Challenges of Contemporary Conflict

The challenges of contemporary armed and violent conflict derive directly from the nature and characteristics of these situations. Researchers from the fields of peace and conflict studies have identified conflicts patterns that have shaped and reshaped national and international relationships (SIPRI, 1995; Wallensteen and Axell, 1993). While the nature of contemporary international conflict is complex, in constant evolution, and as such defies a simplistic overview, it is also true that a number of key patterns and characteristics can be identified that provide a starting point for what is needed in terms of a responsive peacebuilding framework. At the risk of oversimplifying the complexity, for the purposes of this paper I would like to suggest several key characteristics that stand out in the post-Cold War era evolution of contemporary conflict…