Managing and Settling Ethnic Conflicts

The diverse picture of cases presented in this volume covers European, Asian and African experiences, as well as different ways of conflict settlement. Each case and each solution has unique features and is characterised by a certain degree of idiosyncrasy. However, despite the empirical diversity, it is possible to pinpoint some general assumptions at a more abstract level. Thus, for managing and settling ethnic conflicts, analytically, two interrelated aspects are of particular concern: first, the role of favourable conditions or context variables for peace processes, and second, the design of the conflict regulation itself (i.e., peace accord, constitution, special minority laws, treaty). For successful peacemaking, both aspects have to be taken into account: if the most favourable conditions are missing or cannot be established over time, then the ‘best’ regulation or institutional design will fail. If, in turn, ‘bad’ or insufficient rules and procedures prevail, then even the presence of comparatively beneficial factors will not prevent failure. Moreover, the two aspects usually reinforce each other. In general, a favourable context makes peace processes possible; conversely, institutional designs may foster learning processes among leaders and communities and, over time, turn an unfavourable environment into a favourable one and, thus, stabilise peace processes (or even facilitate reconciliation).