Resolving Ethnic Conflict: Creating a New I Am

IMPORTANT NOTE: DON'T CHEAT. DON'T PLAGIARIZE. Notes and Papers are shared here for reference and for studying. Footnote as appropriate.

Below is a paper I wrote arguing on a multi-pronged approach to resolving ethnic conflict--one that accepts short term violence for the sake of long-term reconciliation.  My complete collection of grad school notes and paper can be found here.

Resolving Ethnic Conflict: Creating a New I Am

For most Americans more comfortable with the concept of civic nationalism, ethnic conflict is a difficult concept to understand comprehensively.  This contemporary American mindset cannot (and should not) mask, however, the bloody primordial relationship between ethnic nationalism and global conflict.  If one is to believe structuralists such as Mueller, these ethnic conflicts will be a regular (if not increasing) occurrence throughout the 21^st century as third world nations continue to modernize.  A united international community with unlimited resources might be able to prevent many of these conflicts, however, fiscal realities—and a public reticent to intercede—more often dictate post-conflict recommendations than pre-emptive military action.  What then is the best way to resolve these ethnic conflicts?  Is total resolution an impossible ideal?  How does one define the term best way, as well as its parameters?  In this essay I argue that the best way is an approach that takes the long view—that accepts a short period of violence and instability for the sake of long-term peace and reconciliation.  The approach best suited to do this is a multi-pronged one that emphasizes a liberal democracy tailored to respond to real or perceived ethnic grievances, and an intentional peace-building process that recognizes the nature of group identities as dynamic and incorporates them in the creation of a new worldview.  I begin by discussing the importance of an ethnic conflict’s origin as well as the state’s role in responding to it in determining a solution.  Then I discuss modernity’s role in state formation and its relevance to conflict resolution.  Finally, I analyze the roles of a liberal democracy, civic nationalism and psychocultural interpretation in creating an enduring cessation of ethnic conflict.  

Juliet's Lament: An Argument for Partition

Below is paper I wrote examining the methods by which a multi-ethnic democratic state can reconcile different identities during after ethnic conflict arises.  My complete collection of grad school notes and paper can be found here.

Juliet's Lament: An Argument for Partition

          Were the terms state and nation always synonymous there might be far fewer 

incidences of intrastate ethnic conflict. International conflict, of course, would still flourish but 

it would not stem from ethnic heterogeneity within a state. This observation is offered to 

demonstrate the myriad challenges of state governance. With few exceptions, most states 

contain multiple ethnic identities that compete for power and control. A state’s primary duty 

remains the maintenance of its sovereignty (its stateness) through the governance of its territory. 

When ethnic conflict arises, this governance comes down to choices—of reconciling lines on a 

map to accommodate realities on the ground, or reconciling the identities of the population on 

the ground to the arbitrary lines on a map. Poor choices in this process have caused millions of 

deaths—sometimes intentionally but often as an after effect of well-intentioned state responses. 

In examining the reconciling of a state’s options, one must ask how a state can best respond to 

problematic ethnic populations? Is there an ideal best response? Does it address the origins of 

the conflict? In this essay I argue that democratic multi-ethnic states must balance the 

requirement for their own self-preservation with the needs and rights of its people. Ideally, the 

most comprehensive and widely employable balance for a state can be found in partition. This 

method addresses the primordialist origin of ethnic conflict. Ethnic bonds are not something that 

can be easily broken through assimilation or integration. Respecting the innate nature of ethnic 

affiliation produces an approach that seeks to preserve ethnic identity. This approach must be a 

holistic one—while it must originate within the sovereign state—it then requires cooperation 

(not intervention) by the international community in ensuring that refugee relocation does not 

turn into ethnic cleansing, nor is it perceived as indiscriminate expulsion. I begin the essay by 

distinguishing between nationalism, nations, and states, as well as between partition and 

secession. Then I describe that which is never a viable option—genocide—highlighting 

preconditions that a state must avoid to guard against it. Next, I provide a brief analysis of 

common criticisms of partition. Finally, I address the advantage of partition as well as the 

supplementary responses necessary once a state makes the decision to make a fresh cut.

More than words: An Argument for Primordialism

Below is a short paper I wrote examining the origins of nations and ethnic conflict.  The first paragraph is below and the entire paper is embedded afterwards.  My complete collection of grad school notes and paper can be found here.

