“All too often, our understanding of conflict dynamics in a given region is from 80,000 feet up and we thus miss the local texture of relationships that matter on the ground, as well as the non-linear events that can both benefit or plague peacebuilding. This book is the opposite—it is a cliff-hanger, telling the story of the role of international third parties intervening in the Venezuelan conflict  (2002–2004) from the perspective of two of the third party actors. The narrative is rich in c...

What was the situation in Venezuela at the start of the Carter Center’s intervention? What did the Carter Center aim to achieve in Venezuela? The ultimate goal of preventing violence was achieved by the intervention, but the underlying issues producing polarization and new forms of political exclusion were not resolved. What explains the mixed results of such an unusual international intervention?

Type: Analysis and Commentary

What dilemma does customary justice present to international justice actors and how does this volume address it? What challenges or constraints do rule-of-law practitioners face when engaging customary justice systems? What are the arguments against engaging with customary justice systems? Why is it so important for international justice practitioners to take customary justice systems into account? What principles does the volume set forth to guide policy and programming in environmen...

Type: Analysis and Commentary

The Security Sector Reform (SSR) Working Group convenes public meetings to discuss critical issues related to the reform of police and military forces and their supervising institutions in conflict-affected countries. 

Global Policy; Education & Training; Gender

“This book effectively analyses the characteristics and effects of building anticorruption provisions into negotiated settlements in post civil war situations.” —Jens Andvig, Research Professor, Department of International Economics, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs “The enduring prevalence of corruption in conflict-affected countries is frequently bemoaned, but rarely addressed in ways that lead to its reduction. Bert Spector’s Negotiating Peace and Confronting Corruption fil...

What is the principal challenge for those negotiating peace and confronting corruption in post-conflict societies? Why did you select these six cases, and how did you structure your analysis of each case? How do you define corruption? What were the findings in comparing the six case studies to the seven country control group? What measures can be taken in postconflict reconstruction processes to discourage corruption? What are integrity provisions, and how do they prevent corruption...

Type: Analysis and Commentary

“This volume is a model of lucidity and clarity and a joy to read. Although the particular case study is well known, Smith brings many new insights through an extensive trawl of the archives in London, Dublin, and Belfast, and in his use of private interviews.” —Paul Arthur, University of Ulster “This is an excellent study of a crucial period of British policy towards Northern Ireland. The author has done a very good job in searching the archives and producing a clear and coherent narrati...

Why did you choose to write about this conflict? What is the premise of the volume? What policy choices exist for governments facing political violence? Why go back to a period of failure? What are the lessons for policymakers? What are the lessons for peace research? What lies ahead for Northern Ireland?   Why did you choose to write about this conflict? I was born in Belfast and I have lived through the Troubles. As a public official and political scientist, I have witn...

Type: Analysis and Commentary