The fascinating and controversial (but also personal) story of a
6-year research program based at Uppsala University that, instead
of explaining conflict, has sought to explain peace, and to gauge
its quality and sustainability. Specifically, the program has
sought to understand the dramatic drop in battle deaths in East
Asia (including Southeast Asia) from the 1980s, just as warfare
worsened in the rest of the world. The book recounts heated
discussions to explain this 'East Asian Peace'. Was it due to a
changing power balance? The ASEAN Way? China's 'peaceful
development' doctrine? Growing economic interdependence? Or, as the
author contends, a series of national priority shifts by powerful
Asian leaders who prioritized economic growth and thus needed
external and internal stability? The book also deals with civil as
well as international conflict, and discusses why Thailand, Myanmar
and the Philippines have not yet achieved internal peace. The
author recounts his debates with colleagues who find it difficult
to accept that a region with unresolved disputes, rising arms
expenditure, massive human rights violations, and high domestic
violence can be called 'peaceful'. East Asia, they say, has just a
'negative peace' or relative absence of war. Though he holds that a
'negative peace' has tremendous positive value, Tonnesson does
ponder its future. For instance, can China keep peace with its
neighbors? A rare combination of detached analysis and personal
narrative, the book examines developments in the world's most
important region while also telling the story of how researchers
with different assumptions develop rival theories and predictions.
A companion volume to the main output of the Uppsala peace research
program, Debating the East Asian Peace, this study will be of
especial interest to not only scholars and students but also
policy-makers, NGOs, businesses, journalists and many others
engaged with the peace, stability and prosperity of the East Asian
region.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
