Author: European Centre for Conflict Prevention
Publisher: International Books
ISBN:
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 420
Book Description
This book examines the work of churches, media and business in building peace, placing particular emphasis on the role of civil society in resolving conflicts.
People Building Peace
Author: European Centre for Conflict Prevention
Publisher: International Books
ISBN:
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 420
Book Description
This book examines the work of churches, media and business in building peace, placing particular emphasis on the role of civil society in resolving conflicts.
Publisher: International Books
ISBN:
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 420
Book Description
This book examines the work of churches, media and business in building peace, placing particular emphasis on the role of civil society in resolving conflicts.
People Building Peace II
Author: Paul van Tongeren
Publisher: Lynne Rienner Pub
ISBN: 9781588263582
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 697
Book Description
Individuals can make a difference working for peace worldwide. That is the message of People Building Peace II, an inspiring collection of stories of how ?ordinary? men and women have played a crucial part in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.Thematic chapters, illustrated with compelling case studies, present new trends in the role of civil society in conflict transformation. The cases reflect the variety of activities initiated and sustained by a broad range of actors, including women?s groups, youth groups, and faith-based organizations. Such topics as reconciliation, dialogue, networking, and traditional methods of conflict resolution are among the topics throughly explored, as are the successful initiatives of lesser-known NGOs.The resulting rich tapestry, an outcome of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict, is an invaluable compendium of best practices and lessons learned, and at the same time a stirring call to action.Paul van Tongeren is founder and executive director of the European Centre for Conflict Prevention (ECCP). Malin Brenk is project officer in the research unit at ECCP. Marte Hellema is research assistant at ECCP. Juliette Verhoeven is coordinator of the research unit at ECCP.Contents: Introduction. Reflections. Weaving the Web: Civil Society Roles in Working with Conflict and Building Peace?C. Barnes. Discourses on Peace Practices: Learning to Change by Learning from Change??C. Reimann and N. Ropers. Effective Regional Networks and Partnerships?A. Serbin. UN-Civil Society Interactions: Working Together for Peace?J. Clark. The War on Terror: Effects on Civil Society Actors in the Field of Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding?K.P. Clements. People Building Peace: Key Messages and Essential Findings?P. van Tongeren, J. Verhoeven, and J. Wake. Themes and Cases. Women: Using the Gender Lens?L. Schirch and M. Sewak. Youth: Protagonists for Peace?L.R. Carter and M. Shipler. The Media: Reaching Hearts and Minds?F. Rolt. Faith-Based Organizations: The Religious Dimensions of Peacebuilding?D. Johnston. Education That Makes a Difference?T.S. Jones. The Arts and Peacebuilding: Using Imagination and Creativity?J.P. Lederach. The Peacebuilding Potential of Local Businesses?N. Killick and C. Gunduz. Diasporas: Untapped Potential for Peacebuilding in the Homelands?A.A. Mohamoud. Civilian Peacekeepers: Creating a Safe Environment for Peacebuilding?T. Wallis and C. Samayoa. Development: No Development Without Peace, No Peace Without Development?M. Brenk and H. van de Veen. Early Warning and Early Response: Preventing Violent Conflicts?T.Z. Suifon. Traditional and Local Conflict Resolution?J. Malan. Dialogue-Based Processes: A Vehicle for Peacebuilding?E. Kaufman. Campaigning to Create Awareness: How to Influence People and Change the World?R. Peters. Civil Society: Participating in Peace Processes?C. McKeon. Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration: Not Only a Job for Soldiers?S. Faltas and W.-C. Paes. Reconciliation: Challenges, Responses, and the Role of Civil Society?H. Assefa.
Publisher: Lynne Rienner Pub
ISBN: 9781588263582
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 697
Book Description
Individuals can make a difference working for peace worldwide. That is the message of People Building Peace II, an inspiring collection of stories of how ?ordinary? men and women have played a crucial part in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.Thematic chapters, illustrated with compelling case studies, present new trends in the role of civil society in conflict transformation. The cases reflect the variety of activities initiated and sustained by a broad range of actors, including women?s groups, youth groups, and faith-based organizations. Such topics as reconciliation, dialogue, networking, and traditional methods of conflict resolution are among the topics throughly explored, as are the successful initiatives of lesser-known NGOs.The resulting rich tapestry, an outcome of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict, is an invaluable compendium of best practices and lessons learned, and at the same time a stirring call to action.Paul van Tongeren is founder and executive director of the European Centre for Conflict Prevention (ECCP). Malin Brenk is project officer in the research unit at ECCP. Marte Hellema is research assistant at ECCP. Juliette Verhoeven is coordinator of the research unit at ECCP.Contents: Introduction. Reflections. Weaving the Web: Civil Society Roles in Working with Conflict and Building Peace?C. Barnes. Discourses on Peace Practices: Learning to Change by Learning from Change??C. Reimann and N. Ropers. Effective Regional Networks and Partnerships?A. Serbin. UN-Civil Society Interactions: Working Together for Peace?J. Clark. The War on Terror: Effects on Civil Society Actors in the Field of Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding?K.P. Clements. People Building Peace: Key Messages and Essential Findings?P. van Tongeren, J. Verhoeven, and J. Wake. Themes and Cases. Women: Using the Gender Lens?L. Schirch and M. Sewak. Youth: Protagonists for Peace?L.R. Carter and M. Shipler. The Media: Reaching Hearts and Minds?F. Rolt. Faith-Based Organizations: The Religious Dimensions of Peacebuilding?D. Johnston. Education That Makes a Difference?T.S. Jones. The Arts and Peacebuilding: Using Imagination and Creativity?J.P. Lederach. The Peacebuilding Potential of Local Businesses?N. Killick and C. Gunduz. Diasporas: Untapped Potential for Peacebuilding in the Homelands?A.A. Mohamoud. Civilian Peacekeepers: Creating a Safe Environment for Peacebuilding?T. Wallis and C. Samayoa. Development: No Development Without Peace, No Peace Without Development?M. Brenk and H. van de Veen. Early Warning and Early Response: Preventing Violent Conflicts?T.Z. Suifon. Traditional and Local Conflict Resolution?J. Malan. Dialogue-Based Processes: A Vehicle for Peacebuilding?E. Kaufman. Campaigning to Create Awareness: How to Influence People and Change the World?R. Peters. Civil Society: Participating in Peace Processes?C. McKeon. Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration: Not Only a Job for Soldiers?S. Faltas and W.-C. Paes. Reconciliation: Challenges, Responses, and the Role of Civil Society?H. Assefa.
Young People and Everyday Peace
Author: Helen Berents
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351368214
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 199
Book Description
Young People and Everyday Peace is grounded in the stories of young people who live in Los Altos de Cazucá, an informal peri-urban community in Soacha, to the south of Colombia’s capital Bogotá. The occupants of this community have fled the armed conflict and exist in a state of marginalisation and social exclusion amongst ongoing violences conducted by armed gangs and government forces. Young people negotiate these complexities and offer pointed critiques of national politics as well as grounded aspirations for the future. Colombia’s protracted conflict and its effects on the population raise many questions about how we think about peacebuilding in and with communities of conflict-affected people. Building on contemporary debates in International Relations about post-liberal, everyday peace, Helen Berents draws on feminist International Relations and embodiment theory to pay meaningful attention to those on the margins. She conceptualises a notion of embodied-everyday-peace-amidst-violence to recognise the presence and voice of young people as stakeholders in everyday efforts to respond to violence and insecurity. In doing so, Berents argues for and engages a more complex understanding of the everyday, stemming from the embodied experiences of those centrally present in conflicts. Taking young people’s lives and narratives seriously recognises the difficulties of protracted conflict, but finds potential to build a notion of an embodied everyday amidst violence, where a complex and fraught peace can be found. Young People and Everyday Peace will be of interest to scholars of Latin American Studies, International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351368214
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 199
Book Description
Young People and Everyday Peace is grounded in the stories of young people who live in Los Altos de Cazucá, an informal peri-urban community in Soacha, to the south of Colombia’s capital Bogotá. The occupants of this community have fled the armed conflict and exist in a state of marginalisation and social exclusion amongst ongoing violences conducted by armed gangs and government forces. Young people negotiate these complexities and offer pointed critiques of national politics as well as grounded aspirations for the future. Colombia’s protracted conflict and its effects on the population raise many questions about how we think about peacebuilding in and with communities of conflict-affected people. Building on contemporary debates in International Relations about post-liberal, everyday peace, Helen Berents draws on feminist International Relations and embodiment theory to pay meaningful attention to those on the margins. She conceptualises a notion of embodied-everyday-peace-amidst-violence to recognise the presence and voice of young people as stakeholders in everyday efforts to respond to violence and insecurity. In doing so, Berents argues for and engages a more complex understanding of the everyday, stemming from the embodied experiences of those centrally present in conflicts. Taking young people’s lives and narratives seriously recognises the difficulties of protracted conflict, but finds potential to build a notion of an embodied everyday amidst violence, where a complex and fraught peace can be found. Young People and Everyday Peace will be of interest to scholars of Latin American Studies, International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies.
