ABSTRACT
This chapter identifies key historical events and international agreements that have shaped and defined the field of international conflict management as well as key dilemmas facing the field at this juncture, including the rise of nationalism and the decline in trust of global institutions, the increasing concern with violent extremism and ways to address it, and intrastate wars made more intractable due to regional and global involvement. The chapter also considers the importance of civil society in approaches to international conflict management, and outlines the structure of the chapters to follow.
