Keeping the peace : lasting solutions to ethnic conflicts / Daniel L. Byman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Byman, Daniel, 1967-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ethnic conflict--Political aspects.

Ethnic conflict.

World politics--1989-.

World politics.

Nationalism--Middle East.

Nationalism.

Middle East.

Nationalism--Europe.

Europe.

Middle East--Politics and government--20th century.

Politics and government.

Europe--Ethnic relations.

Ethnic relations.

Physical Description:

ix, 280 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002.

Summary:

What strategies can a government use to end violent ethnic conflicts in the long term? Under what conditions do these strategies work best, and what are their limitations? Are there some ethnic conflicts that governments simply cannot solve? Drawing on an intimate knowledge of the Middle East as well as the experiences of trouble spots in Asia, Africa, and Europe, political scientist and RAND analyst Daniel Byman examines how government policies can affect--and, in some cases, prevent--the recurrence of violent ethnic conflict. Byman identifies and describes five key strategies: coercing groups and leaders, coopting key elites, changing group identities, implementing power sharing systems, and partitioning states. After weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each of these internal solutions, he also considers the benefits and risks of outside intervention. But Byman's prescription is tempered with realism. "Even under the best circumstances," he concludes, "no single strategy is sufficient to keep the peace after a bloody ethnic war. Only the optimal combination of multiple strategies, implemented in the proper sequence, will ensure success."

Contents:

1 Ethnic Conflict in Today's World 1

2 Causes of Ethnic Conflict 13

3 Control Policies 44

4 Co-optation 81

5 Manipulating Ethnic Identities 100

6 Participatory Systems 125

7 The Promise and Perils of Partition 154

8 Military Intervention in Ethnic Conflict 177

9 Dilemmas and Choices 213.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 253-267) and index.

ISBN:

0801868041

OCLC:

46420248