More than words: An Argument for Primordialism

                Ethnic conflict is responsible for a countless number of deaths throughout history.
Records of these conflicts span as far back as biblical times in the book of Genesis when God
gave the Jewish leader Jacob the name Israel, telling him, “a nation and a company of nations
shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.” Much of the remainder of the Old Testament is the bloody story of this nationalist struggle told through the guise of
ethnic conflict. This intersection of nations and ethnicity continues to be one rife with conflict
today. Academics have devoted entire careers to the study of the origins of nations, producing
an expansive array of explanations from primordialist to constructivist. Which school best
explains where nations come from? Does one theoretical approach provide better insight into the
base origins of ethnic conflict? In this essay I argue that while some schools may have limited
utility, only primordialism offers a comprehensive explanation for the origin of nations and their
associated inherent ethnic conflict. Understanding primordialism can help prevent future ethnic
conflicts through the identification of common mobilizing catalysts. I begin by discussing the
definitions of nations, nationalism, ethnicity and ethnic conflict. I then provide a brief analysis
of the prominent theoretical schools. Finally, I closely examine primordialism, in particular
showing its utility in identifying the origins of ethnic conflict.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4BE1_xKfeEUM1dTa2VIai0zeTA/edit?usp=sharing

More Than Words: The Comprehensiveness of Blood--An Argument for Primordialism

More Than Words: The Comprehensiveness of Blood--An Argument for Primordialism

Here's a paper I wrote examining the best way to determine the root of an ethnic conflict. 

LINKS:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4BE1_xKfeEURUZCaDZPMlVndEU/edit?usp=sharing

Grad School Notes Collection (Africa, IR, Ethnic Conflict, Economics, Writing)

IMPORTANT NOTE: DON'T CHEAT. DON'T PLAGIARIZE. Notes and Papers are shared here for reference and for studying. Footnote as appropriate.

Grad School Notes Collection (Africa, IR, Ethnic Conflict, Economics, Writing, Islam, Comparative Politics)

Below are the links to all the notes I have previously published here on FUUO.  They are organized into a few areas: Africa, IR, Islam

AFRICA:

Notes (Discussion) Iliffe’s Africans: The History of a Continent

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/02/notes-of-iliffes-africans-history-of.html

Notes (Extensive) on Iliffe's Africans

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/grad-schol-extensive-notes-on-iliffes.html

Notes (Partial) on Paul Nugent’s Africa Since Independence

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/07/grad-school-partial-notes-on-paul.html

Notes and Summary: Achebe's Arrow of God

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/07/grad-school-notes-and-summary-on.html

Notes (Discussion) and Summary: Achebe's Arrow of God

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/01/arrow-of-god-notes.html

Notes (Discussion) and Summary Anthills of the Savannah 

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/04/anthills-of-savannah-discussion-notes.html

Notes (Discussion) and Summary: Achebe's Man of the People

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/02/disclaimer-these-are-my-notes-that-i.html

Notes (Discussion) and Summary: Achebe's No Longer At Ease

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/02/no-longer-at-ease-notes.html

Notes (Discussion) and Summary: Achebe's Things Fall Apart

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/01/things-fall-apart-notes.html

Notes on Rye Barcott's It Happened on the Way to War

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2011/07/notes-on-barcotts-it-happened-on-way-to.html

Notes/Summary (Partial) on Getting Somalia Wrong: Faith, War, and Hope in a Shattered State by Mary Harper (her blog is GREAT)

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/12/gettingsomaliawrong.notes.summary.maryharper.html

Notes on Hartley's The Zanzibar Chest

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/11/thezanzibarchest.aidenhartley.summary.review.notes.html

Notes on Democratization in Africa (Ottaway, Joseph, Bratton & Walle)

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/11/democratization.africa.huntingtonisandiot.html

Notes on African Judicial Systems (Akech, Von Doepp, Suberu)

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/11/african.judiciary.akech.vondoepp.suberu.notessummary.html

Notes on Clientelist State-Society Relations(Barkan, Fatton, Pitcher et al)

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/11/clientstatesociety.barkan.fatton.pitcher.sparknotes.html

Notes on African Elections as Vehicles for Change by Nic Cheeseman

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/10/alternation.africa.politics.elections.cliffnotes.fao.html

Notes on Patrimonialism in Africa (Theobald, Bach, Pitcher and Moran)

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/10/patrimonialism.africa.bach.theobald.pitcher.sparknotes.html

Notes (Brief) and Discussion Questions on Bradbury's Becoming Somaliland

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/10/bradbury-becomingsomaliland-sparknotes.html

Notes (Partial) on Gallab's The First Islamist Republic 

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/10/sudan-islamistrepublic-gallab-sparknotes.html

Notes (Brief) on O'Kane and Hepner's  Biopolitics, Militarism, and Development: Eritrea in the Twenty-first Century 

