Channels, Fall 2018

Page 52 Holm • A Call to Peace the framework for the Colombian peace process incorporated six issues that were vital to both parties. Both frameworks also recognized the goal of the peace process, which was to end decades of fighting and violence. Peace processes do not occur in a vacuum. The Colombian peace process benefited greatly from the success of the Northern Irish peace process, to the extent that it was able to build upon and innovate the idea of a peace process. Conclusion Peace processes are incredibly complex: successful ones are the work of years of hard work. Today, many peace processes utilize third-party actors and clear frameworks in order to maximize their chances of success. It is hard to imagine a Northern Irish peace process without Senator Mitchell, as he played such a crucial role in the mediation. However, Senator Mitchell would probably not have gotten involved if President Clinton had not become involved in the Northern Irish peace process, which he did partly as a result from the tireless lobbying efforts of Irish-Americans. In the same way, without the supporting countries, it is highly unlikely that the Colombian government and FARC could have even met. Modern peace processes benefit greatly from mediation from third-party actors. As in the case of Colombia, these third-party actors can be other countries. Cuba hosted the peace talks, and Norway acted as a guarantor country, an important role when tensions rose. Similarly, without clear frameworks both peace processes probably would have failed. As the title suggests, peace is a process. As such, a peace deal should not be thought of as the end of the peace process. In many ways, the peace deal is still the beginning stages. Often, the most difficult part is the implementation as a peace deal inherently excludes those most affected and are typically negotiated by a select group. In Comparative Peace Processes, Jonathan Tonge acknowledges this by saying the following: The achievement of a peace deal is merely one step towards managing a Conflict. Resolution of the conditions or divisions which yielded violence requires a much longer-term effort. Peace processes are thus sustained, non-linear constructions, beset by regular reversals, given that, at their most comprehensive, they cover decades of shifts from violence to constitutional politics; the management of division and ultimately, the resolution of the underlying problems which precipitated violence (Tonge, 2014). Bearing this quote in mind, no peace process should be thought of as non-reversible. For example, factors such as Brexit could impact Northern Ireland and reawaken tensions between various groups ( Connely, 2018 ). The Colombian peace process is still in its early stages. It remains to be seen how the presidential elections in May will impact the peace process. With the disarmament of FARC there is the possibility that other guerilla groups will simply take their place. Notably, the peace deal was with FARC, not ELN. However, since peace processes are non-linear, setbacks and difficulties do not equate to failure. In both of these cases, the parties involved have taken significant strides towards the