What is it about?
This chapter examines how risks associated with identity—such as ethnicity, religion, and culture—play a significant role in fueling conflicts worldwide. It explains how people’s sense of belonging to different groups can both unite and divide societies, and how, in many cases, these identities become linked with fears and uncertainties that can lead to violence or political struggles. The chapter also highlights how these risks are shaped by history, politics, and social changes, urging us to think about conflicts in a deeper, more human way.
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Why is it important?
This chapter is important because it challenges simplistic explanations of conflict that overlook the profound emotional and social factors associated with identity and risk. Understanding these links helps us see why some conflicts are so hard to solve and why effective peacebuilding must address people’s fears and sense of belonging, not just political power or economic interests. It also shows that by rethinking risks and identities, policymakers and scholars can find new paths to peace that are more inclusive and respectful of diverse societies.
Perspectives
Writing this chapter enabled me to synthesize many years of research and reflection on how identity and risk influence conflicts in various regions. It has reinforced my belief that understanding human emotions, histories, and social bonds is key to addressing violence and instability. I hope this work encourages others to look beyond traditional security frameworks and to engage more with the complex realities of communities living with conflict.
Professor Hamdy A. Hassan
Zayed University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Risk, Identity and Conflict: A Critical Overview, January 2021, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-1486-6_1.
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