Social Conflicts in the Eera of World Unipolarisation

Abstract

Any attempt to comperhend the issues in question, calls for the consideration of two main issues. These are:

1. Continuity, current impact and frequency of conflicts, and
2. The parallel, curent process of unipolarization.

With a view to comprehend the relevant factors related to th causes and manifestations of conflicts that are present in many regions world wide (central and southeast Europe, especially Bakans, Near East, Russia, Georgia, Indochina, Africa, etc.), it is essential to explain another, simultaneous process of unipolarization and the establishing of the New World Order.

The paper places an emphasis on the agents of both integrative and disintegrative processes. It explains the causes of conflicts, their types, security risks and conequences. It alsofocuces on the new role of the USA in intemationa affairs and identity of NATO and its modified role in resolving the conflicts; timeliness and efficiency of the UN responses and revitalization of international legislative and other instruments in preventing new conflicts from occuring and overcoming the exixting ones.

The unexpectedness and rapid succesion of events, such as pulling down the Berlin Wall, the dissolution of the Sviet Union, the former Yugoslavia, and the Warsaw treaty, the collapse of the systemy in countries of real socialism, the outbreak of war tn the territory of the former Yugoslavia and other major changes, have caught the teoretical thought unprepared. Theoretic elaboration of these issues is therefore more than necessary.

The issues raisd by the events related to terrorism and their implications give all these a special dimension, particulary after September 11, 2001.

The issue of terrorism as a triggering mechanism for new conflicts has also been addressed in the paper.

The statement of George Kennan from the early sixies that the one who thinks that the future of the world is going to be better than its past must be completely mad appears to be vry topical at the moment.