Conclusion: The Management of Peace

Abstract

A peace process is often compared to climbing a mountain, but a mountain range is a better metaphor, and the first peak is usually the ending of violence. All previous expeditions have failed. There are no obvious tracks to the top, nor any maps to provide guidance. The climbers, previously preoccupied with the arts of war, are unaccustomed to compromise and must pick up the skills as they go along. They must rely on each other’s co-operation for survival. To make matters worse, the mountaineering team is composed of people who have previously been at each others’ throats, often literally, and who must now overcome their suspicions and fears to accomplish a common task for the first time. For many, the ending of violence is more than enough.