Building Peace
Author: John Paul Lederach
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : International relations and culture
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
"Building Peace is John Paul Lederach's definitive statement on peacebuilding. Lederach explains why we need to move beyond "traditional" diplomacy, which often emphasizes top-level leaders and short-term objectives, toward a holistic approach that stresses the multiplicity of peacemakers, long-term perspectives, and the need to create an infrastructure that empowers resources within a society and maximizes contributions from outside."
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : International relations and culture
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
"Building Peace is John Paul Lederach's definitive statement on peacebuilding. Lederach explains why we need to move beyond "traditional" diplomacy, which often emphasizes top-level leaders and short-term objectives, toward a holistic approach that stresses the multiplicity of peacemakers, long-term perspectives, and the need to create an infrastructure that empowers resources within a society and maximizes contributions from outside."
The Moral Imagination
Author: John Paul Lederach
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019974758X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 217
Book Description
"John Paul Lederach's work in the field of conciliation and mediation is internationally recognized. He has provided consultation, training and direct mediation in a range of situations from the Miskito/Sandinista conflict in Nicaragua to Somalia, Northern Ireland, Tajikistan, and the Philippines. His influential 1997 book Building Peace has become a classic in the discipline. In this book, Lederach poses the question, "How do we transcend the cycles of violence that bewitch our human community while still living in them?" Peacebuilding, in his view, is both a learned skill and an art. Finding this art, he says, requires a worldview shift. Conflict professionals must envision their work as a creative act-an exercise of what Lederach terms the "moral imagination." This imagination must, however, emerge from and speak to the hard realities of human affairs. The peacebuilder must have one foot in what is and one foot beyond what exists. The book is organized around four guiding stories that point to the moral imagination but are incomplete. Lederach seeks to understand what happened in these individual cases and how they are relevant to large-scale change. His purpose is not to propose a grand new theory. Instead he wishes to stay close to the "messiness" of real processes and change, and to recognize the serendipitous nature of the discoveries and insights that emerge along the way. overwhelmed the equally important creative process. Like most professional peacemakers, Lederach sees his work as a religious vocation. Lederach meditates on his own calling and on the spirituality that moves ordinary people to reject violence and seek reconciliation. Drawing on his twenty-five years of experience in the field he explores the evolution of his understanding of peacebuilding and points the way toward the future of the art." http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0616/2004011794-d.html.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019974758X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 217
Book Description
"John Paul Lederach's work in the field of conciliation and mediation is internationally recognized. He has provided consultation, training and direct mediation in a range of situations from the Miskito/Sandinista conflict in Nicaragua to Somalia, Northern Ireland, Tajikistan, and the Philippines. His influential 1997 book Building Peace has become a classic in the discipline. In this book, Lederach poses the question, "How do we transcend the cycles of violence that bewitch our human community while still living in them?" Peacebuilding, in his view, is both a learned skill and an art. Finding this art, he says, requires a worldview shift. Conflict professionals must envision their work as a creative act-an exercise of what Lederach terms the "moral imagination." This imagination must, however, emerge from and speak to the hard realities of human affairs. The peacebuilder must have one foot in what is and one foot beyond what exists. The book is organized around four guiding stories that point to the moral imagination but are incomplete. Lederach seeks to understand what happened in these individual cases and how they are relevant to large-scale change. His purpose is not to propose a grand new theory. Instead he wishes to stay close to the "messiness" of real processes and change, and to recognize the serendipitous nature of the discoveries and insights that emerge along the way. overwhelmed the equally important creative process. Like most professional peacemakers, Lederach sees his work as a religious vocation. Lederach meditates on his own calling and on the spirituality that moves ordinary people to reject violence and seek reconciliation. Drawing on his twenty-five years of experience in the field he explores the evolution of his understanding of peacebuilding and points the way toward the future of the art." http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0616/2004011794-d.html.
