Conflict Transformation and Civil Society: The Case of Nagorno-Karabakh
Publisher: Europe-Asia Studies
Author(s): Vincenc Kopecek, Tomas Hoch, and Vladimir Baar
Date: 2016
Topics: Assessment, Conflict Prevention, Monitoring and Evaluation, Programming
Countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan
If Armenian and Azerbaijani negotiators ever agree on the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh, it will not necessarily resolve the long-running conflict, because any peace treaty would require the consent of the Karabakh Armenians, whose political representatives are currently excluded from peace negotiations. It is difficult to imagine the Karabakh Armenians consenting to such a treaty without a change in their perception of the Azerbaijanis. According to the theory of conflict transformation/peacebuilding, Nagorno-Karabakh’s civil society should be able to make a contribution to this change. Using the example of four Nagorno-Karabakh civil society organisations, this study shows how they positively or negatively influence conflict transformation.