10: Utility of Force in the 21st Century

The execution of systematic, organised violence by military, paramilitary, terrorist or even criminal organisations is a key phenomenon of today s armed conflicts. This overwhelming violence not only causes the death of hundreds of thousands of people, it also poses a threat to international peace and security.

Two fundamental questions must be explored: firstly, what are the aims and strategies of protagonists in conflict and how do they exercise violence to achieve them? Secondly, we must focus on the international community s handling of security challenges and its response to violence in conflicts. In particular, we will examine the contribution of peacekeepers in countering and ending armed struggles, while simultaneously highlighting the limitations of their engagement.

The focus of this seminar is two-fold. On the one hand, it is concerned with a typology of protagonists in conflict and their deployment of force as a key strategic element. On the other hand, it investigates the international community s use of regular military forces as a tool to counter violence.