PRIO Network
Civil Peace

Civil Peace

Led by Kaare Strøm

The main aim of this group is to explore the conditions that constitute and promote civil peace. This entails analyzing the processes of conflict resolution as well as the social, economic, and political conditions that lead to civil peace. To better understand long-term peacebuilding, we focus on the development of institutions that can serve to mitigate or supplant the conditions that cause and sustain armed civil conflict, for instance transitional governance, transitional justice and various forms of power-sharing.

Civil peace is more than the absence of war. It describes a condition of enduring social, economic, and political stability, such that the thought of taking up arms against one’s government becomes inconceivable. The working group will feature the study of both conflict resolution and long-term peacebuilding.

As a means of studying conflict resolution, experts in bargaining theory will be paired with case study experts to identify procedures that can successfully lead to the end of organized armed violence. For example, we will evaluate the degree to which some of Brams & Taylor’s procedures in Fair Division (Cambridge University Press, 1996) can be applied to civil war. We will also apply other game-theoretic models of bargaining to the resolution of civil conflict.

To better understand long-term peacebuilding, we will focus on the development of institutions that can serve to mitigate or supplant the conditions that cause and sustain armed civil conflict. Peace depends essentially on the laying down of arms. Yet, obtaining a ceasefire or the signing of a peace treaty may not be enough to ensure peace. Without addressing the economic, social, and political conditions that led to the conflict, armed conflict is likely to erupt again and again. In this regard, we will be examining the institutional basis of civil peace.


Recent related news:
Events and workshops
Projects:
(past projects can be found in the project archive)
Members
(past members can be found in the people section)
Publications
de Soysa, Indra & Helga Malmin Binningsbø, 2009. 'The Devil's Excrement as Social Cement: Natural Resources and Political Terror, 1980-2002', International Social Science Journal 57(1): 21–32.
Dupuy, Kendra & Helga Malmin Binningsbø, 2008. 'Buying Peace with Diamonds? Power-sharing Agreements in Sierra Leone' in CSCW Policy Brief. Oslo: PRIO/CSCW.
Dupuy, Kendra & Helga Malmin Binningsbø, 2008. 'Power-sharing and Peace-building in Sierra Leone. Power-sharing Agreements, Negotiations and Peace Processes' in CSCW Policy Brief. Oslo: PRIO/CSCW.
Dupuy, Kendra & Julian Detzel, 2008. 'Appeasing the Warlords: Power-sharing Agreements in Liberia' in CSCW Policy Brief. Oslo: PRIO/CSCW.
Falch, Åshild, 2008. 'Power-sharing to Build Peace? The Burundi Experience with Power-sharing Agreements' in CSCW Policy Brief. Oslo: PRIO/CSCW.
Falch, Åshild, 2009. 'Democracy Still at Risk in Burundi', NOREF Brief. Oslo: Norwegian Peacebuilding Centre (Noref).
Gates, Scott & Kaare Strøm, 2007. 'Power-sharing, Agency and Civil Conflict - Power-sharing Agreements, Negotiations and Peace Processes ' in CSCW Policy Brief. Oslo: PRIO/CSCW.
Horowitz, Jeremy, 2008. 'Power-sharing in Kenya' in CSCW Policy Brief. Oslo: PRIO/CSCW.
Power-sharing and Conflict in Nigeria - Power-sharing Agreements, Negotiations and Peace Processes (REFERENCE FORMAT NOT SET!)
Power-sharing and Peacebuilding in Burundi (REFERENCE FORMAT NOT SET!)
Power-sharing and Peace-building in Sierra Leone. Power-sharing Agreements, Negotiations and Peace Processes (REFERENCE FORMAT NOT SET!)
Rustad, Siri Aas, 2008. 'Between War and peace: 50 years of Power-sharing in Nigeria' in CSCW Policy Brief. Oslo: PRIO/CSCW.
Strand, Håvard & Scott Gates, 2008. 'Lessons Learned from Power-sharing in Africa' in CSCW Policy Brief. Oslo: PRIO/CSCW.
Towards Durable Democracy in Burundi? An Assessment of the Promise and Pitfalls of Democratization in Burundi (REFERENCE FORMAT NOT SET!)
Vers une démocratie durable au Burundi? Une évaluation des promesses et écueils du processus de démocratisation au Burundi (REFERENCE FORMAT NOT SET!)