Borders: Cause of Conflict or Catalyst for Peace? Cover Image
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Borders: Cause of Conflict or Catalyst for Peace?
Borders: Cause of Conflict or Catalyst for Peace?

Author(s): Frank Pfetsch
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences
Published by: Editura Universitatii din Oradea
Keywords: borders; conflicts; peace; war

Summary/Abstract: Abstract The main issue I am asking in this contribution is that of borders as an obstacle to or facilitator for peace. Since it is quite obvious that borders can be both, object of quarrel and defenders of peace, the question has to be reformulated: what are the conditions for borders to become an object of war or a facilitator for peace. The answers present some conditions as to obstacles to peace, such as on the one hand countries with open frontiers without natural delimitating lines, disputed lines of demarcation, and arbitrarily dictated borders by outside dominating powers without consultation of the population. On the other hand borders can offer an opportunity for cooperation if they coincide with the principle of self-determination, if state borders reinforce identity of a population, or if political borders correspond with ethnical, religious or cultural groups. The overarching international framework for boundary-as-barrier is that of national power politics, that of boundary-as-inducer-to-peace is that of regional integration led by negotiated arrangements.

  • Issue Year: 2007
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 12-19
  • Page Count: 8
  • Language: English