| Summary/Abstract |
In the shadow of two world wars, the architects of the UN boldly set out in its Charter “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” Within a few years it was clear that peace, often hard fought for, was fragile and easily broken. Peace was something that would need to be kept. In turn, peacekeeping began tentatively. As Brian Drohan notes in the first article of this special issue, the UN’s engagement was initially “built on impartiality, the nonuse of force, and consent.” The UN was to be a neutral actor that would monitor, observe, and help to build trust between two or more conflicting parties. Today, peacekeeping is often perceived as a symbol of UN innovation and adaptation. Not only has peacekeeping become “one of the most visible symbols of the UN role in international peace and security,”1 it often represents the organization at its best. At the same time, peacekeeping also calls to mind some of the UN’s darkest hours, as peacekeepers have failed in the face of persistent and horrific violence and have sometimes brought harm to the very people they were pledged to protect.
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