Everyday Peace
Author: Roger Mac Ginty
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197563392
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
The everyday, circuitry, and scalability -- Sociality, reciprocity and reciprocity -- Power -- Parley, truce and ceasefire -- Everyday peace on the battlefield -- Gender and everyday peace -- Conflict disruption.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197563392
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
The everyday, circuitry, and scalability -- Sociality, reciprocity and reciprocity -- Power -- Parley, truce and ceasefire -- Everyday peace on the battlefield -- Gender and everyday peace -- Conflict disruption.
Pathways for Peace
Author: United Nations
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464811865
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 415
Book Description
Violent conflicts today are complex and increasinglyprotracted, involving more nonstate groups and regionaland international actors. It is estimated that by 2030—thehorizon set by the international community for achievingthe Sustainable Development Goals—more than half ofthe world’s poor will be living in countries affected byhigh levels of violence. Information and communicationtechnology, population movements, and climate changeare also creating shared risks that must be managed atboth national and international levels.Pathways for Peace is a joint United Nations–WorldBank Group study that originates from the convictionthat the international community’s attention musturgently be refocused on prevention. A scaled-upsystem for preventive action would save betweenUS$5 billion and US$70 billion per year, which couldbe reinvested in reducing poverty and improving thewell-being of populations.The study aims to improve the way in which domesticdevelopment processes interact with security, diplomacy,mediation, and other efforts to prevent conflictsfrom becoming violent. It stresses the importance ofgrievances related to exclusion—from access to power,natural resources, security and justice, for example—thatare at the root of many violent conflicts today.Based on a review of cases in which prevention hasbeen successful, the study makes recommendations forcountries facing emerging risks of violent conflict aswell as for the international community. Developmentpolicies and programs must be a core part of preventiveefforts; when risks are high or building up, inclusivesolutions through dialogue, adapted macroeconomicpolicies, institutional reform, and redistributive policiesare required. Inclusion is key, and preventive actionneeds to adopt a more people-centered approach thatincludes mainstreaming citizen engagement. Enhancingthe participation of women and youth in decisionmaking is fundamental to sustaining peace, as well aslong-term policies to address the aspirations of womenand young people.
