Systemic failures fuel UN peacekeeper deaths amid global militarisation and climate-driven crises in Lebanon, Haiti, Somalia

Indigenous and traditional systems of conflict resolution—such as Somalia's *xeer*, Haiti's *lakou*, and Lebanon's *musayara*—prioritise restorative justice and communal harmony over punitive militarised interventions. These systems are often marginalised in UN peacekeeping models, which favour top-down, Western frameworks that replicate colonial power structures. The UN's reliance on military solutions ignores the fact that many communities have maintained peace for centuries without foreign troops, suggesting a critical blind spot in current approaches.

The current crises in Lebanon, Haiti, and Somalia are rooted in centuries of colonial extraction, Cold War proxy conflicts, and neoliberal structural adjustment policies that destabilised local institutions. Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war and Haiti's 1915-1934 US occupation created enduring power vacuums exploited by global actors. Somalia's state collapse in 1991 followed IMF-imposed austerity and the withdrawal of Soviet support, illustrating how external interventions often precipitate the very instability they claim to resolve.

Cross-culturally, peace is often conceptualised as a state of relational harmony rather than the absence of violence. In many Indigenous traditions, conflict resolution is communal and future-oriented, as seen in the Māori concept of *whanaungatanga* (relationship-building) or the African philosophy of Ubuntu. These models contrast sharply with the UN's militarised approach, which frames peace as a temporary state maintained by external force. Incorporating these perspectives could shift peacekeeping from 'stabilisation' to 'restoration' of social fabric.

Climate science links drought and resource scarcity in Somalia to anthropogenic climate change, which exacerbates existing conflicts over water and arable land. Studies show that climate-related disasters increase the risk of armed conflict by 14% on average, with the Horn of Africa being a hotspot for such interactions. Meanwhile, peacekeeping effectiveness research indicates that missions with robust local engagement and clear exit strategies are more sustainable than those relying solely on military presence.

Artistic and spiritual traditions across cultures frame peace as a sacred duty. In Haiti, Vodou ceremonies often include rituals for reconciliation and communal healing, while Lebanese poets like Kahlil Gibran wrote of peace as an inner and outer harmony. Indigenous Australian *songlines* and African griot traditions preserve histories of conflict and resolution, offering narrative frameworks that prioritise collective memory over individual blame. These perspectives challenge the secular, militarised framing of peacekeeping as purely technical.

Future scenarios suggest that without addressing root causes, peacekeeping missions will continue to fail as climate change intensifies resource conflicts and global militarisation expands. Modelling indicates that investing in local governance, climate adaptation, and economic equity could reduce peacekeeper deployments by 40% by 2040. Alternative models, such as the African Union's hybrid peacekeeping in Somalia, show promise but remain underfunded compared to Western-led efforts.

Marginalised voices—women, Indigenous leaders, and local youth—are systematically excluded from peacekeeping decision-making, despite evidence that their inclusion increases mission success by 35%. In Somalia, women's peace networks like the *64 Women MPs* have brokered local ceasefires, yet their contributions are ignored in UN reports. Haitian grassroots organisations, such as *Fanm Deside*, have long advocated for community-led security, but their expertise is sidelined in favour of international 'experts'.