Martina Fischer - Böcker

Scholars and practitioners alike agree that somehow the past needs to be addressed in order to enable individuals and collectives to rebuild trust and relationships. However, they also continue to struggle with critical questions. When is the right moment to address the legacies of the past after violent conflict? How can societies address the past without deepening the pain that arises from memories related to the violence and crimes committed in war? How can cultures of remembrance be established that would include and acknowledges the victims of all sides involved in violent conflict? How can various actors deal constructively with different interpretations of facts and history? Two decades after the wars, societies in Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia – albeit to different degrees – are still facing the legacies of the wars of the 1990s on a daily basis. Reconciliation between and within these societies remains a formidable challenge, given that all three countries are still facing unresolved disputes either at a cross-border level or amongst parallel societies that persist at a local community level. This book engages scholars and practitioners from the regions of former Yugoslavia, as well as international experts, to reflect on the achievements and obstacles that characterise efforts to deal with the past. Drawing variously on empirical studies, theoretical discussions, and practical experience, their contributions offer invaluable insights into the complex relationship between transitional justice and conflict transformation.

Scholars and practitioners alike agree that somehow the past needs to be addressed in order to enable individuals and collectives to rebuild trust and relationships. However, they also continue to struggle with critical questions. When is the right moment to address the legacies of the past after violent conflict? How can societies address the past without deepening the pain that arises from memories related to the violence and crimes committed in war? How can cultures of remembrance be established that would include and acknowledges the victims of all sides involved in violent conflict? How can various actors deal constructively with different interpretations of facts and history? Two decades after the wars, societies in Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia – albeit to different degrees – are still facing the legacies of the wars of the 1990s on a daily basis. Reconciliation between and within these societies remains a formidable challenge, given that all three countries are still facing unresolved disputes either at a cross-border level or amongst parallel societies that persist at a local community level. This book engages scholars and practitioners from the regions of former Yugoslavia, as well as international experts, to reflect on the achievements and obstacles that characterise efforts to deal with the past. Drawing variously on empirical studies, theoretical discussions, and practical experience, their contributions offer invaluable insights into the complex relationship between transitional justice and conflict transformation.

Die mit 1990 gehegten Hoffnungen auf einen liberalen Frieden haben sich nicht erfüllt. Nicht nur, dass Krieg in Europa wieder zu einem Mittel der Außenpolitik geworden ist, scheint auch die Geopolitik wieder zurückgekehrt. Zudem sind die Konflikte im Nahen und Mittleren Osten nach wie vor ungelöst. Es fehlen Erfolg versprechende Strategien, dem Islamischen Staat zu begegnen oder den Krieg in Syrien zu befrieden. Auch stehen der bewaffnete Konflikt in der Ukraine, die eskalierenden militärischen Spannungen zwischen Russland und dem Westen sowie die Entfremdung zur Türkei für das Scheitern einer Strategie, Frieden in Europa durch Transformation nach westlichem Vorbild zu schaffen. Welche Sicherheitssysteme können angesichts dieser Situation greifen und sich als friedensfähig erweisen? Die Autorinnen und Autoren dieses Bandes widmen sich dieser Aufgabe; sie stellen verschiedene Konzepte vor und diskutieren ihre Stärken und Schwächen.

Preface Confronted with a wide variety of conflicts, the international community has attempted to respond through humanitarian assistance, development aid, crisis prevention and conflict resolution programmes. To date many of these activities have exacerbated conflict dynamics as much as they have enhanced the opportunities for sustainable development and peace. In an effort to understand what works, lessons learned and best practices are being collected usually in the form of evaluations of individual projects or programs. Although the number of studies undertaken has increased, few lessons have been systematised or accumulated for broader discussion in the academic field or for practitioners' use. The Berghof Research Center for Constructive Conflict Management produced this Handbook in response to the contemporary challenges which have to be faced by those who are working in and on violent conflict. The intention is to give an overview of recent developments in the field of conflict transformation from various perspectives: from academic analysts and practitioners as well as from experts representing different areas of work inside and outside of conflict zones.