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464811865
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 415
Book Description
Violent conflicts today are complex and increasinglyprotracted, involving more nonstate groups and regionaland international actors. It is estimated that by 2030—thehorizon set by the international community for achievingthe Sustainable Development Goals—more than half ofthe world’s poor will be living in countries affected byhigh levels of violence. Information and communicationtechnology, population movements, and climate changeare also creating shared risks that must be managed atboth national and international levels.Pathways for Peace is a joint United Nations–WorldBank Group study that originates from the convictionthat the international community’s attention musturgently be refocused on prevention. A scaled-upsystem for preventive action would save betweenUS$5 billion and US$70 billion per year, which couldbe reinvested in reducing poverty and improving thewell-being of populations.The study aims to improve the way in which domesticdevelopment processes interact with security, diplomacy,mediation, and other efforts to prevent conflictsfrom becoming violent. It stresses the importance ofgrievances related to exclusion—from access to power,natural resources, security and justice, for example—thatare at the root of many violent conflicts today.Based on a review of cases in which prevention hasbeen successful, the study makes recommendations forcountries facing emerging risks of violent conflict aswell as for the international community. Developmentpolicies and programs must be a core part of preventiveefforts; when risks are high or building up, inclusivesolutions through dialogue, adapted macroeconomicpolicies, institutional reform, and redistributive policiesare required. Inclusion is key, and preventive actionneeds to adopt a more people-centered approach thatincludes mainstreaming citizen engagement. Enhancingthe participation of women and youth in decisionmaking is fundamental to sustaining peace, as well aslong-term policies to address the aspirations of womenand young people.
The Frontlines of Peace
Author: Severine Autesserre
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197530370
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 241
Book Description
At turns surprising, funny, and gut-wrenching, this is the hopeful story of the ordinary yet extraordinary people who have figured out how to build lasting peace in their communities The word "peacebuilding" evokes a story we've all heard over and over: violence breaks out, foreign nations are scandalized, peacekeepers and million-dollar donors come rushing in, warring parties sign a peace agreement and, sadly, within months the situation is back to where it started--sometimes worse. But what strategies have worked to build lasting peace in conflict zones, particularly for ordinary citizens on the ground? And why should other ordinary citizens, thousands of miles away, care? In The Frontlines of Peace, Séverine Autesserre, award-winning researcher and peacebuilder, examines the well-intentioned but inherently flawed peace industry. With examples drawn from across the globe, she reveals that peace can grow in the most unlikely circumstances. Contrary to what most politicians preach, building peace doesn't require billions in aid or massive international interventions. Real, lasting peace requires giving power to local citizens. Now including teaching and book club discussion guides, The Frontlines of Peace tells the stories of the ordinary yet extraordinary individuals and organizations that are confronting violence in their communities effectively. One thing is clear: successful examples of peacebuilding around the world, in countries at war or at peace, have involved innovative grassroots initiatives led by local people, at times supported by foreigners, often employing methods shunned by the international elite. By narrating success stories of this kind, Autesserre shows the radical changes we must take in our approach if we hope to build lasting peace around us--whether we live in Congo, the United States, or elsewhere.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197530370
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 241
Book Description
At turns surprising, funny, and gut-wrenching, this is the hopeful story of the ordinary yet extraordinary people who have figured out how to build lasting peace in their communities The word "peacebuilding" evokes a story we've all heard over and over: violence breaks out, foreign nations are scandalized, peacekeepers and million-dollar donors come rushing in, warring parties sign a peace agreement and, sadly, within months the situation is back to where it started--sometimes worse. But what strategies have worked to build lasting peace in conflict zones, particularly for ordinary citizens on the ground? And why should other ordinary citizens, thousands of miles away, care? In The Frontlines of Peace, Séverine Autesserre, award-winning researcher and peacebuilder, examines the well-intentioned but inherently flawed peace industry. With examples drawn from across the globe, she reveals that peace can grow in the most unlikely circumstances. Contrary to what most politicians preach, building peace doesn't require billions in aid or massive international interventions. Real, lasting peace requires giving power to local citizens. Now including teaching and book club discussion guides, The Frontlines of Peace tells the stories of the ordinary yet extraordinary individuals and organizations that are confronting violence in their communities effectively. One thing is clear: successful examples of peacebuilding around the world, in countries at war or at peace, have involved innovative grassroots initiatives led by local people, at times supported by foreigners, often employing methods shunned by the international elite. By narrating success stories of this kind, Autesserre shows the radical changes we must take in our approach if we hope to build lasting peace around us--whether we live in Congo, the United States, or elsewhere.
