What’s in a label? EU listing of Hezbollah and challenges to Lebanon’s peace

A primary aim of proscription is to act as a sanction, to induce behavioural change by making a group’s travel and fundraising more difficult. However it can have the opposite effect of encouraging extremism and belligerence.

In 2012 Conciliation Resources published Reconciliation, reform and resilience: Positive peace for Lebanon – Accord issue 24 – which includes articles on: 

• EU policy in Lebanon
• Hezbollah’s relationship with Syria.

The Accord peacebuilding analysis series includes Choosing to engage: Armed groups and peace processes

What we have seen in our own work with armed groups and in documenting peace processes is that peaceful forms of engagement tend to strengthen moderate, pro-dialogue elements within a group, while their absence tends to strengthen hardliners by removing viable alternatives to violence. 

This commentary was first published on the website PublicServiceEurope.com

• Read our press release on this issue: Prospect of EU ban on Hezbollah raises questions over peace in Lebanon