Island School Global Politics
  • Home
  • Explorations
  • MUN
    • ISMUN Blog
  • IBDP Global Politics
    • Pre-IB Course >
      • 1. What is global politics?
      • 2. How is the course assessed?
      • 3. How can we analyse global politics?
      • 4. What political issues do I care about?
      • 5-7. Case Study: What does COVID-19 reveal about global politics?
      • 8. How can I prepare for studying global politics?
    • Unit 1: Power, Sovereignty and International Relations >
      • 1. What is the nature of power? >
        • 1. What is power?
        • 2. How does realism define power?
        • 3. How does liberalism define power?
        • 4. How do critical theories define power?
        • 5. Assessment: Which theory best explains power?
      • 2. How has state power evolved? >
        • 1. How did the nation state emerge?
        • 2. What is sovereignty?
        • 3. How is state sovereignty challenged today?
        • 4. What is the 'social contract'?
        • 5. What gives state power its legitimacy?
        • 6. Assessment: What type of states are more legitimate?
      • 3. Can other groups influence the power of the state? >
        • 1. How much power do IGOs have over states?
        • 2. Are NGOs insignificant global actors?
        • 3. How effective are social movements?
        • 4. How do resistance movements operate?
        • 5. Are political parties legitimate actors?
        • 6. Do informal forums undermine democracy?
        • 7. Assessment: How effective are other groups?
      • 4. Can global interactions improve the world? >
        • 1. Does global governance work?
        • 2. What role do treaties play?
        • 3. Does collective security work?
        • 4. Do alliances reduce or increase tensions?
        • 5. Does economic cooperation lead to interdependence?
        • 6. Is informal cooperation more effective?
        • 7. What drives modern conflicts?
        • 8. Is terrorism a reaction to globalisation?
        • 9. Can domestic conflicts influence global politics?
        • 10: Assessment: Can global interactions improve the world?
      • Unit 1: Exam Questions
    • Unit 2: Human Rights >
      • 1. How have Human Rights evolved? >
        • 1. What are human rights?
        • 2. How significant is the UDHR?
        • 3. How have human rights developed?
        • 4. Assessment: Are human rights a Western construct?
      • 2. Who or what protects our Human Rights? >
        • 1. How do states enforce human rights?
        • 2. Is international monitoring effective?
        • 3. Who enforces humanitarian law?
        • 4. How can civil society help monitor human rights?
        • 5. Assessment: Who should be responsible for human rights?
      • 3. How do Human Rights operate in practice? >
        • 1. Who makes claims on human rights?
        • 2. How are human rights contested locally?
        • 3. How are human rights contested nationally?
        • 4. How are human rights contested globally?
        • 5. Assessment: Does current human rights practice ensure equality?
      • 4. Why are Human Rights so contested? >
        • 1. Are collective rights more important?
        • 2. Are human rights universal?
        • 3. Are human rights too politicised?
        • 4. Assessment: How should we view human rights?
      • Unit 2: Exam Questions
    • Unit 3: Development >
      • 1. Why is development contested?
      • 2. How can development be helped or hindered?
      • 3. Can globalisation help increase development?
      • 4. Can development be made more sustainable?
    • Unit 4: Peace and Conflict >
      • 1. Is the use of violence ever justified? >
        • 1. What is peace, conflict and violence?
        • 2. What forms can conflict take?
        • 3. Is it right to ever go to war?
        • 4. Assessment: On what grounds can violence be justified?
      • 2. What causes conflicts to develop? >
        • 1. Can we predict the causes of conflict?
        • 2. What other theories of conflict exist?
        • 3. Are states to blame for conflict?
        • 4. Assessment: What are the main causes of conflict?
      • 3. How do conflicts evolve over time? >
        • 1. How does conflict manifest itself?
        • 2. What are the dynamics of conflict?
        • 3. Does conflict intervention work?
        • 4. Assessment: How can we best transform conflicts?
      • 4. Can peace be achieved by managing conflicts? >
        • 1. What is peacemaking?
        • 2. Is peacekeeping effective?
        • 3. How does peacebuilding work?
        • 4. Assessment: What is the best way to achieve lasting peace?
      • Unit 4: Exam Questions
    • HL Extension: Global Political Challenges >
      • Topic 1: Environment
      • Topic 2: Poverty
      • Topic 3: Health
      • Topic 4: Identity
      • Topic 5: Borders
      • Topic 6: Security
    • EA: Engagement Activity
    • EE: Extended Essay in Global Politics
    • News Blog
    • Research Links
  • More

3. Does conflict intervention work?

Activity 1 - What is third party involvement?


