Expert and insightful, the contributors present a series of informative and stimulating analyses that capture the multifaceted nature of Third World conflict and the prospects for its resolution.

Now that the Cold War has ended, the Third World may be freer of external influences, but is it any more stable? Indeed, while U.S.-Soviet rivalry sometimes exacerbated conflicts in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, just as often it restrained interstate – and even intrastate – violence.

In this wide-ranging exploration of today’s Third World, leading scholars and policymakers confront two questions that frame the search for peace: What are the fundamental sources of conflict in the Third World? How can such conflict be prevented or resolved? Answers to the first question focus on Third World democracy, environmental degradation, foreign aid and economic development, arms proliferation and control, and the distribution and treatment of minorities. The question of how to maintain or regain peace prompts consideration of the past, present, and future roles of religion, democracy, the United Nations, third-party mediation, and superpower engagement.

Expert and insightful, the contributors present a series of informative and stimulating analyses that capture the multifaceted nature of Third World conflict and the prospects for its resolution. The volume concludes with a provocative discussion of the choices facing U.S. policymakers as they reformulate their Third World policies in the post-Cold War era.


Related Publications

The Untapped Potential of Grassroots Peacebuilding in Papua New Guinea

The Untapped Potential of Grassroots Peacebuilding in Papua New Guinea

Thursday, May 9, 2024

This past January, deadly riots in Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby, spilled over into other towns and cities across the nation. As the dust settled, many held the country’s struggling youth population responsible, at least partially, for kindling the widespread unrest. Papua New Guinea’s government responded by announcing ambitious plans to address a broad range of problems facing youth — a promising move.

Type: Blog

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

Iran’s Attack and the New Escalatory Cycle in the Middle East

Iran’s Attack and the New Escalatory Cycle in the Middle East

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

The Middle East is entering a new phase after unprecedented attacks by Israel and Iran during the first two weeks of April. Robin Wright, a senior fellow at USIP and the Woodrow Wilson Center who has covered the region for a half century, explores what happened, the strategic implications, the political context and the divided world reaction.

Type: Question and Answer

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

Linking Early Warning and Early Response Networks to Curb Violence in West Africa

Linking Early Warning and Early Response Networks to Curb Violence in West Africa

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

A conflict early warning and early response (EWER) ecosystem has been developing in West Africa as multilateral organizations, governments, civil society groups, and others have established systems that detect threats and provide critical information to relevant authorities. Yet individual EWER systems are prone to a range of failures—from gaps in data to decision-making bottlenecks to response coordination breakdowns. This report argues that linking individual systems—a network-of-networks approach—can improve outcomes for people across West Africa and serve as a model for other conflict-affected regions around the world.

Type: Peaceworks

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

View All Publications