ABSTRACT
Both democracy and peace need be conceived and analyzed in their dynamics, not so much as states of affairs or once and for good achieved results, but primarily as unfolding processes of human search for broader freedom and more harmony in social relations. Democratization is the leading vehicle of contemporary political change. It represents a variety of nested processes whereby many formerly autocratic states in the Second and Third world attempt to establish more participatory and responsive political systems. Scholars draw a crucial distinction between liberalization and democratization, the two types of political changes that frequently occurred in the Second and Third Worlds. Successful transitions from authoritarian rule do not somehow lead more or less naturally to consolidated democracies. Democracy is linked to conflict and represents a particular system to peacefully process conflicts which permits them to play a constructive role in socio-political interactions.
