The Comparative Context for Peace Building

Abstract

It may appear facile to suggest comparisons exist between three countries so obviously different in their social, geo-political and economic characteristics as Northern Ireland, Israel and South Africa. One obvious similarity is that all three countries are, to a greater or lesser extent, ‘coming out of conflict’ and, as a consequence, merit academic enquiry to uncover common characteristics which could promote peace building policy learning both within and between Northern Ireland, Israel and South Africa and, more generally, in other conflict zones. There are, however, different views on the validity of this approach. Giliomee (1990: 1–2), for example, argues that there is an abundance of individual studies about the three countries and a public perception that a common thread runs through the ‘troubles’ in Ulster, the ‘unrest’ in South Africa and the ‘intifada’ in the occupied territories, but ‘with notable exceptions, scholars have been curiously reluctant to embark on systematic comparisons which aim at drawing conclusions by viewing South Africa, Northern Ireland and Israel together’. Cedric Thornberry (1998: 12), former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the other hand, argues that whilst analogy can be helpful, one must beware of drawing close parallels between situations. ‘This is why I am sometimes a little sceptical about some academic work in the field of conflict resolution.