The new case brief by Wenche Iren Hauge examines the Guatemalan peace process from 1990 to
1996 as an early example of the inclusion of civil society in a negotiation process.
The Guatemalan case is an important
illustration of the challenge in having
to prioritize between different norms
in a peace process – and in this
case, ending violence came before
important implications of inclusivity
on other issues on the negotiation
agenda.
In the Guatemalan case, civil society had an
influence on the negotiations between the government and the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG), but on some sensitive
and critical issues civil society was prevented
from exerting pressure on the parties. This
case brief looks at the ethical implications of
this situation.
This case brief is a part of the FAIR project which is the first systematic investigation of ethical problems and solutions in peace negotiations and peace mediation. The project engages with existing debates on norms in peace negotiations and explores relevant philosophical perspectives.