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/09/biopoliticsertireasomaliaokane.html

Notes for Debate Arguing that Counter-Piracy HAS been effective in the Horn of Africa

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/06/counter-piracy-has-been-effective-in.html

Paper on Libyan Coalition/Intervention

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/04/libya-coalition-to-what-end-and.html

Paper reviewing and analyzing "Sometimes in April"

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-wrote-earlier-footnoted-version-of.html

Paper (Average Grade) on British and French Colonial Legacies in West Africa
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/07/essay-on-british-and-french-legacies-in.html

Paper on the Unexpected Pattern of Democratization in Africa
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-pattern-of-democratization-in-africa.html

Paper on Copts in Egypt: A Wedding Feast for Copts and Christians
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/09/copticchristianegyptembassycairo.html

Poem: The Guilt of the Silent: An Analysis of Raoul Peck's "Sometimes in April"

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/02/guilt-of-silent-analysis-of-raoul-pecks.html

Endnotes for Sometimes in April/Rwanda Genocide Analysis Paper

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/02/sometimes-in-april-analysis-paper.html

EVENTS:

Notes from 2010 Maritime Safety and Security Conference "African Maritime Interests: Security and Development" Plenary Session 1

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/10/mss-conference-african-maritime.html

Notes from MSS Conference Speech by Ambassador Huddleston Speech

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/10/mss-conference-ambassador-huddleston.html

Notes from MSS Conference Speech by Ambassador Carson

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/10/mss-conference-speech-by-ambassador.html

MSS Conference Keynote Speech by AU Deputy Chairman Dr. Mwencha

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2010/10/mss-conference-keynote-speech-by-au.html

Notes on Senator Isakson's Speech at SAIS on 31 March 2011

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2011/04/senator-isaksons-speech-at-sais-from-31.html

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:

Notes for entire IR Course

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/09/entire-notes-for-grad-school.html

Notes for Chapter 12 from Force and Statecraft: Diplomatic Challenges of Our Time

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/notes-on-force-and-statecraft-chapter-12.html

Notes on Selected Chapters of Force and Statecraft by Lauren, Craig and George

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/notes-on-selected-chapters-of-force-and.html

Notes (1st four chapters) on Nye's Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History (7th Edition)

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/notes-on-nyes-understanding.html

Notes on Power and Levels of Analysis
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/ir-notes-on-power-and-levels-of-analysis.html

Notes on Mearsheimer and Walt's "An Unnecessary War"
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/notes-on-mearsheimer-and-walts.html

Notes on Stephen Walt's The Relationship between theory and policy in IR, 2005
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/notes-on-relationship-between-theory.html

Notes on Stephen Walt's "IR: One World, Many Theories" (1998)
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/notes-on-stephen-walts-ir-one-world.html

Paragraph on Libya as a Case Study in Developing a Democracy from Scratch
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/libya-as-case-study-in-difficulty-of.html

Paragraph on Twitter as the New Nuke and the Convergence with Technology
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/twitter-as-new-nuke-and-convergence.html

Pargraph on The Dangers of Half-Hearted IR Policy Implementation
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/on-dangers-of-half-hearted-ir-policy.html

Paper on Considerations for a US Response to an Alien Communication Signal
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/thoughts-on-us-response-to-alien-signal.html

WRITING:

How to do a Literature Review

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/09/literaturereviewhowto-nps.html

In Praise of Refworks--The Best Reference Management Tool?

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/09/in-praise-of-refworks-best-reference.html

How to Write an A+ Paper in Grad School

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-write-a-paper-in-grad-school.html

Paper (presentation) on the importance of revision

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/03/on-revising-well-or-taking-ax-to-your.html 

ETHNIC CONFLICT:

Notes on "The Enduring Power of Ethnic Nationalism" (2008) by Muller

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-enduring-power-of-ethnic.html

Notes on “From a Theory of Relative Economic Deprivation (RED) Towards a Theory of Relative Political Deprivation”  by Walker Connor (2001)

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/theory-of-relative-political.html

Notes on Genocide in Syria and Harff's "No Lessons Learned from the Holocaust"
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/08/genocide-in-syria-early-warning-systems.html

ECONOMICS:

Notes on Kraska's The Freakonomics of Maritime Piracy

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/11/freakonomics.maritimepiracy.africa.html

Notes on Have and Have Nots-African Style by Pascal Zachary

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/11/ginicoefficient.africa.haveandhavenots.html

Notes on Economic Geography of Regional Integration (Gill &Deichmann)

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/11/notes-on-economic-geography-of-regional.html

