Editorial: EPIS Report on Peacekeeping & Conflict Prevention - Issue I

Intro – EPIS Report

Dear reader,

In times of global power shifts, conflicts are erupting all over the world. This historic high since the Second World War is changing the way we live together. These developments are reshaping our alliances, economies, and the very structures that have shaped our global coexistence for decades. With these escalating crises, the need to reinvigorate and rethink solutions for peace has never been more urgent. 

In this report, we outline the current trends in international peace efforts. We discuss the global balance of power and the new position of global players. The change of power in the US, the EU still seeking its position, NATO and the United Nations – once guarantors of international peace and security – are now challenged by internal division an eroded commitment to multilateralism.

Yet our report also highlights progress. Tangible practices that offer new opportunities for peacebuilding. We discuss new perspectives on strategy, equality and effectiveness, and we analyse promising new approaches that utilise new technologies. 

Today, the concepts of peace and security are more intertwined than ever – sometimes appearing synonymous. While equating the two terms obscures their unique essence, it is essential to understand the interdependence of the two concepts. Peace comes from security, just as there can be no security without peace.

Two things have become clear in the development of this report: 

First, where there are conflicts, there is always conflict resolution. Around the world, countless individuals and organisations are working tirelessly to promote peace. Even if these efforts are not always successful, it is a powerful and hopeful thought to know that people stand up for one another. Today, it is important to be reassured of this.

Second, we are in a critical phase of upheaval in human history. Conflicts are the symptoms of global power shifts, disruptive technologies, new and recurring beliefs. In order to shape this transition, we are all called upon to do our part, whether small or large. In doing so, we must pursue both security and peace.

As young academics, we strive to find new solutions, taking responsibility for our very future. This report is intended to be a small but not insignificant contribution – by raising awareness of the crises and, at the same time, discovering ways of overcoming them. 

We wish you secure and peaceful read.