 | Underlying Causes of Intractable Conflict
Intractable conflicts such as between Israel and Palestine are rarely just about surface issues such as land or religion. At the core of most intractable conflicts is a tangle of issues threatening the most vital interests of the parties. This essay describes some of the common causes underlying many intractable conflicts. |
 | Identity Issues
Israelis and Palestinians, Protestants and Catholics, whites and blacks, labor and management...these are all examples of identities. The essays in this folder explore the link between identity and intractable conflict. |
| Oppression and Conflict
Oppression is at the root of many of the most serious, enduring conflicts in the world today. This series of essays traces oppression from its origins to its various forms and finishes with ways of overcoming it. |
| High-Stakes Distributional Issues
These are conflicts over the things that really matter: jobs, land, even a parent's love. |
| Globalization
Globalization has both positive and negative effects for people in both the developed and the developing world. This essay examines the many benefits and costs of globalization, and considers how it might be directed to maximize benefits while minimizing costs.
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| Moral or Value Conflicts
Intractable moral conflicts tend to arise when one group views the beliefs and actions of another group as being so fundamentally evil that they exceed the bounds of tolerance. The abortion debate in the United States is an example of a moral conflict. |
| Unmet Human Needs
Human essentials go beyond just food, water, and shelter. They include all those things humans are innately driven to attain, such as love, dignity and safety. Some theorists argue that most intractable conflicts are caused by the drive to satisfy unmet needs. |
| Justice Conflicts
Perceived injustice is a frequent source of conflict. It is usually characterized by the denial of fundamental rights. This is an introductory essay to the justice section of the website. |
| Human Rights Violations
Abuse of human rights often leads to conflict, and conflict typically results in human rights violations. Thus, human rights abuses are often at the center of wars and protection of human rights is central to conflict resolution. |
| Effects of Colonization
Conflicts are common in previously colonized states, even after colonization is long gone. This essay examines that phenomenon. |
| Small Arms Trade
During the Cold War, nuclear disarmament was a focus; now many policy makers are focusing on weapons of mass destruction. But small arms are actually doing much more harm in current conflicts, and efforts to control the small arms trade deserve priority attention as well. |
