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Abstract
The emergence and development of the field of conflict resolution had taken roots dated back to 1960s in different parts of Europe and the USA. The field was introduced after a rigorous research on having an alternate mechanism through which local or international disputes and conflicts can be managed and then ultimately resolved peacefully. In Europe, the field was successfully introduced and utilized in best possible manner. Whereas, in third world countries, the development of the field is deplorably slower, in Pakistan, conflict resolution, as a field and discipline could not emerge as a popular one. With the existence of numerous intra-state issues, economic and socio-religious conflicts, the field is limitedly known and attended. Despite being taught as one of the optional/compulsory courses, conflict resolution could not be established as an avidly studied subject in Pakistan. Most of the time, students and researchers refer the discipline as an idealistic notion, which has no application in practical realm. The paper focuses on the existence of conflict resolution as a subject and field in Pakistani society. It tries to trace the scope of the field in the country. The paper also contains main challenges and impediments towards the growth of the discipline. Ways to improve the situation and less popularity of the subject will also be suggested in the paper.
Keywords: Conflict Resolution, Conflict Management, Conflict Transformation, Conflict Prevention, Crisis Management, Conflict Analysis, Conflict Assessment
Introduction
Conflict Resolution (CR) is an interdisciplinary subject, originating from International Relations, Peace Studies, and Political/Diplomatic History of Europe etc. It had started emerging as a separate discipline in Europe since the 1960s with the growing threat to human security due to prevalent nuclear arms race between two power blocs i.e. the United States and the then Soviet Union. The field thoroughly established with the end of Cold War and innovative ideas to the resolution of world conflicts contributed further to the progress of peace and conflict resolution research. The discipline is in its embryonic stage in developing countries. Yet conflict resolution research faces numerous conundrums to be perceived as an independent field of study and research by the educated strata of the Third World societies.
In Pakistan, the discipline could not be considered as a separate or an independent...