Intersections: Pluralism and Conflict Prevention


Publication Date: September 2020

Author: Stefan Wolff

Biography

Stefan Wolff

Stefan Wolff is Professor of International Security at Birmingham University, and is an expert on the prevention, management and settlement of ethnic conflicts. He frequently advises governments and international organizations and has been involved in various stages of peace negotiations including in Iraq, Sudan, Moldova, Sri Lanka and Kosovo. He has published over 80 articles and book chapters, as well as 17 books, including Ethnic Conflict: A Global Perspective.

Many conflicts around the world stem from the treatment of diversity. Long-standing economic inequalities between groups or the systematic exclusion of certain groups from political power often lead to conflict. A pluralistic approach to conflict prevention requires practitioners to identify the divisions and exclusions in a society that can lead to violence long before conflict is imminent. Paying careful attention to these early warnings of conflict, and addressing them before they are exacerbated, can pave the way for institutional and cultural environments that foster inclusion and thus, more sustainable peace.