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Waiting for Peace: Perspectives from Action‐oriented Research on the Humanitarian Impasse in the Caucasus
Author(s) -
Hansen Greg,
Minear Larry
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
disasters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.744
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-7717
pISSN - 0361-3666
DOI - 10.1111/1467-7717.00116
Subject(s) - negotiation , agency (philosophy) , relevance (law) , political science , action (physics) , space (punctuation) , conflict resolution , public administration , political economy , sociology , law , social science , linguistics , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics
Cease‐fires in the Caucasus during the past five years have prevented large‐scale life‐threatening emergencies and created space for peace negotiations. Yet genuine conflict resolution and normalisation have proven elusive, frustrating the return of uprooted populations and constraining reconstruction. This paper reviews a series of seven strategy sessions held in Moscow and the Caucasus in late 1998 to reflect upon the performance of humanitarian agencies and stimulate greater synergies with diplomatic actors. An experiment in promoting discussion of recently conducted independent policy research throughout the north and south Caucasus, the series resulted in a fresh look at the issues in the region and at agency headquarters. The generic nature of the policy challenges gives the experience potential relevance well beyond the region.