Generally, groups must be motivated by the fear of continuing or increasing violence. Power sharing is most likely to succeed where the groups have internal unity and organization, and where there is broad and deep support for peace. In Chapter Six, Sisk explores the role of the international community in promoting and supporting power sharing approaches to managing ethnic conflicts. Sisk first notes that while there are often substantial problems with partitioning existing states, the creation of a separate state cannot be rejected out of hand. He also observes that the international community tends to overemphasize the usefulness of democratic elections in regulating ethnic conflicts.
Elections can further polarize groups.
The timing of international intervention is also a delicate matter. Generally the international community has intervened by offering conflicting parties blueprints for power sharing political systems, and linking adoption of those systems to various other issues. Those linkages serve as incentives and sanctions. Sisk notes that promoting a power sharing solution often involves taking sides in the conflict. Sisk concludes the text by observing that there is no simple formula governing successful power sharing arrangements.