In the article “The Crisis of Peacekeeping: Why the UN Can’t End Wars”, the author Severine Autesserre examines the history of UN peacekeeping missions and operations and details why these operations are often ineffective in restoring peace to chaotic, war torn areas. The author goes on to prescribe a “bottom-up” approach of empowering local individuals instead focusing on implementing the dictates of uninterested foreign powers.
I agree with the author that such an approach would greatly increase the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping mission and I believe that such an approach would work to defuse the current conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno Karabakh. A ceasefire that was negotiated by the Russian government has failed to hold and I believe that the reason for this happening is that they are not really trying to get the local powers to find a solution themselves, rather, they are trying to just stop the fighting so as to prevent the situation growing out of hand.
Harry,
I suspect that there is a good deal of truth in the point your making. But the ethnic hatreds and conflict in regions such as Nagorno-Karabahk go back a very long way, and it is very hard for the local leaders to overcome their myopia and biases to sit down and negotiate. And the historic difficulties between Armenia and Azerbaijan go back even further, with each side supported by large neighboring countries. Remember that, to this day, Turkey (which supports Azerbaijan) denies that it committed genocide against the Armenians. –Professor Wallerstein