A) No overall consensus on the strict definition of this term. In academic circles terrorism is widely defined as an anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-) clandestine individual, group or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby –in contrast to assassination– the direct targets of violence are not the main targets. The immediate human victims of violence are generally chosen randomly (targets of opportunity) or selectively (representative or symbolic targets) from a target population, and serve as message generators. Through threats, fear, violence, coercion, intimidation or propaganda, the aim is to manipulate adversaries into meeting the demands of the perpetrators. (Schmid, 1997; cited by Schmid 1998: http://www.fewer.org/pubs.thes.htm)
B) The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence against people or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives. (US DOD: http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/doddict)
Torture: Any act by which severe pain, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in, or incidental to lawful sanctions. (UN 1984)
A) A system of government and ideology in which all social, political, economic, intellectual, cultural, and spiritual activities are subordinated to the purposes of the ruler of a state. Among the features of totalitarian dictatorships are a monopoly of mass communications, a secret police apparatus, a monopoly of all effective weapons, and a centrally controlled economy. Totalitarian dictatorships provide no legal means of achieving a change of government. (Microsoft Corporation 1997-1999: http://encarta.msn.com/)
B) A modern autocratic government in which the state involves itself in all facets of society, including the daily life of its citizens. A totalitarian government seeks to control not only all economic and political matters but also the attitudes, values, and beliefs of its population, erasing the distinction between state and society. Despite the many differences among totalitarian states, they have several characteristics in common, of which the two most important are: the existence of an ideology that addresses all aspects of life and outlines means to attain the final goal and a single mass party through which the people are mobilized to muster energy and support. (Infoplease: http://www.infoplease.com/)
Track one diplomacy: Initiatives taken by governments through traditional diplomatic channels to resolve, prevent, or mitigate conflict.
Track two diplomacy: Initiatives taken by non-governments organizations and individuals to resolve, prevent, or mitigate conflict.
Track three diplomacy: Initiatives taken by international agencies to resolve, prevent, or mitigate conflict.
Transnationalism: The host of activities outside of state-state interaction that involve various NGOs in developing peaceful political relationships. (Montville 1991; cited by Fisher 1997: 12)
Trigger: A significant single event, such as the assassination of a political leader, whose occurrence is likely, given the presence of other theoretically specified conditions, to propel a crisis to the next phase of escalation. (Harff & Gurr 1997: http://www.bsos.umd.edu/cidcm/mar/pubs.htm)
Truth commission: A non-judicial temporary fact-finding body which focuses on bringing to light past human rights violations and war crimes. The Truth Commission is usually entitled to grant (partial) amnesty in exchange for full testimony. By bringing alleged perpetrators from all conflict parties together in the presence of former victims or their relatives, a healing and reconciliation process is assumed to become possible. (Ash 1997; cited by Schmid 1998: http://www.fewer.org/pubs.thes.htm)