Part B (Description of Work)
1.1.6 Research approach and Scientific objectives
The research approach and scientific objectives of the project centre on the following overarching research question:
What are the premises and local effects of governance initiatives at state and regional level in conflicts in India and Europe?
This question involves three themes (WP4), each comprising a range of sub-questions (these will be further elaborated throughout the first months of the project):
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9 Theme A: The socio-cultural and political premises of European and Indian governance initiatives in areas of conflict transition/resolution
• Which conceptions of peace, human rights and democracy promotion are embedded in current governance initiatives in conflict areas, and how are these premises promoted in governance initiatives?
o CORE will analytically map governance initiatives in its case studies, and the main strategies and procedures. Furthermore, it will analyse the key policy texts of these initiatives in order to qualitatively assess their premises (WP3).
• To what extent are values embedded in the promotion of these premises effectively addressing the local conflict transformation process and subsequent peace?
o Through a process-based field methodology the project’s case studies (WP5) will include interviews with key governance actors, as well as members of the host- society including contextual, local, and civil society actors, compare the political acquis of EU and central Indian peace activities with the way actors embedded in local cultural/civilisational frames deal with conflicts. How do they differ? To what extent has there been a convergence brought about by the globalisation of norms and best practices related to the liberal peace framework?
• How are categories/identities of people framed by the governance actors, i.e. how are they being conceptualised and ‘managed’?
o CORE will analyse the centrality of identity in its six case studies through first of all seeking an understanding of the identity discourses of governance (WP3).
This again relates to the overall question of how minority-majority questions are integrated in policy frameworks. This aspect of the project will include an historical analysis of governance initiatives to understand the processes of identity formation in the conflicts societies.
Theme B: The impact of governance agendas on conflict resolution on local level and the reverse
• How are governance initiatives conceived by the various affected populations in the local host-societies?
o Through surveys, interviews and process-based fieldwork, CORE will foster an understanding of how the governance initiatives have been received by various actors of the conflicts, and, subsequently, their relevance for assuring sustainable peace in host-societies.
• What are the major factors in the conflicts and which governance issues are central to their resolution?
o Through state-of the art literature review (WP2), and subsequent field work (WP5), CORE will analyse the causes for contemporary conflicts of Bosnia, Bihar, Cyprus, Georgia, North East India and Kashmir. It will assess which problematic related to these conflicts are rooted in issues of governance, and form recommendations for necessary governance initiatives to resolve these.
• What are the local implications of governance initiatives on identity conflicts- both regarding spatial, political and social factors?
o In the project’s case conflicts issues of identity mobilisation, land distribution and majority-minority social and economical in/equality, are all central. The field
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10 works will address these issues and assess whether the liberal framework of democracy, private ownership of land, and human rights policies sufficiently address the roots of the conflicts.
Theme C: Socio-economic and political conditions for sustainable resolution of conflict
• To what extent can actors and processes of governance adapt to local cultural systems and practices and still be in accordance with the principles of human rights and democracy?
Which of the initiatives have been successful in creating such hybrid structures and norms?
o The mapping of governance initiatives (WP3) and subsequent field work (WP5) will lead to a comparative analysis of various governance actors and programmes. From this comparative analysis, CORE will draw lessons on for future conflict resolution agendas.
• What are the social, political and economical conditions necessary for sustainable conflict resolution processes in the case studies?
o Through addressing local cultural, political and economical factors of conflict in the field work, CORE will assess which conditions are necessary for a sustainable peace.
• To what extent are (changes in) socio-economical environment influencing/escalating conflict where identity mobilization is prominent, and how can these issues be politically addressed?
o The project’s fieldwork will in particular assess the issue of identity in relation to global changes in economy and societal fabric. De-territorialisation, migration and increasingly open markets are factor that affect conflicts, and through systematic questionnaires and interviews in host-societies, the project will address how these changes affect the conflicts.
The interdisciplinary investigation of the questions listed above will complement an existing theoretical body on conflict resolution and governance with theories and perspectives reflecting the academic background of the project members. This includes sociology, social anthropology, cultural theory, postcolonial studies, law, conflict resolution/transformation and ethics/philosophy.
During the first phase of the project (WP2 and 3), the researchers will apply existing theories and literature within their respective fields to the questions of the themes. This prepares the ground for the empirical part of the study, where the same questions will be applied to five cases of governance in a search for case specific answers to the general research themes (WP4). The case studies will be conducted by teams consisting of both Indian and European researchers.
The case studies will involve a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative element implies field work conducted by teams consisting of both native and foreign researchers. The quantitative method involves the collection and analysis of all governance actors and approaches involved in the cases (WP3). The findings from the cases will be integrated in the subsequent analyses (WP4-6). Here, the researchers will return to complementary aspects of the thematic areas in a consorted effort at illuminating the research question from all relevant sides.
Through this exercise, the project will enter its final phase by turning to concrete implications for EU policies to promote peace, human rights and democracy (WP6).
The cases represent different types and concerns of conflict resolution and different regions of India and Europe. This is to get as nuanced a picture possible. Hence, the idea is not to generate
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11 empirical data from the various countries for a generalized comparative analysis without first analysing each specific case. The results of the separate case studies will nonetheless play into general debates on the questions under study. The primary cases of the project are: Bihar, Bosnia, Cyprus, Georgia, North East India and Kashmir. These studies will draw on recent research from the larger universe of conflict resolution, including Kosovo, Burundi, Nepal, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, the Sudan, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Cambodia, Aceh and Guatemala.
B.1.2 Progress beyond state of the art