Peace, Conflict and Developments in the Western Balkans. The Role of EU Integration

Peace, Conflict and Developments in the Western Balkans. The Role of EU Integration
Author: Reina Zenelaj Shehi
Publisher: Logos Verlag Berlin GmbH
Total Pages: 130
Release: 2020-09-10
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3832551379

The Western Balkan countries are characterized by an entanglement of different national, ethnic and religious groups. Within all Balkan states, nationalist rivalries have been and are exploited by political leaders as a propaganda tool when faced with internal unrest or unpopularity. Yet, the proximity of ethnic communities to their countries of ethnic origin tie all the Balkan states into a common problem: the spillover effect of regional insecurity. Existing and future disputes require an exhaustive survey of national, ethnic, religious, territorial, economic and political problems, and this is precisely what this volume sets out to do.

Peace and Security in the Western Balkans

Peace and Security in the Western Balkans
Author: Nemanja Džuverović
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2022-08-16
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1000628728

This book outlines the main security threats, actors, and processes in the Western Balkans following the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Exploring the state of peace and security in the region it asks if a stable peace is achievable. The comparative framework explores state perspectives – from Serbia, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Kosovo – alongside military, political-societal, economic, and environmental security concerns. The interplay of international actors is also considered. Academics, scholars, and practitioners who deal with Balkan issues, either as a focus or comparatively, and have interests in security and peace studies will find the volume invaluable along with students of political science, security studies, peace studies, area studies (Eastern European studies and/or Southeast European studies), and international studies in general.

The Rise and Fall of Peacebuilding in the Balkans

The Rise and Fall of Peacebuilding in the Balkans
Author: Roberto Belloni
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2019-05-06
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3030144240

This book examines the evolution of liberal peacebuilding in the Balkans since the mid-1990s. After more than two decades of peacebuilding intervention, widespread popular disappointment by local communities is increasingly visible. Since the early 2010s, difficult conditions have spurred a wave of protest throughout the region. Citizens have variously denounced the political system, political elites, corruption and mismanagement. Rather than re-evaluating their strategy in light of mounting local discontent, international peacebuilding officials have increasingly adopted cynical calculations about stability. This book explains this evolution from the optimism of the mid-1990s to the current state through the analysis of three main phases, moving from the initial ‘rise’, to a later condition of ‘stalemate’ and then ‘fall’ of peacebuilding.

From War to Peace in the Balkans, the Middle East and Ukraine

From War to Peace in the Balkans, the Middle East and Ukraine
Author: Daniel Serwer
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 145
Release: 2018-11-28
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3030021734

This open access book focuses on the origins, consequences and aftermath of the 1995 and 1999 Western military interventions that led to the end of the most recent Balkan wars. Though challenging problems remain in Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia, the conflict prevention and state-building efforts thereafter were partly successful as countries of the region are on separate tracks towards European Union membership. This study highlights lessons that can be applied to the Middle East and Ukraine, where similar conflicts are likewise challenging sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is an accessible treatment of what makes war and how to make peace ideal for all readers interested in how violent international conflicts can be managed, informed by the experience of a practitioner.

Security Community Practices in the Western Balkans

Security Community Practices in the Western Balkans
Author: Sonja Stojanović Gajić
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 294
Release: 2018-07-04
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1317058089

In the early 1990s, the Western Balkans were the scene of prolonged and bloody inter-ethnic wars. Numerous issues remain unresolved; Bosnia is a dysfunctional state; Kosovo a disputed territory; Macedonia a fragile republic, however, it is hard now to imagine the renewal of inter-state armed conflict. Investigating the causes and mechanisms driving peaceful transformation in the Balkans, this book examines developments in the region and contributes to discussions on security community building. Focusing on how different professional communities work together in the creation of regional peace and security, it sheds new light on how diplomats, policemen, soldiers and others brought about the transformation from conflict to peace through their everyday practices. Conducted collaboratively by a research community based within the region, this volume will be highly relevant to scholars and researchers studying the Balkans, regional security, security communities and policymakers.

Transnational Terrorism, Organized Crime and Peace-Building

Transnational Terrorism, Organized Crime and Peace-Building
Author: W. Benedek
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 382
Release: 2010-05-12
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0230281478

This volume investigates the role of the transnational terrorist and criminal organizations in the peace-building processes, with a particular focus on the Western Balkan region. Conducted within the framework of human security analysis, the research focuses on the security of the human being.

Western Intervention in the Balkans

Western Intervention in the Balkans
Author: Roger D. Petersen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages:
Release: 2011-09-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1139503308

Conflicts involve powerful experiences. The residue of these experiences is captured by the concept and language of emotion. Indiscriminate killing creates fear; targeted violence produces anger and a desire for vengeance; political status reversals spawn resentment; cultural prejudices sustain ethnic contempt. These emotions can become resources for political entrepreneurs. A broad range of Western interventions are based on a view of human nature as narrowly rational. Correspondingly, intervention policy generally aims to alter material incentives ('sticks and carrots') to influence behavior. In response, poorer and weaker actors who wish to block or change this Western implemented 'game' use emotions as resources. This book examines the strategic use of emotion in the conflicts and interventions occurring in the Western Balkans over a twenty-year period. The book concentrates on the conflicts among Albanian and Slavic populations (Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, South Serbia), along with some comparisons to Bosnia.