Regional approaches to conflict prevention: The effectiveness of rhetorical and diplomatic tools

Jori Breslawski, David Cunningham and Madeline Fleishman
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Jori Breslawski: 26745Tel Aviv University, Israel
David Cunningham: 1068University of Maryland, USA
Madeline Fleishman: 1068University of Maryland, USA

Conflict Management and Peace Science, 2024, vol. 41, issue 6, 627-648

Abstract: Research has shown that international actors can contribute to resolving violent conflicts. In this article, we focus on conflict prevention, and argue that tools that are relatively non-invasive and rapid to deploy are effective at preventing conflict from escalating. We identify two tools that meet these criteria—rhetorical and diplomatic action, and argue that regional organizations are particularly poised to deploy these tools successfully. Drawing upon new data, we find that rhetorical and diplomatic actions deployed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are generally associated with reductions in violent events as well as fatalities in the following month.

Keywords: Conflict prevention; diplomacy; ECOWAS; mediation; regional organization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:compsc:v:41:y:2024:i:6:p:627-648

DOI: 10.1177/07388942231209730

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