What Patterns of post-Cold War Conflict Can Be Discerned?

What patterns of post-Cold War conflicts can be discerned? What are its implications for Conflict Resolution approaches?
Introduction
The aftermath of the Cold War inspired optimism about an end to world wars and a possible reduction in global-scale violence. Many scholars who have concerned themselves with rivalry between the superpowers and their allies during the Cold War now had great expectations about world peace and global political stability. These expectations were reinforced by the so-called third wave of democracy that intensified in the post-Cold War world. …