Conflict resolution theories – application to the Russo-Chechen relations

Jurković, Viktorija. (2013). Conflict resolution theories – application to the Russo-Chechen relations. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of East Slavic Languages and Literature > Chair of Russian Literature
Department of Sociology. [mentor Bilandžić, Mirko and Čelić, Željka].

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Abstract

This paper deals with the Russo-Chechen relations with regard to conflict analysis and resolution as a multidisciplinary field. Conflict resolution is not only focused on ceasefire but also on achieving a lasting peace. In addition to the system requirements for eliminating relative deprivation as a risk factor, it is necessary to transform the identities to the extent to which their conflict transfers from the ideal to the real sphere. In the context of conflict analysis and resolution there are a few basic practical steps for resolving conflicts, such as pre-negotiation, negotiation, mediation and arbitration, which are briefly presented in the paper, but their inadequacy in this case was also underlined. In this paper, after presenting basic information on the main actors of the conflict, there is a brief review of the history of Russo-Chechen relations. By applying the appropriate theories of conflict resolution, an analysis of two Chechen wars was made, appropriate for a practical approach to conflict resolution, as well as an analysis the overall context of the Russo-Chechen conflict since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Part of the paper is dedicated to the consequences of the Second Chechen War, the legacy of terrorism and state repression, and rooted antagonism between Russians and Chechens. One of the main theses of this paper is the definition of the Russo-Chechen conflict as an intractable conflict, since it is a long-term destructive conflict which resists constructive resolution. According to the postmodern paradigm intractable conflicts are rooted in the way we understand the world. Conflict is seen as a narrative that provides a context for understanding and interpreting actions and events. In practice, this approach involves running various projects in civil society, whose purpose is raising awareness of the experience of others and relieving or canceling dehumanization and moral exclusion, promoting empathy as the foundation for sustainable peace, and presenting the human perspective of the conflict. This approach has been further argued by presenting the mechanism of the influence of literature on the construction of identity, as it is shown by the example of the construction of Russian national identity. On that note, the few literary examples show the traditional display of the people of Caucasus and Chechens in particular in Russian literature. The concluding proposal of this paper is launching civil projects to exchange conflict experiences between Russians and Chechens, and over time, the distribution of these stories through mass forms of communication.

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