ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines selected topics dealing with important developments in academic scholarship on peace and conflict and offers constructive suggestions for moving forward. The Center for International Development and Conflict Management (CIDCM) at the University of Maryland has produced the Peace and Conflict book series since 2001. Peace and Conflict 2016 began a new partnership between the University of Maryland and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. Peace and Conflict 2017, the ninth edition in this series, marks a shift to an annual release cycle. The primary purpose of this change is to keep abreast with ongoing developments in the world so as to enhance the value of the publication, especially for those readers who seek more current material for use in regular cycles of planning, teaching, research, and reporting.