Search results

Peace activists, politicians, and the military ask for more capacities in civil conflict transformation. However, the contribution of NGOs depends on context. Civil conflict transformation necessitates a minimum of civilization, it does not solve issues of manifest violence. The nature of the conflict, the conflict stage, and the ending of a violent conflict influence the kind of peace projects, which are possible and meaningful. The impact of NGO peace projects requires support by key political actors. Peacebuilding may only follow prior peacemaking. Adapted from the source document

The more closely the 'Putin system' resembles an authoritarian political order, the more urgent the question of what kind of Russia policy is adequate becomes. The detente of the 1970s is inadequate. The international framework, the political system, and the elite's logic of action in today's Russia have changed fundamentally. German politicians should abandon the idea of transforming Russia from the outside. Instead, it is important to concentrate on what is possible: cooperation in security policy in regional conflicts, disarmament and arms control, confidence-building measures. Human-rights violations may not go unmentioned. Those who stand up for democratic change in Russia and are then persecuted deserve support, right to the granting of asylum. Adapted from the source document.

There is sharp controversy over the pros and cons of federalism as a means of regulating or escalating conflicts in deeply divided societies. Successful conflict regulation depends on the institutional minutiae of a given federation and its interdependence with other parts of the political regime. The various guises assumed by federalism in Russia since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 demonstrate that the survival of a federation, particularly one based on ethnic principles, depends on the adherence to federal norms, the functioning of democratic institutions, effective conflict-regulation devices, and political parties that reflect federal cleavages. Adapted from the source document.

The East European states have had to confront five challenges in establishing democratic control over their armies: they have had to overcome structures inherited from the socialist era, prevent independent action by the army, ensure that the army could not be misused, build up democratic norms & decision-making processes, & gain civilian expertise. For a long time, democratic control over the armed forces did not advance beyond the level of formal institution building. It became clear that the main problem was not the need to prevent military intervention in politics, but rather, to construct effective mechanisms guaranteeing civilian input, control, & feedback. Adapted from the source document.