GWA IB Global Politics Unit 4: Peace and
Conflict Questions & Answers
peace - ANSWER... is the absence of conflict; it can be either positive - with the long-
term causes of conflict resolved sustainably - or negative - meaning there is an absence
of violence.
... is the absence of violent conflict. However, analysing whether a society, state or
region is in a sustainable state of peace requires deeper examination. It cannot be
determined simply by visible evidence, such as the absence of violent confrontation.
Measuring a state of peace depends on a deeper assessment of the absence of
violence, but also the deeper level of harmony that a society, state or region enjoys.
negative peace - ANSWER... involves merely the absence of active, organized violence
by both state and non-state groups. Violent conflict may have been absent for many
years (in more stable states) or it may have ended very recently (for example, in
ceasefires and truces, such as the ceasefire agreed in Ukraine by the Minsk Agreement
in 2015 or during the Northern Ireland peace process in the 1990s). This assessment of
peace looks no deeper. It does not consider the factors contributing to non-violence.
This concept of peace is most useful at the first stage in conflict resolution, when the
aim is to stop immediate violence. It is possible to analyse whether an apparently stable
state, such as the United States, is truly in a state of negative peace. Racial tensions
and violent clashes, such as the violence in 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri, may suggest
otherwise.
positive peace - ANSWER... looks more deeply at what helps sustain peace beyond
simply reducing or stopping violence. It is possible to identify a deeper level of harmony
in society, where the causes of conflict themselves are neutralized, rather than violence
merely absent. Here, there is no visible violence and no deeper social causes of
conflict. Society is just and equal. Former enemies make peace and each has an equal
stake in society. For example, efforts to build sustainable peace in Somalia in 2012 re-
established a representative parliament and agreed a new national constitution. The
aim was to create political equality in Somalia by giving all clans a voice. Efforts were
made to reintegrate former militants, who had renounced violence, back into society. In
the Northern Ireland peace process, the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 created a
power-sharing executive involving all political parties.
security dilemma - ANSWERRealists believe that strong national security and defence
are a priority because they protect a state from potential aggressors and secure power
over its competitors. Critics argue that as a state builds up its defences, this may be
interpreted by other states as aggressive. Other states may then respond by building up
their own military forces. This means the military resources available to both states
increase. The result for both states is greater insecurity, the opposite of the original
goal. Some analysts observed this dilemma when former Soviet states in Eastern
Europe joined NATO after the Cold War. For example, Ukraine - bordering Russia -
, planned to join NATO. Russia considered this a threat to its national security. This
contributed to Russian military intervention in the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014, as
Russia wanted to secure its Black Sea fleet.
pathways to peace - ANSWERThere are three main ways that regions, states and
societies build peace. They happen in sequence, and are therefore strongly linked to
and dependent on each other.
Peacemaking
Peacekeeping
Peacebuilding
peacemaking - ANSWER... is stopping violent conflict and creating negative peace. A
pause or end to immediate violence is achieved, commonly through negotiation.
Pausing violence may allow for further mediation or negotiation and the building of trust
between both sides in a conflict. The original causes of conflict will not yet be resolved,
but a pause in violence enables stabilization, for example through a ceasefire or truce.
Colombia's largest left-wing rebel group, the FARC, agreed to a series of ceasefires as
it negotiated with the Colombian government in 2015. Similarly, agreements between
pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian nationalist forces resulted in fragile ceasefires in
eastern Ukraine in 2014, as they explored a long-term solution.
peacekeeping - ANSWER... is sustaining negative peace to allow positive peace to be
built. When a ceasefire is agreed, independent peacekeepers may be sent to the area.
They
will ensure that the peace holds, allowing positive peace to be built. The priority is
monitoring agreements made during the peacemaking process. This may be done by
armed forces from an international or regional body such as the United Nations (UN) or
African Union (AU), or by unarmed monitors from an organization such as the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
... continues to be a major activity for the United Nations. Since 2000, UN peacekeepers
have been sent mainly to Africa, including to the Democratic Republic of Congo
(established 2010) and Sudan's Darfur region (established 2007). These missions are
always legitimized by a UN Security Council resolution. The number of nations that
send troops on these peacekeeping missions has increased considerably in recent
years. They include states that have recently emerged from conflict themselves, such
as Sierra Leone, which in 2012 sent peacekeepers to the African Union mission to
Somalia.
peacebuilding - ANSWER... is the building of sustainable, positive peace and long-term
conflict resolution. This includes stabilization efforts to build longer-lasting peace and
security, in order to achieve positive peace. Commonly, it involves significant
development assistance to improve health and education, address inequality and
