Solutions and Failures in Identity-based Conflicts. The autonomy of Trentino-South Tyrol in comparative perspective

A detailed historical reconstruction of the Trentino-South Tyrol conflict and of its termination (employing a formal theoretical model originally developed by Andreatta and Archibugi 2001, and here adapted for the particular aims of the project, as can be seen in the Appendix) has underlined the importance of trust in definitive agreements. The main ways in which to develop trust in a conflict situation are either bilateral, through compromises involving important matters for the parties (the classical example being the exchange of hostages), or multilateral, when a third party offers guarantees to the parties either as an umpire or as a credible enforcer of punishment for defection. The case studies find that trust building mechanisms are indeed crucial in any conflict resolution, finding that where trust is lacking, conflicts tend to continue.