Space in Peace and Conflict
Space lies at the heart of peace and conflict studies. War zones, border disputes, fights over land and territory, out of area missions, inter or intra-state conflict, besieged cities, peace gardens and war memorials, and many other expressions make reference to spatial markers. This points to the fact that the conduct of violence and the maintenance of peace always has a spatial element to it, it would not exist without space. In other words, peace and conflict ‘take place’; their practices are situated in space. Consequently, understanding peace and conflict requires incorporating a spatial perspective. In light of the increasing interest in the nexus between the social and space in recent years, drawing out its value for peace and conflict studies is only just beginning.