ContentsNewsCareersJournalsRead our COVID-19 research and news.INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL ISSUEINTRODUCTIONHuman Conflict: Winning the PeaceGuy Riddihough, Gilbert Chin, Elizabeth Culotta, Barbara Jasny, Leslie Roberts, Sacha Vignieri See all authors and affiliationsScience  18 May 2012:Vol. 336, Issue 6083, pp. 818-819DOI: 10.1126/science.336.6083.818ArticleInfo & MetricseLetters PDFIn this special issue on human conflict, we consider the deep evolutionary roots of violent confrontation. We trace the trajectory of violence and war throughout history, exploring racism, ethnic conflicts, the rise of terrorism, and the possible future of armed conflicts. We also consider our innate capacity to mediate conflict and our ability to achieve—and live in—peace.Competition and conflict both among and within species, for food or a place to live or a mate, are implicit in the process of evolution and thus intrinsic to our biology. But like many other animals, we are also SOCIAL beings, and, like them, we have evolved BEHAVIORS to avoid the detrimental effects of excessive intraspecies violence. These include ritual singing or fighting displays, acts of submission or conciliation, and simple spatial avoidance SEEN in diverse species as birds, ants, and our PRIMATE relatives.