This episode of The IR thinker asks why some regions become durable zones of peace while others remain mired in recurrent conflict, in conversation with Professor Arie M. Kacowicz. Drawing on his work on the Zone of Peace concept, the discussion traces its theoretical origins, engages with and moves beyond notions such as security communities, and asks how perspectives from the Global South can help to decolonise peace theory. Comparing cases such as South America, West Africa, ASEAN and the Middle East, the episode explores the conditions under which regional orders transition from conflict to stable peace, how norms of non-interference and regional solidarity operate in practice, and what the framework can offer to contemporary policy debates, including the tension between democracy, authoritarian stability and the preservation of peace.

Arie M. Kacowicz

Professor Arie M. Kacowicz holds the Chaim Weizmann Chair in International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he has taught since 1993. A leading peace scholar, he has served as Chair of the Department of International Relations and as President of the Israeli Association of International Studies. His research spans alternative pathways for resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the role of international society, the international relations of Latin America, globalisation and International Relations theory. His current programme focuses on the normative dimensions of international relations, peace research and regional orders, with particular attention to how zones of peace emerge, endure and may be replicated in other parts of the world.

Publications:

Peaceful Territorial Change

Explaining Zones of Peace: Democracies as Satisfied Powers?

Zones of Peace in the Third World: South America and West Africa in Comparative Perspective

The Impact of Norms in International Society: The Latin American Experience, 1881 - 2001

Content

00:00 - Introduction

02:28 - The Genesis of Zone of Peace Theory: From Regional Puzzles to Global Concepts

06:21 - Why Study Peace Over Conflict? A Scholar’s Perspective

07:58 - Theoretical Foundations: Which IR Schools Shaped Zone of Peace Theory?

12:25 - Beyond Security Communities: Distinguishing Zones of Peace from Deutsch’s Framework

19:28 - Decolonizing Peace Theory: Addressing Global South Perspectives in IR

23:36 - South America vs West Africa: Why Some Regions Achieve Lasting Peace

29:01 - ASEAN’s Peaceful Paradox: Non-Interference Despite Internal Tensions

35:48 - From Conflict to Peace: Can the Middle East Transform Its Security Dynamics?

48:01 - Practical Applications: Using Zone of Peace Theory in Today’s World

58:49 - Authoritarian States and Peace: Navigating Democracy vs Stability

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