Suchergebnisse

A review essay on books by (1) John Paul Lederach, Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies (Washington, DC: USIP, 1997); (2) Ho-Won Jeong (Ed), Conflict Resolution Dynamics, Process and Structure (Aldershot & Brookfield: Ashgate, 1999); (3) Hakan Wiberg & Christian P. Scherrer (Eds), Ethnicity and Intra-State Conflict: Types, Causes and Peace Strategies (Aldershot & Brookfield: Ashgate, 1999); & (4) Johan Galtung & Carl G. Jacobsen, Searching for Peace: The Road to TRANSCEND (London: Pluto, 2000). These books demonstrate the current status of peace & conflict studies. Differences are pointed out between the philosophically oriented Nordic school of peace research & the empirically based North American approach. Lederach, a leader of the North American School, emphasizes inclusive peace-building involving conflict analysis at all levels, ideally before violent conflict erupts. However, he fails to sufficiently explore some difficult aspects of conflict resolution, such as how grass roots endeavors can be incorporated into wider peacemaking efforts. The volume edited by Jeong offers additional insights into the North American school's thinking & attempts to manage conflict by embracing diversity. The book edited by Wiberg & Scherrer provides an excellent overview of theoretical perspectives within the Nordic school, in spite of a flat prose style & limited case studies. The easy-to-read text edited by Galtung & Jacobsen, which promotes the new philosophical approach to peacemaking known as TRANSCEND, will interest lay people but is of limited relevance to more advanced academicians. J. Lindroth

This article examines the interaction between the Irish political party, Sinn Fdin, and the paramilitary group known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA). It argues that the relationship between Sinn Féin and the IRA turns the conventional Clausewitzian understanding of political control of the military on its head. Rather, in the Irish republican movement the military has had the dominant role in devising military and political strategy and Sinn Féin's role has been to support the movement's military campaign. The article traces the stresses that this relationship has had on the political development of militant Irish republicanism from its modern emergence in 1916, and then examines the consequences these have for the future of Irish republicanism and the peace process in Northern Ireland.