ANNUAL PEACE NETWORK CONFERENCE
THE CONFERENCE THEME

Democracy as we think of it today is a relatively recent phenomenon. Modern democracy, where leaders are chosen through fair and competitive elections in countries respecting the rule of law and ensuring basic civil liberties, only dates from the 18th century. Most of us would agree that democratization is a process through which such a regime is adopted. However, what that process looks like, and the determination of whether democratization has taken place and if so in which form and to what extent, are much debated topics in the social sciences. Democratization is a field where unexpected and sudden events have repeatedly challenged conventional wisdom. Fore example, who in the mid-1970s would have foreseen the democratization of Cambodia, Albania, South Africa or East Timor? The developments in Georgia, and the advances toward democratic rule in Indonesia and Paraguay, have tested, and is testing, many of our previous assumptions. Our current ‘wave’ of democratization is complex and diverse, ranging from the case of Kyrgyzstan to the efforts towards democratization by force in Iraq, and understanding it requires a variety of theoretical approaches. These rapid and thorough societal changes in many parts of the world present important challenges and opportunities for policymakers as well as the research community.

Most of the literature on democracy assumes that it is the best form of government. In fact, in contemporary popular and academic discourse on Afghanistan and Iraq, the mere imposition of democracy was prescribed as the most important step towards peace. Theoretical works on democratic transition and democratization have also emphasized the internal conflict resolution capacity of democracy. It has been reasoned that democracy reduces the likelihood of discrimination, especially of ethno-political minorities, and thus the possibility of political repression. However, the democratic peace theory has not been explicitly tested with reference to third world post-colonial states, where most internal violent conflicts take place. Certainly, there is a dearth of practical advice for policy makers on how to design and implement democratic levers that can make internal peace and stability endure in the South.

This conference, drawing on the work of a variety of scholars participating in eight different panels, will contribute to identifying and understanding the challenges and opportunities of this ‘democratization project’ to the peace and development of the world.

The Swedish Network of Peace, Conflict and Development Research will, in cooperation with Anthem Press, London, publish an edited volume of the most significant contributions to the conference. Also, some of the contributions will appear in the series Working Papers in Peace, Conflict and Development Research, published by the network.