Making Terrorism History
by Scilla Elworthy and Gabrielle Rifkind
Rider Peace studies

1 INTRODUCTION

Terrorism and political violence have assumed a new profile around the world. Resolving intractable conflicts, especially when some of those involved in them are not acting on behalf of states, has become an even more urgent task since the September 11 attacks and the subsequent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

To achieve peace and security,we now need strategies to combat the use of terror in political and territorial conflicts. But too often this terror is exacerbated - indeed sometimes even triggered - by the actions of governments, both democratic and non-democratic. In this turbulent world, many of the old methods of dealing with conflict seem to be unable to deal with the new realities. Force of arms is not sufficient to establish peaceful order.Military victory is not enough to prevent future violence.Whether we are considering Iraq, al- Qaeda, Chechnya or the Middle East, it is clear that simply trying to hit back and to destroy the 'enemy', the 'terrorists' or the political opponents provides only short-term solutions.

In fact the evidence suggests that such strategies serve only to increase both the level of violence and the yawning chasm between the two sides. The vast superiority in military and economic power of states - American,British,Russian, Israeli - is unable to subdue opponents and bring peace. New thinking and new approaches are needed.

We argue that such strategies will never be successful unless they address the full range of factors that fuel cycles of violence and influence the use of terror.These include the economic, social and cultural context in which violence is sustained. Perhaps even more important, they also include the emotional and psychological effects of violence and humiliation - factors often missing from traditional approaches to counter-terrorism, and especially the 'war on terror'.

Much more is known about how to reduce and prevent violence than our current public debate about terrorism acknowledges. A careful analysis of the root causes of political violence reveals the persistent influence of powerlessness, exclusion, trauma and humiliation, and knowledge of this could usefully inform and influence the development of new security measures.These will be effective to the extent that they are based on principles of non-violence,mutual respect and dialogue, and involve neutral third parties as necessary.

The need for armed intervention and the consistent threat of it may never be eliminated from the way the world is governed. But minimising the use and costs of such intervention is a realistic goal,which all of us have a moral responsibility to pursue.

In Making Terrorism History we suggest a different approach to violent conflicts, prioritising the human factor that is often neglected in such situations.We then propose proven practical steps that can - and should - be taken in a wide range of contexts, including Iraq, Israel-Palestine, and also our own towns and cities. In chapter 7 ('What can be done?') we set out a range of measures to resolve and prevent conflict without the use of force. Some of these measures need to be taken at the international level, some at the local level.There are also many initiatives that we can - and perhaps must - take in our own communities to encourage a new society built on understanding, respect and dialogue (see pp. 85-9).The aim is not just to seek immediate resolutions to armed conflict, but also to address and prevent the conditions in which it can be triggered.

Terrorism never entirely can be made history, but how we tackle it will determine whether we exacerbate the problem. Understanding the psychological and emotional causes of political violence is often dismissed as, at best, a nice extra, or, at worst, a harmful distraction from our real world goals.We argue that, rather than being peripheral, the need for a sense of human security must be the starting point of all approaches to terror, political violence and insurgency.This is the only route to lasting peace, and we all have a part to play.

RRP £3.99 • Paperback
Publication Date: 02/02/2006 • 96 pages • A format • ISBN: 1846040477

All material ©The Random House Group