International Conflict

Conflict is a state of opposition, disagreement or incompatibility between two or more people or groups of people, which is sometimes characterized by physical violence. A military conflict between states may constitute a war. In political terms, "conflict" refers to an ongoing state of hostility between two or more groups of people.

Conflict can exist at a variety of levels of analysis:

· intrapersonal conflict (though this usually just gets delegated out to psychology)

· interpersonal conflict

· group conflict

· organizational conflict

· community conflict

· international conflict

· environmental resources conflict

· ideological conflict

· diplomatic conflict

· economic conflict

The term "international conflict" is referred to conflicts between different nation-states and conflicts between people and organizations in different nation-states. Examples of international conflicts are in the news daily. The conflict between the U.S. and the Taliban is an international conflict, as is the conflict between India and Pakistan.

Increasingly, however, it also applies to inter-group conflicts within one country when one group is fighting for independence or increased social, political, or economic power. More and more conflicts within countries are considered "international," too, if international intervention is being contemplated or has actually occurred (as in Bosnia, Kosovo).

International conflicts tend to be difficult to resolve. While this term was originally limited to conflicts between sovereign nation-states, in the last two decades, an increasing number of so-called "international" conflicts have actually been inter-group or communal conflicts within one country. (Examples are Sri Lanka, Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda) In most of these cases, the issue in dispute has been the sovereignty of a particular ethnic group or region, and/or the equality of those ethnic groups in the political, social, and economic structures of their own societies. Until recently, the concept of sovereignty suggested that other nations should not become embroiled in such "internal" disputes. However, the human costs and changing values have made international intervention in these "domestic" conflicts increasingly common.

International conflicts can be resolved by an international body, such as the UN, but that does not occur very often. More often, the countries engage in diplomacy, negotiating a settlement to their differences, or they continue their conflict at varying degrees of intensity and violence. Sometimes mediators are brought in, who may be from the U.N., statesmen from third party nations (for example U.S. President Jimmy Carter mediating the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel) or former statesmen such U.S. Senator George Mitchell in Northern Ireland or Jimmy Carter who continues to operate independently as an international mediator, but with considerable experience and respect. In addition to mediating, the UN or other international bodies fairly routinely will send in "peacekeepers" – armed or sometimes unarmed military and/or civilian forces who simply position themselves between the warring factions in an effort to stop the violence (though they do nothing to solve the underlying conflict).

Cate Malek
Research Assistant, Conflict Research Consortium
University of Colorado

Topical vocabulary:

Exercise 2

Comprehension Check:

1. What does the term “conflict” mean?

3. What types of conflict are there in the world?

2. What did the term” international conflict" refer to?

2. What can spark a conflict?

4. How can conflicts be resolved?