Peace Issues in the 21st Century Global Context

Since the two Hague (Netherlands) multilateral peace conferences of 1899 and 1907, the fundamental issue of world peace and its long-term realization has engaged scholars, diplomats, statesmen, and students of international relations. This book presents a new endeavor in this direction through a collection of papers selected from the recent conferences of the Canadian Peace Research Association and independent scholars. Descriptive, analytical, constructive and balanced ideas and solutions in this text represent alternatives for the global community to be collectively secure and peaceful. This volume examines world peace in its foundational, descriptive, conceptual, and prescriptive aspects, and as a social and human concept in positive and negative contexts, including: the nonviolent perspective of peace; women theorists on peace and war; empowerment of women as peacemakers; and, peace research and education under siege. On violence and war, the topics included are the theory of violence, the new faces of war, including military robots, electromagnetic and information weapons, the cyber warfare and the militarization of neuroscience. In the area of case studies, Iran and nuclear deterrence, the Baha’i faith and Iran; the Western Sahara, Sudan and South Sudan, and the challenges of a Palestinian Nation are analysed. In addition, there is focus on the need to establish a Department of Peace in Canada and an attempt to seek establishment of world peace through direct democracy. This book will advance an understanding of the historic struggle and failures, as well as the accomplishments and shortcomings for peaceful change and a just world order. It will be of direct interest to students of political science, diplomacy, history, social science, international law, human rights, and other cognate disciplines.