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H2020Individual fellowship2018–2020

FRONTIERPEACE · On the Frontiers of Peace. Cross-cultural Peacebuilding on the Global Frontiers of the Iberian Empires (1500-1580)

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2018-09-01 → 2020-08-31
EU contribution
€158,122
Participants
1
Scheme
MSCA-IF

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Results in brief

On the Frontiers of Peace. Cross-cultural Peacebuilding on the Global Frontiers of the Iberian Empires (1500-1580)

The main research objective of this project was to provide an explanation on how peace was built on the global frontiers of the Iberian empires during the early modern period. More specifically, this project analysed how the frontier societies resulting from the Iberian overseas expansion gave room to the development of tools and practices to restraint the violence that characterised the first interactions with the societies they came into contact. If the project focus more on peaceful interactions rather than on cross-cultural violence it is not because it aims to hide the violent nature of the Iberian expansion, but because its main aim is to better understand this process by shedding light on how, when, and why Europeans and non-Europeans worked hand in hand to restraint the violence that characterised their previous interactions. The project’s main objective was divided into three subobjectives. The first was to identify the significant actors who established and sustained the violence restraint on the ground. The second sub-objective was to assess the impact of cross-cultural exchanges of goods and objects in the process of violence escalation and de-escalation. The third sub-objective was to analyse how the shaping of new frontier societies provided a favourable ground for overcoming unrestrained violence. This last sub-objective was twofold. First, it analysed the creation of a social fabric that included intermediary agents able to carry out the daily negotiations preventing violence escalations. Second, it reconstructed the shaping of tools and practices that allowed for conflict resolution through non-violent means. This project shows the need to look at the Iberian expansion paying attention to how cross-cultural interactions generated new forms of violence, but also new forms to restraint it. As such, it contributes to historically rethink current societal challenges such as the construction of non-violent coexistence between different cultural and religious groups as well as the fight against violent radicalisation.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

This research project investigates the historical roots of cross-cultural peacebuilding. European expansion during the sixteenth century was characterised by a high degree of violence, which was fuelled by cultural differences and religious radicalisms. The meeting of different cultures created new forms of violence, but, at the same time, generated new forms of cross-cultural encounters that were driven to construct a lasting peace. This project explains the transition from the violent conflicts of the first encounters between Europeans and non-European peoples, to their peaceful coexistence. Rather than focusing on cross-cultural diplomacy or treaty-making, this research project explains how peace was constructed “on the ground”. In order to do so, it focuses on three different frontiers of the first global empires. Through a comparative survey that includes cases from the Mediterranean, the Americas and Asia, this project shows that frontier societies resulting from European expansion created a new means of constructing peace in scenarios where religious and cultural differences hindered peaceful coexistence. Drawing on a wide array of sources, this research project pays special attention to three main questions: How were forged the cross-cultural social networks that came to be the backbone of peaceful relations forged? How did the exchange of goods influence peacebuilding processes in different parts of the world? And, how did the multicultural social fabric of these frontier societies develop the necessary tools in order to avoid conflicts? This historical enquiry into the global roots of cross-cultural peacebuilding will broaden our understanding on the conditions needed to establish a peaceful coexistence among different cultures. In so doing, this project deals with current societal challenges such as the establishing and maintaining social relations and order between different socio-religious cultures, as well as the fight against violent radicalisation.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • UNIVERSIDAD PABLO DE OLAVIDE · SevillaCoordinatorSpain

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union