Activity Tasks
  1. Explore - Third party involvement is a term used to describe the involvement of a party other than those directly involved in the conflict. This involvement may be violent or non-violent. Why do you think third party intervention in a conflict could be politically controversial?
  2. Research - Research and make notes on the following three types of third party intervention. Which do you think is more effective?
    1. Weapons Embargoes (see here for global list)
    2. Financial Freezes (see page 4-5 here)
    3. Trade Limitations (see here for how the UK has sanctioned DPRK)
  3. Read - Read pages 186-187 of Kirsch, M. (2017). Oxford IB Diploma Programme: Global Politics Course Companion. Make a note of the types of pacific third-party interventions possible.
  4. Identify - Using pages 186-187 above, identify the arguments for and against the UN 'Responsibility to Protect’ (R2P) doctrine. To what extent do you think humanitarian intervention under R2P is justified?
  5. Discuss - To what extent is humanitarian intervention under R2P linked to the following course concepts:
    1. Power?
    2. Sovereignty?
    3. Legitimacy?
    4. Interdependence?

Activity 2 - Why do third parties intervene?


Activity Tasks
  1. Read - Read the following article about third party intervention in the workplace and answer these questions:
    1. What does 3rd party cooperation reward?
    2. How do you make 3rd parties more willing to intervene in a conflict? 
    3. What evidence do Halvey and Halali have to support the model proposed?
    4. How could you extrapolate the business examples given to potential conflicts on an International level?
    5. “An organization as a whole can create incentives for people to act as game changers or peacemakers,” – Which actor in Global Politics would need to act to make this happen, how?
  2. Groups - Work in groups to review each of these recent third party interventions:
    1. The GCC Intervention in Bahrain - The military intervention that the world forgot 
    2. AU intervention in Libya - AU steps up efforts of reconciling Libyan factions 
    3. French Intervention in Mali - France's Intervention in Mali 
  3. Evaluate - For each intervention you’ve examined, discuss:
    1. Who were the main actors involved in this intervention?
    2. What happened during this third party intervention?
    3. Was it successful in stopping conflict?
    4. Did the intervention have an ulterior motive?
    5. What would have happened if the intervention didn’t happen?
  4. Extension - Read this extension article and make notes on the arguments for and against the use of military third party intervention by the US.

Activity 3 - Was intervention in Libya right?


Activity Tasks
  1. Explore - Examine this article which gives details about the NATO-led, and UN-sanctioned, R2P intervention in Libya in 2011. Make notes on what happened during the intervention:
    1. Why was the responsibility to protect invoked?
    2. Who intervened and what was their rationale?
    3. Did the intervention succeed in stopping atrocities against civilians?
  2. Watch - Watch this speech by former US President Obama. What justification does President Obama give for intervention in Libya? Do you agree with his perspective?
  3. Review - Now review the arguments in this article about whether the NATO intervention was legitimate. Did NATO uphold the R2P or did their actions undermine the principle?
  4. Reflect - What gives outsiders the right to intervene in other countries, especially ones that are far away and may have very different cultures?

Further Reading


OBLIGATORY READING
  1. Kirsch, M. (2017). Oxford IB Diploma Programme: Global Politics Course Companion, pp. 186-187
RECOMMENDED READING
  1. Murphy, R. & Gleek, C. (2016). Pearson Baccalaureate: Global Politics, pp. 68-69
SUPPLEMENTAL READING
  1. Heywood, A. (2011), Global Politics, pp. 318-329

PREVIOUS LESSON - WHAT ARE THE DYNAMICS OF CONFLICTS?
NEXT LESSON - ASSESSMENT: HOW CAN WE BEST TRANSFORM CONFLICTS?

