Proscribing Peace: How Listing Armed Groups as Terrorists Hurts Negotiations

Proscribing peace offers a new perspective on peace negotiations by examining the impact of proscription on the timing and sequencing of peace processes. It introduces the concept of a 'linguistic ceasefire' to explain why certain conflicts remain stuck in the 'terrorist framing' while others emerge from it. By separating the act and the actor, it suggests that international policy can better consider the violent actions of both armed groups and the state and promote change and peace.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 07 March 2023
Publisher: Manchester University Press

Proscribing peace offers a comprehensive examination of the impact of proscription on peace negotiations. Through the introduction of the concept of 'linguistic ceasefire,' Haspeslagh expands our understanding of the timing and sequencing of peace processes within the context of proscription. This concept holds significant relevance for more than half of the conflicts worldwide where an armed group is designated as a terrorist organization, aiding in explaining why certain conflicts persist in the 'terrorist framing' while others transcend it. International proscription regimes criminalize both the actor and the act of terrorism. Proscribing peace advocates for the separation of acts and actors, urging a shift in international policy to prioritize consideration of violent actions by both armed groups and states. By divorcing the act and the actor, Haspeslagh argues, the potential for change and, ultimately, peace arises.

Weight: 372g
Dimension: 155 x 234 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526171566