ABSTRACT
Prevention of deadly conflict is a lifelong challenge, a challenge of preparedness for the whole life of a conflict, from its early potential for escalation to a final paroxysm of violence. Prevention after all is a paradox. Conflict is a natural, important, and useful element inherent in human behavior. It involves strongly held, committed, even existential motives from which individuals and states are not likely to be dissuaded. Preventers, after all, are whistleblowers, trying to change the course of events as they see them gain momentum toward disaster. The existing world order rests on pervasive prevention of deadly conflict, and particularly of crimes against humanity and genocide, its most egregious form. Conflict prevention in search of best practices must begin at a distance from the ultimate outbreak of violence or its warning signs, and must look for broadly held attitudes that serve as standards for prevention and management in various types of conflict situations.
