ABSTRACT
This chapter synthesizes the insights and conclusions of the seven case studies, providing an empirical basis for examining the validity and potential of functional coexistence and furthering the exercise in theory building. Four key themes emerge from the comparison of the cases: the importance of economic well-being, the impact of disincentives for violence, the perceived possibilities for greater political equity and agency among most stakeholders, and the development of patterns of engagement through incremental steps that lay the groundwork for positive relationships. A functional coexistence approach is necessarily slow, deliberate, and incremental, but that is also its strength. Functional coexistence can provide the time and space needed for attitudinal and behavioral changes, including constructive engagement, trust-building, and the creation of positive relationships. At a minimum, the expectation of violence is significantly reduced over time. Despite incompatible political goals and contending visions of the future, a functional coexistence approach has the potential to enable parties to enduring conflicts to slowly move away from subduing the aspirations of and undermining the daily lives of the other. This chapter also explores how an emerging functional coexistence can help conflict parties realize the possibilities of staying constructively engaged in an enduring state of non-resolution.
