Referendums are now increasingly common in what can be called 'conflict societies' as a way of using the sovereign authority of the people to bring about new constitutional settlements. Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Guatemala, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Montenegro, New Caledonia, Northern Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Timor-Leste are just some examples of countries where referendums have or will soon be held on these points. This book investigates the practice of referendums as a method of peacebuilding in conflict societies, their rationales, their successes, and their failures, ultimately arguing that the referendum's utility for conflict management in large part depends on its design, including how such design incorporates cautionary lessons from past trials.
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