Partitions: Reshaping States and Minds

The partition of the Indian sub-continent, the collapse of the Soviet Union and erstwhile Yugoslavia, the reunification of Germany, the continuing feud between the two Koreas, the Irish peace process, the case of Israel/Palestine and the lingering division of Cyprus have together fuelled new thinking on the strategy and acts of partitioning countries, states, nations and continuities. They have also given rise to a huge body of literature. However, studies of partitions have usually focused on individual cases. This innovative volume uses a comparative analysis to fill the gap in partition studies and examines cross-cutting issues such as: Violence State formation and state building Regional politics Union and regional unification Peace policies Transitional strategies Geopolitics Historical experiences of de-colonization and transition Forms of violence and violent transition are worthy of analysis in their ownright; the impact of various forms of violence on current politics, such as ethnological and territorial conflicts or religious pogroms, is not confined to a locality that witnesses the partition of polity - its impact is global. And as there is a strong link between partition, local violence and globalisation, there is a real need for a cutting-edge comparative framework that goes beyond area-centric readings but is gender sensitive, and sums up the experiences and implications of partition. This book will of great interest to historians, political scientists, philosophers, policy-makers, international relations experts and peace building institutions and practitioners, and political scientists.

Rada Ivekovic is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Saint Etienne, France.