Chapter 2: Managing Intractable Conflict §

Class: IS404 Created Time: October 12, 2021 3:05 PM Database: Class Notes Database Is Reference for: Conflict Regulation Last Edited Time: November 20, 2021 11:22 PM Type: Lecture

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• After conflict settlement we need managing intractable conflicts to stop the conflict from flaring up again
  • remove misperceptions, bitterness, unfair atrocities, negative attitude
  • encourage peaceful interactions, friendly dialogue, and continue to uphold their peace settlement
  • improve sharing of information, non-sensitive matters, to one day deal with the core issues of the conflict (discussed in Chapter 3)

The critical factor in protracted conflict was that it represented ‘the prolonged and often violent struggle by communal groups for such basic needs such as security, recognition, and acceptance, fair access to political institutions and economic participation’.

1. Mitigation of protracted conflict §

• How to mitigate protracted conflict: to bring these points to civilians to learn about
  • Minimize negative aspects of the conflict: to remove misperceptions, bitterness, unfair atrocities, negative attitude
  • To promote empathy in human values, forgiveness, etc
• To change the power imbalance between the groups in society
  • bring about social movements against inequality of groups
  • may need intervention from international community to change power relations
  • change tactics from coercion to negotiation:
    • convince them how they can pursue their goals in peaceful means (win-win)
• Psychological Change: attitudinal change and readiness for mutual concession that is necessary for a compromised solution
  • tiredness of using force to pursue their goal & more accepting of a collaborative effort
  • dramatic events can change the perception of the success rate, alternative methods…
• In conflicts, partisans tend to transform their organizational structure and identity of government to better fit negotiation
• In managing ethnic relations: government might use coercive approach to oppress or silence them, leading to further backlash, resentment, and violent resistance.

1.1. Conciliatory dynamics §

• What we can do to promite cooperation, adjust differences

1. Withdrawal of Negative Sanctions(embargo): positive rewards (economic aid) for attitudinal & behavioral change.

   💡 Ex: - Vietnam, in the Vietnam War, released some US POWs as goodwill to only defend themselves and not continue war.

   • Bush removed China from list of ‘worst human rights abusers’ to promote positive relations?

2. Reciprocal Actions: to amplify positive change starting from the low level

   • When the offer of concession isn’t very costly to them: as a start of negotiation and friendly interaction

   💡 Ex: US unfreezed N. Korea financial assets for it to stop plutonium processing in 2007

   • The incremental process of positive change assures the enemy that conflict is not going to continue
   • acceptable offer for both sides

1.2. Post-­conflict transformation §

Lingering doubts and suspicion continue to make uncertain future interactions

what to do after the conflict to limit the confrontations jus post bellum

• Institutional restructuring to address root causes of the conflict: if not done old tensions will start back up the negative behavior/violence
• After cease-fire is agreed on, they need to address long term challenges of reforming:
  • land, electoral, constitutional, security sector
• Transforming Societal Conditions: Psychological relationships for freedom of choice, religion, election competition, economic opportunities, cultural diversity to bring about new motivations for cooperation

2. Approaches to conflict prevention §

• Prevention is more effective and less costly than handling an on-going conflict

  • Achieved through institutional arrangements

• Control behavioral dynamics created by a catalyst of violence (fear, mistrust, hatred, anger) in a polarized society

  • manage for a dialogue between the opposing groups by mutual understanding

• Containing tension/violence

  • Prevention: Contain existing tension from turning into violence
  • Peacekeeping: focus on containing spread of fighting

• Focus on destroying aspects of adversarial relationships

• Humanitarian interventions: to provide protection of basic human values, rights, survival.

  • can be used to reduce scale of violence, especially against civilians

  • avoid disease, refugee camps, and refugees to other countries

  💡 Examples:

  • Humanitarian crisis and interventions in Somalia

  • France Britain?

• Outside pressures to negotiate through sanctions, military interventions…

• Make short-term and long-term changes

  • Peacekeeping and enforcement in short-term

  • Security promotion, self-dependence in the long term

    • Political and Economic solutions are needed to not rely on external assistance in the future.

    💡 Ex: War in Afghanistan

• International Intervention may be needed to limit negative impacts on social order as threats to civilians.

2.1. Behavioral and structural dimensions of preventive approaches §

• Escalations to future deadly conflicts can be prevented with structural or attitudinal adjustments
• Structurally: to address underlying stress in society that need
  • Restructuring poverty, ethnic, racial, religion, weak state’s capacity to manage tension, power inequality
  • Produce effective policy response from government: socio-economic policy
• Attitudinally: track II diplomacy, long term efforts to address emotional hostilities
  • to negotiate political arrangements to make each other’s goals and interests more compatible
  • track III ?

3. Context of conflict regulation §

• Conflict Regulation come in forms of peacekeeping and methods to contain and reduce aggressive acts

  • before Durable peace structure could happen, you may need to control negative behavior, attitude, and violence first

• Need to control violence led to third-party intervention approaches (at all levels)

  💡 Ex: US Humanitarian intervention in 1994 Somalia

• Coercive Diplomacy: may be effective in restoring order before needing mediation or other peace settlement mechanisms

  • To stop the fighting and start negotiation for a win-win settlement with an authoritative third party

4. Conflict management strategies §

1. Standing Firm: to signal the commitment to block an excessive and unreasonable demand. (Against extremist groups…)
   • Two parties might have opposite interests, but might agree on how to settle the conflict
2. Collectivist Values: cultural settings for non-confrontational conflict management

• Concession: A party may agree to an unsatisfactory offer from an adversary, but they’d rather have the quickest way to contain, regulate, and end the conflict asap.
  • The unsatisfactory offer might be better in the long-run for possible future reward. (quicker economic recovery…)

💡 Ex: 1997: Khmer Rouge was accepted in Cambodia’s election to stop fighting.

4.1. Asymmetry in conflict styles §

• Trust-based relationships can be strengthened by reciprocation of yielding/concession
• If one party party wants to concede, but the other won’t
  • It will develop negative attitude