The Palgrave Handbook Global Approaches to Peace links classical and modern multidimensional ways of thinking about peace. The discourses on war and peace, and relevant disciplines such as international relations, international law, security, and strategic studies, have historically developed from the perspectives of the most powerful states. This is not surprising, powerful states are those on whom conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping, and, ultimately, the use of force as a last resort, depend. During the Cold War the East and the West shaped international peace, predominantly focusing on balance
of power, spheres of influences, and arms control. Local approaches to peace, developed in Asia, Africa and Latin America, were given less attention.