Contribution to understanding Yugoslavia's disintegration and Bosnia's peace process

The challenge of building stable and functioning democratic government in a multi-ethnic and divided society in the wake of war cannot be overestimated. Moreover, the experience of international intervention in the former Yugoslavia has been sobering. The results of enormous investment and often frenetic activity have been meagre, though, critically, there has not been a return to war. I began following developments closely in the mid-1980s and have continued to do so to the present day in a variety of capacities, as a student, journalist, academic, think-tanker and diplomat. In the process, I have written extensively on the entire region with a view, above all, to improving understanding of events and contributing to the development of policies to foster sustainable solutions and rebuild stability. Of my many publications, three stand out: Yugoslavia's Bloody Collapse: Causes, Course and Consequences (London and New York: Hurst and New York University Press, 1995); "The Dissolution of Yugoslavia" co-authored with Andrew Wachtel in Charles Ingrao and Thomas A. Emmert, eds., Confronting the Yugoslav Controversies: A Scholars' Initiative (West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press, 2009); and Bosnia's Paralysed Peace (London and New York: Hurst and Oxford University Press, 2016). Each is presented in terms of what it sought to achieve; the wider literature on the subject; and the research methodology employed. The emphasis is on the third publication, which identifies problems in Bosnia, including the danger of further hostilities; presents an analysis of relations among Bosnia's communities over the centuries; examines Bosnia's disintegration and war; presents a comprehensive analysis of the peace process; highlights the dangers of democracy in multi-ethnic states; weaves political-science theory on managing deep-rooted conflict into the narrative; and demonstrates there are alternative and better ways to balance the interests of Bosnia's communities and citizens.