The broad contours of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are ever changing. However, one thing that remains constant is a strong commitment, especially by Israeli policymakers, to the “two-state solution,” which advocates for the partition of the historic land of Palestine into two states, one Israeli and one Palestinian. This essay is a retrospective on the two-state solution and the lessons learned from years of scholarship on religion, reconciliation, and conflict transformation that illustrate the solution’s pitfalls. It begins by analyzing the legacy of the original partition plan and how changes resulting from decades of conflict challenge its viability. It then synthesizes scholarship on religion, reconciliation, and the possibilities of collective identity in Palestine/Israel. The essay then articulates an alternative to partition, the “binational solution,” as a way forward that better aligns with the findings of scholars. A final section concludes by discussing avenues for future research and debate.

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe authors take this opportunity to thank Ms. Sue Williamson for granting them her kind permission to display an image of her artwork "Truth Games" in their essay. Ms. Williamson is a South African artist who has dedicated her artistic creativity to address social change in South Africa during and after apartheid. We also thank the Lebanese illustrator and activist Ivan Debs for allowing us to display his illustration of former South African president Nelson Mandela in our essay and for sharing his insightful artistic experience with us through the conducted interview.Additional informationNotes on contributorsElissa GhoussoubElissa Ghoussoub is a young ambitious researcher and advocate for human rights and peace. She holds a Bachelor's degree in law from the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik and a Master's degree in human rights from Notre Dame University. As a post-graduate student, she has conducted academic research in the fields of international law, international affairs, and human rights. Her master's thesis examines the relationship between art and human rights in post-apartheid South Africa and tackles the role of art in transitional justice. She has participated in several human rights workshops and academic programs including the United Nations 59th Graduate Study Program 2021. Her affiliation is Department of Government and International Relations, Notre Dame University, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon. E-mail: eyghoussoub@ndu.edu.lbMaria NoujaimMaria Noujaim is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Law and Political Science at Notre Dame University. Noujaim received her Ph.D. in Politics and International Relations -European Studies- from the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom. Her current interests focus on human security, peacebuilding and reconciliation, and European and Middle Eastern politics. Noujaim served in several positions in Lebanese NGOs that worked on Human Rights Projects. She is the author of "Human Security in a Divided Society" in The Communitarian Nation-State Paradox in Lebanon. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Her affiliation is Department of Government and International Relations, Notre Dame University, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon. E-mail: mnjaim@ndu.edu.lb

Reconciliation is essential for lasting peace and comity between nations. After clarifying its role in bringing together nations riven apart by the currents of history, this article engages with the efforts of actors at the international, national, and community levels in advancing reconciliation among nations. The article summarizes the long arc of strife between the Koreas, and the slow and halting efforts at reconciliation between people who share a common racial and historical heritage. It describes and analyzes some of the key historical events and actors who have either stalled or supported the reconciliation efforts between North Korea and South Korea. It pays attention to the role of not just governmental actors, but also that of civil society and religious institutions. The article concludes by analyzing the prospects for reconciliation and steps that can aid that process.

In this short interview, Denn van Wanrooij, who co-leads ILGA World’s Gender Identity and Expression and Sex Characteristics programme, talks about global organizing around trans and gender diverse rights. They emphasize the need to engage with the various actors resisting anti-gender movements, focusing on solidarity-building across vastly different human rights movements around the world.

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank Kathleen Nygard for interpretation support during the interview and Carlos Andrés Lara Ruiz for translation support ahead of publication.Notes1 FARC is the abbreviation for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia).2 Similar to an intersectional approach, the differential approach recognizes how the impacts of the Colombian conflict vary depending on the gender and sexual orientation, age and ethnicity of members of different populations. See: Dr. Virginia M. Bouvier, “Gender and the Role of Women in Colombia’s Peace Process,” (New York: UN Women, March 4, 2016).3 This truth commission has now published this chapter entitled ‘My Body It Is the Truth: Experiences of women and LGBTIQ+ people in the armed conflict’ and it is available here: https://www.comisiondelaverdad.co/mujeres-y-personas-lgbtiq.Additional informationNotes on contributorsJamie J. HagenJamie J. Hagen Lecturer in International Relations Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK. E-mail: j.hagen@qub.ac.ukNikita Simonne Dupuis-Vargas LatorreNikita Simonne Dupuis-Vargas Latorre, Candidate for a Master’s Degree in Research in Contemporary Social Problems, The Central University (Universidad Central), Bogotá, Colombia. E-mail: ndupuis-vargasl@ucentral.edu.co

Human societies that were most efficient were primarily cooperative rather than competitive. The Vinča culture in Neolithic Old Europe is one more documented peaceful and egalitarian cooperative society in history. Vinča was the largest inhabited settlement in Old Europe and the entire Neolithic culture was named after it. The successful trade in Neolithic Europe was probably motivated by the spiritual components of the value of the goddess figurine products. The author argues that along with trade and agriculture, the main driver of the development of Neolithic society and Vinča culture was the authentic type of leadership. There was no privileged position or distinct status for leaders. The leadership was based on responsibilities, the leader was responsible to put the acquired knowledge in the service of the development of the whole community. Undoubtedly, the leadership expressed in the Vinča culture is one of the main reasons for its peaceful progress.

The main objective is to show how relations of virtuous friendship are an effective strategy for teaching peace. The basis for this assertion is the Aristotelean proposal that differentiates between perfect friendship, which is virtuous and seeks what is good for the friend, and secondary friendships whose goal is utility and pleasure. Virtuous friends seek to help the friend acquire virtue. Moreover, it highlights the need to accept that we are people with a nature that needs refinement and to accept the innate characteristics each person is born with. This two-fold acceptance is necessary to accept and love the friend as oneself, and whom to help be virtuous. Thus, it also requires understanding the importance of inner personal harmony to avoid conflicts as a condition of virtuous friendship.

Collecting data on conflict mortality—including data on femicide—is difficult and can be dangerous. The resulting data is often incomplete and not statistically representative of the victim population as a whole. Data on femicide in conflict suffers from additional complications due to measurement challenges stemming from definitional and operational ambiguities. Despite these difficulties, as more and higher quality data on femicide becomes available, there are new opportunities to use statistical methods to study patterns of violence, which can help inform policy and accountability efforts. However, this data needs to be used carefully: drawing population level inferences from incomplete datasets risks misunderstanding the true underlying dynamics of the violence. This article explores the challenges and opportunities of collecting and analyzing data on femicide and offers four recommendations for data collectors and data analysts.

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsSeán BrennanDr. Seán Brennan is an independent researcher who has worked on peacebuilding initiatives for 30 years. His work on post-liberal peacebuilding has resulted in the development of a biopolitical peacebuilding model aimed at maximizing state resources to deliver basic human needs in post-ceasefire polities and sustainably regenerate war zones through a Just Transition from war to peace. E-mail: jbrennan07@qub.ac.ukAaron EdwardsDr. Aaron Edwards is a Senior Lecturer in Defense and International Affairs at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of History, Politics, and International Relations at the University of Leicester. He is the author of UVF: Behind the Mask and Agents of Influence: Britain’s Secret Intelligence War Against the IRA.