Abstract
Conflict resolution scholars and policy-makers have traditionally prioritized research and policy measures dealing with political violence, treating criminal violence as a contextual factor in their analysis or as a subordinate policy concern. One may wonder why the value of a casualty differs depending on whether the fatal blow was caused by a tank, a gang knife, or even a typhoon. The prioritization of political violence over criminal violence seems morally unjustified considering that the killing rates in Guatemala and El Salvador are higher now than during the civil wars that ended in the 1990s. Despite similarities in the causes, manifestations, and consequences of both long-standing security challenges, violent political conflict remains an analytically distinct security challenge worthy of its own study.
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Recommended Citation
Claes, Jonas
(2011)
"Conflict Resolution Agenda: Approaching Its Expiration Date,"
Human Rights & Human Welfare: Vol. 11:
Iss.
6, Article 4.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/hrhw/vol11/iss6/4
Included in
Central American Studies Commons, Defense and Security Studies Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, International Humanitarian Law Commons, International Law Commons, International Relations Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons