Living in contested land
Some wars end without resolving the issue of contested land. This means a risk of resumption of war and have devastating consequences for people living in the area..
Using the Relational Peace framework, the project applies a levels-of-analysis logic, from the international to the grassroot level, in order to analyze webs of relationships concerning the territorial conflicts in Cyprus and Kosovo. Both Kosovo and Cyprus are deeply divided societies, where people of different ethnicities have lived mixed. While this is still the case in northern Kosovo, in Cyprus Greek Cypriots now live in the southern part of the island, while Turkish Cypriots live in the northern part. Despite the existing territorial incompatibility, some actors have developed various degrees of peaceful relationships.
Jarstad will complete three already drafted articles. The material includes interviews, newspaper articles, political statements, court cases, photos of contested areas, and secondary sources. A particular type of land contestation is in focus in two of the articles: 1) conflict over borders, and 2) practical and material issues connected to the territorial conflict. In the last article 3) I explain the variation of peace across dyads (pairs of actors): Why are some relationships peaceful while others are antagonistic? The overarching research aim is thus to investigate degrees of local peace against the odds: peace despite existing territorial incompatibility after war.
Using the Relational Peace framework, the project applies a levels-of-analysis logic, from the international to the grassroot level, in order to analyze webs of relationships concerning the territorial conflicts in Cyprus and Kosovo. Both Kosovo and Cyprus are deeply divided societies, where people of different ethnicities have lived mixed. While this is still the case in northern Kosovo, in Cyprus Greek Cypriots now live in the southern part of the island, while Turkish Cypriots live in the northern part. Despite the existing territorial incompatibility, some actors have developed various degrees of peaceful relationships.
Jarstad will complete three already drafted articles. The material includes interviews, newspaper articles, political statements, court cases, photos of contested areas, and secondary sources. A particular type of land contestation is in focus in two of the articles: 1) conflict over borders, and 2) practical and material issues connected to the territorial conflict. In the last article 3) I explain the variation of peace across dyads (pairs of actors): Why are some relationships peaceful while others are antagonistic? The overarching research aim is thus to investigate degrees of local peace against the odds: peace despite existing territorial incompatibility after war.
Final report
The research centered on understanding bordering within the context of ethnopolitical conflict, focusing specifically on the case of Cyprus. It refines the definition of bordering to encompass the practices and policies through which borders are constructed and deconstructed in order to assert ownership and define a people as a distinct political entity. Utilizing a socioterritorial perspective, the research argues that bordering is fundamentally driven by psychological ownership claims over contested territories and narratives, emphasizing the relational and dynamic nature of these processes.
In Cyprus, the bordering practices of both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots are profoundly influenced by ontological insecurity—an existential fear of political erasure, rooted in historical violence, ethnic cleansing, and territorial division. This insecurity leads to extreme bordering behaviors that maintain emotional wounds, foster ethnic exclusivity, and implement restrictive immigration policies.
The work further explores the fluidity of these practices, where borders may be rigid at checkpoints yet porous in other regions, facilitating illegal crossings. It identifies liminality as a crucial concept, given the ongoing unresolved property claims and migrant rights violations. The study advocates for future comparative research to validate the proposed bordering definition and assess its applicability to other conflict situations. Additionally, it underscores the necessity for effective conflict resolution strategies to mitigate ontological insecurity and end the liminal state, which currently undermines international law and human rights.
The sabbatical included a research stay at February 19—March 20, 2024, at the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, Cyprus. On March 6, Jarstad held a seminar presenting her work under the title “Varieties of Peace: how to conceptualize and study peace.” Future research collaborations were discussed, and this has been followed up by an additional research trip in October 2024.
Jarstad also presented her research at a seminar in Uppsala May 15, and participated in a seminar on Cyprus in Gothenburg May 23.
In Cyprus, the bordering practices of both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots are profoundly influenced by ontological insecurity—an existential fear of political erasure, rooted in historical violence, ethnic cleansing, and territorial division. This insecurity leads to extreme bordering behaviors that maintain emotional wounds, foster ethnic exclusivity, and implement restrictive immigration policies.
The work further explores the fluidity of these practices, where borders may be rigid at checkpoints yet porous in other regions, facilitating illegal crossings. It identifies liminality as a crucial concept, given the ongoing unresolved property claims and migrant rights violations. The study advocates for future comparative research to validate the proposed bordering definition and assess its applicability to other conflict situations. Additionally, it underscores the necessity for effective conflict resolution strategies to mitigate ontological insecurity and end the liminal state, which currently undermines international law and human rights.
The sabbatical included a research stay at February 19—March 20, 2024, at the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, Cyprus. On March 6, Jarstad held a seminar presenting her work under the title “Varieties of Peace: how to conceptualize and study peace.” Future research collaborations were discussed, and this has been followed up by an additional research trip in October 2024.
Jarstad also presented her research at a seminar in Uppsala May 15, and participated in a seminar on Cyprus in Gothenburg May 23.