Asymmetric war and asymmetric peace: Real realities and media realities in the middle east and the western balkans

The cases of the Western Balkans and Israel-Palestine are used to explore symmetry and asymmetry, and the role of mass media, in conflict and peacemaking. Introductory sections include an "anatomic" discussion of structural, cultural, and psychological dimensions of asymmetry, and a "diagnostic" characterization of symmetries and asymmetries in war and peace. The core section is a "therapeutic" discussion about media roles and their implications for peacemaking in asymmetric conflicts. Examples illustrate structural, cultural and psychological constraints that affect symmetries and asymmetries, such as socioeconomic and integrative resources as well as narratives, images, and perceptions. The discussion argues that peace agreements where asymmetric conflict is changed into a relatively symmetric peace treaty, such as in Northern Ireland, might be more successful than peace agreements that perpetuate asymmetries built into conflicts, such as Oslo, Dayton, and Rambouillet.