Peace Operations and the Promotion of Cosmopolitanism

Abstract

The article explores the possibility for peace operations to function as a channel for diffusion of norms and values, and it attempts to identify conditions and circumstances conducive to the diffusion of cosmopolitanism. Cosmopolitanism is here regarded as a political alternative to nationalism, and cosmopolitan values are perceived to stand in opposition to identity politics and other exclusive ideologies. Hence, cosmopolitanism may contribute to create conditions for peaceful conflict resolution and the prevention of conflict, and norms pertaining to conflict prevention are considered to have cosmopolitan characteristics. Hence, the diffusion of norms pertaining to conflict prevention may more specifically contribute to impede conflict. The UN mission UNPREDEP and the EU missions Concordia and Proxima to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) are analyzed to explore their capability to promote cosmopolitanism and diffuse norms such as those pertaining to the prevention of violent conflicts. The analysis suggests that both the UN mission and to a greater extent the EU missions provided opportunities to diffuse a cosmopolitan vision emphasizing conflict prevention to Macedonia. Cosmopolitanism was promoted as a long-term preventive strategy and as an alternative to the identity-based politics that caused inter-ethnic tensions between the majority of ethnic Macedonians and the largest minority consisting of ethnic Albanians.