Origins of Peace Studies PS Peace Studies PS

Origins of Peace Studies (PS)

Peace Studies PS = an inter-disciplinary field, primarily (but not exclusively) based in the social sciences that blends peace research + peace action + peace education

Peace Research: Big Focus on War and Internal Violence n It begins with the classics, the works of Thucydides, and epics like “The Peloponnesian Wars”, where in the story of the siege of Melos, he writes (Chapter XVII): “the strong take what they will, the weak yield what they must” which becomes the basis for realist thinking in the social sciences!

Key studies – all before 1960’s n n n E. H. Carr, The Twenty Years’ Crisis (1919 -1939) Quincy Wright, A Study of War Lewis Frye Richardson, Statistics of Deadly Quarrels

By the 1960 s: n n Rise in the US of the study of international relations – a bit of a rebellion against “pure” political science: focus on the globe, inter-disciplinary, builds off the “behavioral” revolution…. peace research a BIG part of this…with the key guiding question – What causes war?

Late 50’s onward The development in Europe of independent institutes, many of them with private and government funding (very much in reaction to the Cold War and the arms race) n Peace Research International, Oslo (PRIO) n Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) n Tampere Peace Research Institute, Finland (TAPRI) n Copenhagen Peace Center n Johan Galtung creates The Journal of Peace Research

In Canada: n n Peace Research Institute (Dundas) International Development Association (IDA) Human Security Research Group (Vancouver, BC) Canadian Universities n n n Conrad Grebel University of Guelph University of Toronto University of British Columbia University of. Waterloo University of Calgary

In Europe and Latin America: n n n City University, London, UK University of Bradford, UK Free University, Berlin Various Irish universities Various Scandinavian: Uppsala, Aarhus, Copenhagen Latin America: FLACSO and CLAIP

In Australia: n n n Australian National University Canberra Issue “commissions”

In Japan: n n Asian-Pacific Peace Research Association (APPRA) United Nations University (UNU) Hiroshima/Nagasaki Memorials Philanthropic Foundations

Research in the U. S. n In the United States, peace research is housed primarily at universities, rarely in institutes (what to do with RAND? ? ). n n n mostly in the work of one or more people at university sites, and then coming together in organizations Elise and Ken Boulding create The Journal of Conflict Resolution as part of the University of Michigan Conflict and Peace program in 1956.

Peace Research Peace research has ranged from war prevention, arms reduction through how to prepare children for non-violence and how to create justice and rights in society

Peace Action n n Revolts by soldiers and the occupied in the B. C. era (Maccabees to Spartacus) Early Christian debate about service to the state and use of violence Humanistic thinkers: Thoreau, Tolstoy Use of non-violent protest in the antislavery and women’s suffrage movements

Peace Action (cont. ) n n n More systematic anti-war movements and organizations (Fellowship of Reconciliation, the War Resisters League, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom) Organizations for peace diplomacy Substantial focus on arms issues, especially nuclear: Women of Greenham Common Gandhi & King Eastern Europe in 1989

Peace Education n n Socialization by different religious groups (Anabaptists, Buddhists) and disciplined traditions (Tai Chi) for nonviolence Cultural anthropology and cultural re-education “Training” in non-violent direct action Training in conflict resolution and peace-making – huge NGO boom after 1989 Now in the U. S. , 75 colleges and universities with PS programs; 6 -10 graduate ones for MA or Ph. D

Why are people still suspicious of PS? n n n We believe the “true” history of humans to be about war and violence. To believe in peace as central – or to research or teach it – is inaccurate or fuzzyheaded. Especially in the U. S. , we don’t like the link between peace education and action – we believe in objectivism. We have bad cultural experiences and stereotypes of “peaceniks” (long-haireds, veggie-types, “getting in touch with themselves”).

Why are people still suspicious of PS? n n At the political and think tank level – as supported by the general culture – we see the primary need not as peace with justice but security…thus peace increasingly is seen as a luxury – or as an idealized end state to be achieved once war is over At the university level we fear that what happens is professors say: “PEACE IS THE ANSWER…what are the questions? ”

Most “peace people”… believe in A. J. Muste’s claim: “There is no way to peace, peace is the way”