Peace and Conflict Resolution Organisations: Catalysts for Peace?

2020 ◽  
pp. 149-182
Author(s):  
İ. Aytaç Kadıoğlu
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Political Elites ◽  
Public Events ◽  
Middle Range ◽  
Peace And Conflict ◽  
Peace Initiatives ◽  
Elite Level ◽  
Peace And Conflict Resolution ◽  
Political Decisions

This chapter investigates unofficial peace initiatives that were undertaken from the early stages of both conflicts by peace and conflict resolution organisations. The existing literature has long recognised the influence of these groups at the community level, especially in the area of reconciliation. However, the impact of these track-two initiatives on the elite level of conflict resolution has been neglected particularly in situations where they may push political elites towards political reforms and a non-violent resolution, as well as forwarding the demands of conflicting communities to decision makers. This chapter intends to reveal the P/CROs’ contribution to peace processes in this broader sense by comparing the relevant groups in Northern Ireland and Turkey. Regarding middle-range efforts, P/CROs aim to close the gap between the elite and grassroots levels through public events, conferences and marches, which helps to include a war-affected society’s demand for political decisions and the promotion of political resolution attempts. Regarding elite-level efforts, they play a role in political decisions thanks to their personal contacts with political elites. It assesses whether these groups have reduced the tension in the society and have encouraged political efforts in Northern Ireland and Turkey.

Peace Processes in Northern Ireland and Turkey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Aytaç Kadioğlu
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Northern Irish ◽  
Peace Agreement ◽  
Post Cold War ◽  
Peace Processes ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Peace Initiatives ◽  
Elite Level ◽  
Resolution Processes ◽  
The Impact

This book assesses the impact of political, non-violent resolution efforts in the Northern Irish and Turkish-Kurdish peace processes. It offers an important contribution to conflict-resolution research, theorising the various stages involved in the attempted resolution of asymmetric conflicts. By relying on primary sources, including interviews and recently declassified archival papers, it presents an innovative framework for conflict resolution, a starting-point for further research on managing peace processes and ethno-nationalist conflicts. This book challenges the notion of ‘conflict resolution’ in these two peace processes, both far-reaching ethno-nationalist conflicts in the post-Cold War era. Incorporating fieldwork carried out until 2015, the book compares these conflicts during major peace attempts, from early secret talks and semi-official peace initiatives, to multilateral and internationalised conflict-resolution processes through not only main armed protagonists, but also independent third parties. It analyses the political resolution efforts for ending the IRA and PKK’s armed campaigns and establishing a peace agreement. It argues that peace initiatives are ongoing processes which contain not only formal peace initiatives, but also informal and secret peace efforts. It suggests that formal and informal initiatives together embody conflict resolution processes through three major aspects: backchannel communications as the unofficial aspect, peace organisations as the informal and semi-official aspect, and negotiations as the official aspect of conflict resolution efforts, which operate at the elite level of conflict resolution.

Understanding and Rethinking ‘Conflict Resolution’: A Conceptual and Theoretical Framework

2020 ◽  
pp. 24-71
Author(s):  
İ. Aytaç Kadıoğlu
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Third Parties ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Middle Range ◽  
Elite Level ◽  
Grassroots Level

This chapter details the conceptual and theoretical approaches of conflict resolution and develops a framework to understanding non-violent attempts to resolve ethno-nationalist conflicts. The chapter focuses on two interrelated arguments. Firstly, that conflict resolution efforts of states, sub-state groups and third parties provide a framework for ending ethno-nationalist violence. Secondly, that conflict resolution as a process develops an understanding of non-violent resolution efforts during the pre-negotiation and negotiation stages. The chapter divides conflict resolution approaches into three levels; the elite, middle-range and grassroots level approaches. As the book addresses peacemaking efforts between states, opposition groups and third parties, the relevance of the elite level approaches as well as other groups and the initiatives of other actors towards peace are clarified by conceptualising three major parts that play a role in peacemaking efforts: backchannel communications, P/CROs and official negotiations.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document