Notes on "Nigeria’s Shot at Redemption" by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Dec 2008)

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/11/nigeriaoilcurse.needfordistributionalfund.html

Notes on "Africa's Capitalist Revolution by Kapstein (July 2009)
http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2013/01/notes.africacapitalism.revolution.kapstein.html

ISLAM: 

Notes on Origins of Islam

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/10/origins-of-islam-notes.html

COMPARATIVE POLITICS:

Notes on Social Theory and Comparative Politics (CP) by Mark Lichbach

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/04/grad-school-notes-on-social-theory-and.html

VIETNAM/DECISION-MAKING:

Paper on the Gulf of Tonkin: "The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: A Response to Which Campaign?"

http://fuuo.blogspot.com/2012/09/johnsongulfoftonkinvietnammatterhorn.html

The Enduring Power of Ethnic Nationalism (Muller 2008) Grad School Notes

BONUS LINK:  My entire (so far) grad school notes collection can be found here. 

Grad School Notes: 

“Us and Them: The Enduring Power of Ethnic Nationalism” by J. Muller (2008)

Introduction:

For Americans, Ethnic Nationalism in politics is not an easy concept to grasp of which to give merit, most find it discomfiting both intellectually and morally

Two of best ways (least bad”) responses to ethnic nationalism is ethnic disaggregation or partition. 

People who come to the US usually do so with the expectation that their ethnic identities will lessen or disappear. 

In regions where there is peace now it is only a byproduct of violent ethnic separations—where separation hasn’t occurred—watch out. 

Ethnonationalism formed the Europe we know today despite their claims that nationalism is now supplanted by globalism and transnational institutions.  Today, every European state except for two has a dominant nationalit. 

The Politics of Identity:

Two schools on the idea of a national identity: 

Civic/Liberal:  American conception.  If you live within the borders you are part of the nation, regardless of ethnic or racial background

Ethno:  nations defined by a shared heritage (blood)—common language, faith, ethnicity

But civic nationalism is a relatively new phenomenon in Europe and US.  (e.g. WASPs)

Differing levels of civic vs. ethnonationalism as one travels east from western Europe. The countries in Western Europe had a longer period to develop a more homogenous population—enabling them to become nation-states.

The Rise of Ethnonationalism (EN):

Idea of a nation-state is a recent phenomenon—for most of history people lived in Empires—their own little nations.

Gellner defines:

Rise of ethnonationalism driven by modernity.  Military competition between state led to demand for continual economic growth—this depended on mass literacy and communication—promotion of education and common language—leading to conflicts over language and communal opportunities.

EN also responded to modern state’s weakening of familial and religious social bonds—offering a common ethnic identity.

The ugly side of EN is that the creation of a nation-state necessarily means that there will be minorities created and treated as inferior.

The Great Transformation:

Ethnic cleansing, population transfer, genocide were all byproducts of post World War I breakup of empires as borders were moved to align them with populations and victors.  This nationalism continued to build up through World War II—with Hitler’s Germany as an unholy culmination. 

Postwar but not PostNational:

After WWII, instead of borders being moved, populations were—in the name of postwar stability.  Mixture of ethnic populations deemed subversive and troublesome, this was characterized by the expulsion of ethnic Germans from non Germanic countries.  Carried through the end of the Cold War—this has been the story of ethnic disaggregation and and EN.

Decolonization and After:

EN happened elsewhere too: British partition of India and Pakistan; later partition of Pakistan and Bangladesh; mandate of Palestine’s disestablishment into Israel; expulsion of pied-noirs in Algeria, Asians in Uganda.

The Balance Sheet:

Obvious deleterious effects of EN, but also good things and stability have occurred:

EN has motivated countries to mutual trust and sacrifice—through appeals to that shared heritage.  Post WWII Europe has been so stable because of EN—those sourcers of conflict having been removed. 

New Ethnic Mixing:

Today ethnic mixing occurs largely due to a north and west migration pattern from Asia, Africa and the Middle East.  Whether these groups will assimilate will largely determine future conflict or perhaps another rise of EN. 

Future Implications:

Since modernization is a key cause of EN, one can expect future conflict in modernizing states.  This is especially true in developing new states (think Africa) with borders that cross ethnic boundaries.

Once a certain level of conflict has been reached—remaining a single state becomes counterproductive (Chaim Kaufmann).    Once this point has been reached partition may be the most human response.  Yes, it creates problematic refugee flows but it at least addresses the source of the conflict.  It does however, require a substantial financial commitment from the international community. 

EN is here to stay and ignoring and trying to write it off as imagined and therefore irrelevant might only provoke future conflict.