Across the Lines of Conflict
Author: Michael Lund
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231801378
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 443
Book Description
Through a comparative analysis of six case studies, this volume illustrates key conflict-resolution techniques for peacebuilding. Outside parties learn how to facilitate cooperation by engaging local leaders in intensive, interactive workshops. These opposing leaders reside in small, ethnically divided countries, including Burundi, Cyprus, Estonia, Guyana, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan, that have experienced communal conflicts in recent years. In Estonia and Guyana, peacebuilding initiatives sought to ward off violence. In Burundi and Sri Lanka, initiatives focused on ending ongoing hostilities, and in Cyprus and Tajikistan, these efforts brought peace to the country after its violence had ended. The contributors follow a systematic assessment framework, including a common set of questions for interviewing participants to prepare comparable results from a set of diverse cases. Their findings weigh the successes and failures of this particular approach to conflict resolution and draw conclusions about the conditions under which such interactive approaches work, as well as assess the audience and the methodologies used. This work features research conducted in conjunction with the Working Group on Preventing and Rebuilding Failed States, convened by the Wilson Center's Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity.
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231801378
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 443
Book Description
Through a comparative analysis of six case studies, this volume illustrates key conflict-resolution techniques for peacebuilding. Outside parties learn how to facilitate cooperation by engaging local leaders in intensive, interactive workshops. These opposing leaders reside in small, ethnically divided countries, including Burundi, Cyprus, Estonia, Guyana, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan, that have experienced communal conflicts in recent years. In Estonia and Guyana, peacebuilding initiatives sought to ward off violence. In Burundi and Sri Lanka, initiatives focused on ending ongoing hostilities, and in Cyprus and Tajikistan, these efforts brought peace to the country after its violence had ended. The contributors follow a systematic assessment framework, including a common set of questions for interviewing participants to prepare comparable results from a set of diverse cases. Their findings weigh the successes and failures of this particular approach to conflict resolution and draw conclusions about the conditions under which such interactive approaches work, as well as assess the audience and the methodologies used. This work features research conducted in conjunction with the Working Group on Preventing and Rebuilding Failed States, convened by the Wilson Center's Project on Leadership and Building State Capacity.
On Building Peace
Author: Michael von der Schulenburg
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
ISBN: 9048534909
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 283
Book Description
Now, 25 years after the end of the Cold War, the global peace order is going through renewed geopolitical changes that are less dramatic than those in 1989 but probably equally important. The post-Cold War Western dominance of global affairs and the singular US superpower status are eroding, making room for a more diffuse multi-polar world with many different global and regional players. Post-Cold War hopes that the winning political system of liberal democracy would spread around the world and bring global peace have turned out an illusion. To the contrary, Western efforts and military interventions to promote liberal democracy have increasingly resulted in the destabilization of countries and whole regions. At the same time, intra-state armed conflicts have, probably for the first time in human history, replaced inter-state wars as the main threats to global peace and security. This has created a completely new global threat scenario. Now, weak and corrupt governments are challenged by powerful belligerent non-state actors, be they Islamic extremist groups, other ideologically-motivated groups, separatist movements, or even transnational crime syndicates. Globalization has turned these local intra-state armed conflicts into international security concerns.
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
ISBN: 9048534909
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 283
Book Description
Now, 25 years after the end of the Cold War, the global peace order is going through renewed geopolitical changes that are less dramatic than those in 1989 but probably equally important. The post-Cold War Western dominance of global affairs and the singular US superpower status are eroding, making room for a more diffuse multi-polar world with many different global and regional players. Post-Cold War hopes that the winning political system of liberal democracy would spread around the world and bring global peace have turned out an illusion. To the contrary, Western efforts and military interventions to promote liberal democracy have increasingly resulted in the destabilization of countries and whole regions. At the same time, intra-state armed conflicts have, probably for the first time in human history, replaced inter-state wars as the main threats to global peace and security. This has created a completely new global threat scenario. Now, weak and corrupt governments are challenged by powerful belligerent non-state actors, be they Islamic extremist groups, other ideologically-motivated groups, separatist movements, or even transnational crime syndicates. Globalization has turned these local intra-state armed conflicts into international security concerns.