Y7-9 MYP

Y7 Humanities
Y8 Humanities
Y9 Explorations

Y10-11 IGCSE

IGCSE Global Perspectives
Global Politics & Debate
MUN

Y12-13 IBDP

Pre-IB Course
HL Extension
​EA Coursework
EE GP
News Blog
​
Research Links
  • Home
  • Explorations
  • MUN
    • ISMUN Blog
  • IBDP Global Politics
    • Pre-IB Course >
      • 1. What is global politics?
      • 2. How is the course assessed?
      • 3. How can we analyse global politics?
      • 4. What political issues do I care about?
      • 5-7. Case Study: What does COVID-19 reveal about global politics?
      • 8. How can I prepare for studying global politics?
    • Unit 1: Power, Sovereignty and International Relations >
      • 1. What is the nature of power? >
        • 1. What is power?
        • 2. How does realism define power?
        • 3. How does liberalism define power?
        • 4. How do critical theories define power?
        • 5. Assessment: Which theory best explains power?
      • 2. How has state power evolved? >
        • 1. How did the nation state emerge?
        • 2. What is sovereignty?
        • 3. How is state sovereignty challenged today?
        • 4. What is the 'social contract'?
        • 5. What gives state power its legitimacy?
        • 6. Assessment: What type of states are more legitimate?
      • 3. Can other groups influence the power of the state? >
        • 1. How much power do IGOs have over states?
        • 2. Are NGOs insignificant global actors?
        • 3. How effective are social movements?
        • 4. How do resistance movements operate?
        • 5. Are political parties legitimate actors?
        • 6. Do informal forums undermine democracy?
        • 7. Assessment: How effective are other groups?
      • 4. Can global interactions improve the world? >
        • 1. Does global governance work?
        • 2. What role do treaties play?
        • 3. Does collective security work?
        • 4. Do alliances reduce or increase tensions?
        • 5. Does economic cooperation lead to interdependence?
        • 6. Is informal cooperation more effective?
        • 7. What drives modern conflicts?
        • 8. Is terrorism a reaction to globalisation?
        • 9. Can domestic conflicts influence global politics?
        • 10: Assessment: Can global interactions improve the world?
      • Unit 1: Exam Questions
    • Unit 2: Human Rights >
      • 1. How have Human Rights evolved? >
        • 1. What are human rights?
        • 2. How significant is the UDHR?
        • 3. How have human rights developed?
        • 4. Assessment: Are human rights a Western construct?
      • 2. Who or what protects our Human Rights? >
        • 1. How do states enforce human rights?
        • 2. Is international monitoring effective?
        • 3. Who enforces humanitarian law?
        • 4. How can civil society help monitor human rights?
        • 5. Assessment: Who should be responsible for human rights?
      • 3. How do Human Rights operate in practice? >
        • 1. Who makes claims on human rights?
        • 2. How are human rights contested locally?
        • 3. How are human rights contested nationally?
        • 4. How are human rights contested globally?
        • 5. Assessment: Does current human rights practice ensure equality?
      • 4. Why are Human Rights so contested? >
        • 1. Are collective rights more important?
        • 2. Are human rights universal?
        • 3. Are human rights too politicised?
        • 4. Assessment: How should we view human rights?
      • Unit 2: Exam Questions
    • Unit 3: Development >
      • 1. Why is development contested?
      • 2. How can development be helped or hindered?
      • 3. Can globalisation help increase development?
      • 4. Can development be made more sustainable?
    • Unit 4: Peace and Conflict >
      • 1. Is the use of violence ever justified? >
        • 1. What is peace, conflict and violence?
        • 2. What forms can conflict take?
        • 3. Is it right to ever go to war?
        • 4. Assessment: On what grounds can violence be justified?
      • 2. What causes conflicts to develop? >
        • 1. Can we predict the causes of conflict?
        • 2. What other theories of conflict exist?
        • 3. Are states to blame for conflict?
        • 4. Assessment: What are the main causes of conflict?
      • 3. How do conflicts evolve over time? >
        • 1. How does conflict manifest itself?
        • 2. What are the dynamics of conflict?
        • 3. Does conflict intervention work?
        • 4. Assessment: How can we best transform conflicts?
      • 4. Can peace be achieved by managing conflicts? >
        • 1. What is peacemaking?
        • 2. Is peacekeeping effective?
        • 3. How does peacebuilding work?
        • 4. Assessment: What is the best way to achieve lasting peace?
      • Unit 4: Exam Questions
    • HL Extension: Global Political Challenges >
      • Topic 1: Environment
      • Topic 2: Poverty
      • Topic 3: Health
      • Topic 4: Identity
      • Topic 5: Borders
      • Topic 6: Security
    • EA: Engagement Activity
    • EE: Extended Essay in Global Politics
    • News Blog
    • Research Links
  • More