by The Economist
Comfort Ero, President of the International Crisis Group, reflects in this interview with The Economist on three decades of conflict resolution, and the hard-earned lessons learned along the way.
For her,
” Three stand out. The first is that addressing conflicts before they escalate remains far more effective than waiting for them to burn out of control and trying to make peace.
The second is that in almost all conflicts, it is useful to engage all the warring parties to hear how they articulate their perspectives, however hardline and obstreperous they may be.
Third, as much as great-power competition and middle-power engagement are shaping the conflict landscape, local dynamics are often the key to understanding what makes parties fight, and how to persuade them to stop. If we can understand these dynamics, there remains enough shared interest in de-escalating violence, in some parts of the world, that peacemaking efforts can still gain traction.”
Read her full interview here
