violence had ended. The contributors follow a systematic assessment framework, including a common set of questions for interviewing participants to prepare comparable results from a set of diverse cases. Their findings weigh the successes and failures of this particular approach to conflict resolution and draw conclusions about the conditions under which such interactive approaches work, as well as assess the audience and the methodologies used. This work features research conducted in conjunction with the Working Group on Preventing and Rebuilding Failed States, convened by the Wilson Center's Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity. Contents List of Figures and Tables Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Part I. Approaching the Subject 1. Intrastate Conflicts and the Problem of Political Will 2. Unofficial Conflict Resolution and Sustainable Peace Part II. Assessing Country Cases Averting Conflict Escalation 3. Estonia: Psychopolitical Dialogue Contributing to Conflict Prevention 4. Can Dialogues Change the Course of a Small Nation? The Social Cohesion Program in Guyana Ending Active Conflicts 5. Tajikistan: Peace Secured, but the State of Our Dreams? 6. Sri Lanka: When Negotiations Fail—Talks for the Sake of Talks; War for the Sake of Peace Transcending Past Conflicts 7. The Harvard Study Group on Cyprus: Contributions to an Unfulfilled Peace Process 8. The Burundi Leadership Training Program Part III. Findings and Implications 9. Learning from the Case Studies: Impacts and Explanations 10. Contemporary Implications: From Trust-Building to Institution-Building Contributors Index