Conflict analysis is a central area for us, and we provide general introductions that cover both violent and nonviolent conflicts and present a number of different “tools” to help understand conflicts better. They give insights into the multiple stakeholders in a conflict and help understand what options are available depending on one’s position within the conflict. The possibilities open to human rights activists may be different than those open to journalists, politicians or union activists; sometimes gender, age or nationality determines how much space is open for taking action.
We can also focus on particular geographical areas such as the Middle East or Chechnya or institutions like the UN.
Wars are closely associated with the development of the state system, and frequently new states are constructed after wars. For many oppressed people, the dream of an independent state is very strong. However, when the existing territory is divided, there is a tendency towards creating states that are more and more “ethnically cleansed”, creating problems for minorities. This is one of the dilemmas we raise when talking about conflict analysis and war.