Guerre, conflitti, diritto, diritti

The author describes the present state of war as one of permanent “civil” war, in that both politically and symbolically the separation between insiders and outsiders tends to disappear. New wars employ a language which criminalizes the enemy and at the same time as it calls enemies ordinary “criminals”. Other features of wars today are described and related to processes of globalisation ungoverned by international political institutions. The crisis of international law and different solutions to overcome it are also pointed out. The role of NGOs and other agencies operating in the field of humanitarian intervention is critically assessed. Finally, what sociology of law might contribute to a better understanding of this complex situation is briefly summarised.