Peace research as security studies - security studies as peace research

In his keynote to the inaugural Brazilian Peace Research Conference, Stefano Guzzini gave an overview of the development of peace research and some of its central tenets.

The first part of the talk dealt with 'why war'. It showed how peace research developed from a critique of realism, prepared by realists themselves. Aron and Wolfers noted that international behaviour is not determined by international anarchy. Hence, realist visions of the eternal return of history are just as intenable as liberal visions of inevitable progress. Peace research derived from this indeterminacy the possibility of peaceful change or non-violent conflict resolution. Its analysis centers on all the process that lead to violence, such as learning pathologies, enemy-images, but also the structural violence in the triple development of international capitalism, state-building and ideological evolution - and the realist mindset itself which engenders a self-fulfilling prophecy. Peace research is here a way to move away from strategic studies to a wider conception of security studies.

The second part touched the question of 'how peace'. After showing a variety of approaches that have theorised processes that lead to non-violence in Critical Security Studies and Constructivism, the talk insisted also on the practical component of all peace research. This can show in (1) the short-term studies and lessons for conflict resolution and sustainable peace building, (2) the analysis and critique of the institutional context within which politics is done and thought (e.g. the role of the media and private actors like military companies), and finally (3) in long-term peace education which is not only taking place in schools but also in cooperation workshops in local communities. Security studies is here itself understood as peace research.