Coming Out of Violence:
The Problems of Building Peace
A Joint Research Project
The 'Coming
out of violence' research project aimed to monitor systematically
the peace processes in Northern Ireland, South Africa, Israel/Palestine,
Sri Lanka and the Basque Country. The general aim of the project
was to identify Those elements which accelerated or frustrated
political accommodation in each area, and to identify the
peculiar or general features of each process. It was hoped
that a comparative, empirical examination of the less violent
stages of a number of persistent ethnic conflicts would allow
the development of a better theoretical understanding of the
management of peace processes. The project was completed in
late 1998 and the research results are being Published by
Macmillan (UK) as a series of six books. The first book, The
Management of Peace Processes edited by John Darby and
Roger MacGinty, was published in 2000. A review
of the book appeared in the Ethnic Conflict Research Digest.
The other books in the series will examine each of the peace
processes under study . The research findings were also disseminated
at the Ethnic Studes Network conference at the Russian Academy
of Sciences in June 1999.
The project
sought to monitor developments in each area along six tracks; violence
and security issues, progress towards political or constitutional
agreement, economic factors, the role of external actors, popular
responses and symbolism. One of the most interesting aspects of the
project was the relative importance attached to each theme in different
areas. Key players involved in each peace process (senior politicians,
policy-makers and commentators) were interviewed on a regular basis
to ensure the accuracy of the research.
The project
participants were Professor John Darby and Dr. Roger Mac Ginty from
INCORE (a joint University of Ulster/United Nations University institute);
Professor Pierre du Toit, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa;
Dr. Tamar Hermann, Director, The Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research,
Tel Aviv University, Israel; Professor David Newman, Director, Humphrey
Institue for Social research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev;
Dr. Ludger Mees, the University of the Basque Country and Dr. Paikiasothy
Saravanamuttu, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Alternatives,
Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The project
was funded by UNESCO's 'Culture of Peace' programme and other sources.
For more information contact INCORE, Aberfoyle House, Northland Road,
Londonderry, BT48 7JA, Northern Ireland. Tel: +44 (0) 28 71 375500.
Fax +44 (0) 28 71 375510.
Email incore@incore.ulst.ac.uk
Coming
out of Violence
