Vol. 25, No. 4 (1998)

During the 1990s, the conventional approach to peacemaking in most of the countries torn by internal conflict and violence has been for powerful countries to establish a cease-fire between warring parties, followed by imposition of the dominant model of markets and electoral politics. This "neoliberal" approach is designed to put in place the institutional forms of a peaceful society without seriously considering questions of social justice.

The contributions to this special issue of Social Justice encompass a wide variety of divergent cases, ranging from Palestine/Israel, Guatemala, Northern Ireland, the former Yugoslavia, and South Africa to the inner cities of the U.S. Despite the differences, these case studies and the overview presented here are informed by a shared skepticism about the long-term effects of neoliberal peacemaking. In fact, it is not even clear which of these agreements will hold to the opening year of the 21st century.

Despite their skepticism, the articles presented here also reflect a shared desire to examine carefully the possibilities that peace processes can lead to social reconciliation as a solution and an alternative to organized violence within societies. It is this tension between skepticism about existing realities and the goal and vision of social reconciliation on the basis of social justice that unites the articles in this volume.