The Peace Report 2012 focuses on the global power transitions from the Atlantic to the Pacific and their consequences for German and European peace policy. The transatlantic alliance’s global dominance is diminishing; it is currently losing its first war in Afghanistan. Moreover, the West is immersed in its financial, debt, and economic crises, while the BRICS states are becoming more and more confident, especially China. In brief: We are living in a time of transition. At the same time, state power is gradually diffusing towards non-state actors: The “markets” act as though they were entities with ultimate authority, rating agencies push individual states and the entire European Union around; transnational crime is on the rise; and the end of transnational terrorism is nowhere in sight. These trends are outside the control of single countries and call for a new form of cooperative defense. In addition, new forms of media are continuously reaching further into more and more aspects of life, social boundaries are becoming blurred and there is an ever-widening gap between rich and poor. The ability of politicians to govern – both at the national and the international level – is being questioned from many sides, while new social movements indicate a flourishing sense of self-confidence in civil society. The 2012 Peace Report will shed light on the insecurities arising from these two dimensions of the current shifts in global power, analyze and evaluate their consequences whether violent or peaceful, and outline political solutions.
This year’s Peace Report also looks to the South, which is confronted with profound changes, too. What direction will the Arab Spring take in the Middle East and North Africa? Revolutions, civil wars, and continuously increasing threats of war in the Middle East keep the world on tenterhooks and require critical analysis, reflection, and prudent policies.
Official press release (German only)
Table of contents (German only)
Preface (German only)
The Peace Report is the joint yearbook of the institutes of peace and conflict research in Germany. It has been published annually since 1987. Researchers from various disciplines examine ongoing international conflicts from the perspective of peace strategy. Their analyses are the basis for the editors’ statement which summarizes and assesses the results and formulates recommendations for peace and security policies in Germany and Europe.
The Peace Report 2012 is issued on behalf of the four peace research institutes in the Federal Republic of Germany by:
Bruno Schoch of the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF)
Corinna Hauswedell of the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC)
Janet Kursawe of the Forschungsstätte der Evangelischen Studiengemeinschaft (FEST)
Margret Johannsen of the Institut für Friedensforschung und Sicherheitspolitik an der Universität Hamburg (IFSH)
It continues to be supported by the German Foundation for Peace Research.
LIT Verlag Münster
ISBN 978-3-643-11598-0
12.90 Euro
Further information about the Peace Report can be obtained at www.friedensgutachten.de
Press contact for Peace Report:
Dr Christiane Fröhlich
Mobile +49 (0)151 226 540 66
E-Mail: presse@friedensgutachten.de