MULTI-TRACK DIPLOMACY AND CONFLICT RECONCILIATION IN FRAGILE AND FRAGMENTED WORLD.

Abstract

Multi-track diplomacy emerged as a shift from traditional diplomacy though not dampening it. The world keeps evolving with new trends in nations’ interactions across borders and continents. Though the world is interconnected, it is fragmented based on ally alliances, regional cooperation, and multi-polarity with intersections of nations having diplomatic relations with other nations based on common purpose. Fragmentation arises as a result of conflict over resources, differentiated national interest, identity, ally issues and the polarity of the word. The result of this is having a complex yet a fragmented world. All of these have come to be instrumental to the differentiation experienced in the world and as it appears, the world is against itself. In order to address the multi-level nature of contemporary conflicts, peace practitioners have sought to conceive – and deal with – peace processes that encompass initiatives on different societal levels (or “tracks”), ranging from community-based peacebuilding to high-level negotiations. Multitrack approaches can be understood as a way of considering different peacebuilding initiatives taking place at different levels of society, with the intention of leveraging the positive impact of linkages between initiatives, while preventing or mitigating negative impact. The study adopts ex-post factor as its methodology. The study provides an exposition to the prime position multi-track diplomacy has taken in international relations. It finds out that hybridity in diplomacy (state and non-. state actors) is effective. It concludes that Multi-Track Diplomacy views international peacemaking as a living system. Since 1992, it has worked to improve the web of interconnected relationships that operate together for a common goal: a world at peace.