This thesis looks at the impact that local traditions and beliefs can have in resolving conflicts amongst religious groups. The case study in Minahasa, Indonesia, where the local belief mapulus has...Show moreThis thesis looks at the impact that local traditions and beliefs can have in resolving conflicts amongst religious groups. The case study in Minahasa, Indonesia, where the local belief mapulus has been institutionalized into mapulus kamtibmas in order to maintain security and order, is studied in this thesis to help provide an answer. The purpose of mapulus kamtibmas is to provide a forum for communication amongst different social groups with the intention of resolving conflict via conversation. The findings demonstrate that because mapulus is only deeply embedded in the lives of Minahasan people, the mapulus kamtibmas model cannot be copied and pasted to resolve interreligious conflict outside of Minahasa. As a result, if it is founded on a shared interest that is deeply embedded in the lives of all parties involved in the conflict, a similar model can be developed in other settings. From an everyday peace perspective, this thesis emphasizes the necessity to investigate the lives of the locals in order to create religious co-existence.Show less
This paper investigates the role of the 2000 Ugandan Amnesty Act in conflict resolution. Presently, scholars have focused on the role of amnesties in various contexts, yet neglected their role in...Show moreThis paper investigates the role of the 2000 Ugandan Amnesty Act in conflict resolution. Presently, scholars have focused on the role of amnesties in various contexts, yet neglected their role in conflict resolution. As the implementation of amnesties in conflict resolution is becoming increasingly more common, this gap in the literature should be addressed in order to be able to complement the ongoing debate on the value of amnesties. The conflict in Uganda provides for new and ample data that provide further perspective on amnesties as a means for conflict resolution. The Ugandan Amnesty aimed to advance conflict resolution by reintegrating former LRA combatants. To measure whether reintegration has been successful, the successes in social and economic reintegration have been considered. Reintegration has been considered a success in Uganda as the probability of continuation of the conflict has decreased and consequently, the role of the Amnesty can be considered significant.Show less
This thesis poses the question "do international tribunals effectively contribute to conflict resolution?", which it answers on the basis of the tribunal of Bosco Ntaganda. Building on available...Show moreThis thesis poses the question "do international tribunals effectively contribute to conflict resolution?", which it answers on the basis of the tribunal of Bosco Ntaganda. Building on available academic literature, the first chapter forms a theoretical framework that defines effective conflict resolution. It furthermore explains how justice should ideally be achieved, after which it offers the reader a schematized checklist. Chapter two forms a detailed case study on the Congolese conflict and how Ntaganda's trial is situated in it. Subsequently, Chapter three analyzes the trial along the checklist. This ultimately leads to conclude that, theoretically, the International Criminal Court could become fundamental to conflict resolution, but that it somehow fails to flawlessly translate this into practice. As such, this thesis proves useful to practitioners- and philosophers of international law, as it identifies the bottlenecks of the ICC.Show less
Five years of bloodshed in between warring factions of Tajikistan had culminated in the signing of the 1997 Peace Agreement which was designed and supervised by international actors. The process...Show moreFive years of bloodshed in between warring factions of Tajikistan had culminated in the signing of the 1997 Peace Agreement which was designed and supervised by international actors. The process was hailed as one of the most successful peace-building operations in conflict resolution history. Thirteen years later, Tajikistan witnessed an insurgency which stemmed from the very same resentments that caused the civil war in the first place. Why did the peace agreement fail? To answer this question, this thesis draws on conflict resolution theory by identifying its claims and shortcomings. The study pinpoints four main propositions made by conflict resolution theorists, namely: role of regional identity, state capacity, third party mediation and agreement design and power-sharing, and evaluates their effects on the resurgence of violence in Tajikistan. This thesis additionally tests the relevance of conflict resolution theories by applying them to Tajikistan archetypal case answering the central question of ‘how can the 2010 resurgence of violence in Tajikistan be explained by conflict resolution theory?’ The study finds that while conflict resolution theory is effective in explaining the resurgence of violence in Tajikistan, peace-building in Tajikistan was unsuccessful; the democratisation process did not take place, the agreement was democratically limited and failed to address the causes of conflict while power-sharing provisions were short-lived and naïve. The peace process in Tajikistan resulted in a ‘negative peace’ where peace is characterised by the mere absence of war, demonstrating that the capacities of peace-building are limited, and should be treated with caution.Show less
