Defining Peace, Conflict and Violence IB Global Politics

Defining Peace, Conflict and Violence “As Peace, am I not praised by both men and gods as the very source and defender of all good things? What is there of prosperity, of security, or of happiness that cannot be ascribed to me? On the other hand, is not war the destroyer of all things and the very seed of evil?” Desiderius Erasmus, The Complaint of Peace

Defining Peace, Conflict and Violence In this lesson we are going to consider exactly what we mean by the terms peace, conflict and violence. Peace, in particular, is a contested concept and has been defined in a number of ways. You have three post-it notes in front of you. On each note write a definition of each term and add it to the appropriate section on the wall in the classroom.

Defining Peace, Conflict and Violence

Distinguishing between Positive Peace & Negative Peace If we consider peace in very simplistic terms, and we accept the proposition (whether true or not) that peace and war are opposites, then we could define peace simply as the absence of war. This is referred to as a NEGATIVE DEFINITION of peace (negative because it refers to the absence os something, in this case, war).

Distinguishing between Positive Peace & Negative Peace The KROC Institute for International Peace Studies (University of Notre Dame - Keough School of Global Affairs) has argued that a more appropriate definition of peace would be not only the absence of war but also the presence of the conditions for a just and sustainable peace, including access to food and clean drinking water, education for women & children, security from physical harm, and other inviolable human rights. This would be a POSITIVE DEFINITION of peace.

Case Study Activity So, we can see that defining peace is not as easy as perhaps we thought. Let’s look at a few case studies and decide whether or not we would describe them as real peace.

Example 1 We could think of peace in terms of a narrow version, which implies the ending of violence but not resolving its underlying causes. The current situation in Cyprus where Greek and Turkish Cypriot military forces, or Korea where North and South Korean forces, confront each other daily across a demilitarized line might be described as peace, according to this framework.

Example 2 We could think of peace in terms of a broad version that would produce a peace agreement, peaceful state, and society according to a single universal model. The European Union’s emergence from the ruins of World War 2 might be an example, where very similar states have emerged.

Example 3 Finally, we cold think in terms of multiple versions of peace which would imply the coexistence, but simultaneous agreement to differ, of very different social and political systems. Perhaps the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel in 1978 is a good example of this approach, in which very different states and their population with many remaining and deep disagreements and difference, are reconciled to a limited degree.

Defining Peace, Conflict and Violence For each of the examples given, discuss whether you would agree whether or not it shows peace. If not, what would need to change? If you are unfamiliar with the case studies then you may spend time looking at a little background research.

Reading Activity Read the following extract from “Peace: A Very Short Introduction” - Richard, O (1997), OUP, Oxford. Use the questions that follow as a framework for class/small group discussion.