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"Finding peaceful solutions to the world's increasingly complex problems will be a huge task, which must also be based upon knowledge, experience and research. I hope that this important new Encyclopedia will reach a global lay audience as well as policy makers and academic experts and encourage many thousands of readers to study further and work harder for the peace on which our whole future depends." -From the Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

This innovative, multivolume encyclopedia charts the interdisciplinary field of Peace Studies, offering a comprehensive survey of the full range of historical, political, theoretical and philosophical issues relating to peace and conflict. All major figures are covered, as well as major events, organizations, theories, and much more. Each entry is signed by a leading scholar in the field, contains a bibliography for further reading, and is cross-referenced with other useful points of interest within the encyclopedia. In addition to A-to-Z entries, the Encyclopedia also includes a peace chronology, key documents and appendices.

Key subjects covered include: world leaders (Mahatma Gandhi, Margaret Mead, Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King, Jr., Lucretia Mott); major events (Cuban Missile Crisis, Dayton Accords, Good Friday Agreement, Lebanon Hostage Crisis); organizations (Greenpeace, League of Nations, United Nations, Save the Children, International Committee of the Red Cross); theories (Civil Disobedience, Conscientious Objection, Feminism and Peace, Power and Nonviolence Theory, Eco-Pacifism, Gay Rights); and current events (Chemical and Biological Weapons, Human Rights, War Crimes, Terrorism). ... Read more

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"Blessed are the Peacemakers"
[ This review originally appeared in
THE ENGLEWOOD REVIEW OF BOOKS - 19 March 2010 ]

As followers of Christ, we are called to be peacemakers, and part of our education as disciples of Jesus is learning the things that make for peace.Thus, it has been exciting to see Peace Studies emerge as an academic discipline over the last three decades, and with the rise of Peace Studies come reference works that assist and propagate research.And now The Oxford International Encyclopedia of Peace (OIEP), published earlier this year by Oxford University Press, will undoubtedly reign supreme for many years as the key reference work for Peace Studies.

The four volumes of the OIEP represent a mammoth undertaking; its 850+articles span over 2700 pages and were collected over a period of more than five years.The work begins with a brief foreword by the Dalai Lama who praises the work as a "scholarly but accessible reference work [which] will enable many of us to learn from the great ideals and struggles for peace over past centuries, and it will be a valuable resource for teachers of peace and for policy makers" (xix).

Also, included in the prefatory materials is a twenty page timeline of "Peace in History" - stretching from the Treaty of Kadesh, "the first recorded peace treaty" between The Egyptians and the Hittites in 1258 BCE, all the way through Barack Obama's recognition as the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2009.Each entry in the encyclopedia is complete with a hefty list of works for further reading on that topic. The OIEP concludes with almost 100 pages of key documents on peace from the modern era (all but three of these documents were penned within the last 100 years), and a thorough index of key terms and people.

Editor Nigel Young observes in the encyclopedia's introduction that this work intentionally includes "both `negative' entries (on preventing or ending war or violent conflict) and `positive' entries (on achieving a more cooperative, harmonious community)."Negative entries in the OIEP include topics such as "Arms Control and Disarmament,""Conscientious Objection" and "Women Strike for Peace," while positives entries include "Deep Ecology," "Open Space Technology" and "Sustainable Development."Young also notes that the editorial team has intentionally limited the number of biographical entries, as well as those on specific organizations - choosing instead to describe persons and organizations within more general entries (e.g., the civil rights movement).Thus, I found the index to be an invaluable tool in searching for references to specific individuals and organizations.

Although the OIEP takes a broad and pluralist approach, the Christian tradition of peace is well-represented here.There are, for instance, entries on all three of the major "peace church" traditions:Church of the Brethren, Mennonites, and the Society of Friends (Quakers), as well as entries on individual Christian peace advocates like Dorothy Day, Lucretia Mott, Leo Tolstoy and Martin Luther King, Jr.One also finds several historical entries related to Christianity (e.g. a brief entry on "Early Christianity and Antimilitarism"), as well as superb introductory pieces on "Christian Ethics and Peace" and "The Christian Peace Testimony."Although they did not merit their own entry, I was pleased to find a handful of references throughout to the Christian Peacemaker Teams.

The OIEP offers a powerful reminder that there are a host of ideological motivations for pursuing peace.Peacekeeping, for instance, is very different from peacemaking, and there are a host of political, social or religious narratives that undergird the pursuit of peace.Church communities shaped by the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, are very different than the idealistic vision of modern liberalism, through which peace is believed to be attainable through reason and rational behavior. Some forms of peace are more sustainable than others, and in our fallen world most, if not all, movements toward peace eventually get corrupted, but the stories of such movements live on long after they have died off or become irrelevant, and these stories serve to inspire new generations of peacemakers in ways that often expand the scope of the original peacemaking vision.As people who believe that God is at work restoring shalom to all parts of creation - human and otherwise - works like the OIEP can be understood as painting a broad picture of God's work within human history toward the restoration of shalom.

Therefore, I highly recommend the OIEP, as an invaluable resource for church, school, university or seminary libraries;it is the sort of resource that not only reminds us of the manifold ways in which God is guiding humanity and all creation toward shalom, but it also energizes our imaginations toward faithfulness to our calling as peacemakers.Not only does it introduce a vast number of peace-related movements and ideologies, it also points us in the direction of other pertinent resources for us to seek out in order to assist our reflection on any given topic.The OIEP is the essential reference work in the area of peace studies, and as such it should be kept close at hand by those of us who seek to follow Jesus as peacemakers in a world that is still very much ensnared by the myth of redemptive violence and in which war, social, ecological and other sorts of conflict are still prevailing and defining forces. ... Read more

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How can a just peace be built in sites of genocide, massive civil war, dictatorship, terrorism, and poverty?In Strategies of Peace, the first volume in the Studies in Strategic Peacebuilding series, fifteen leading scholars propose an imaginative and provocative approach to peacebuilding. Today the dominant thinking is the "liberal peace," which stresses cease fires, elections, and short run peace operations carried out by international institutions, western states, and local political elites.But the liberal peace is not enough, the authors argue.A just and sustainable peace requires a far more holistic vision that links together activities, actors, and institutions at all levels.By exploring innovative models for building lasting peace-a United Nations counter-terrorism policy that also promotes good governance; coordination of the international prosecution of war criminals with local efforts to settle civil wars; increasing the involvement of religious leaders, who have a unique ability to elicit peace settlements; and many others--the authors advance a bold new vision for peacebuilding. ... Read more

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Why do some civil wars end in successfully implemented peace settlements while others are fought to the finish? Numerous competing theories address this question. Yet not until now has a study combined the historical sweep, empirical richness, and conceptual rigor necessary to put them thoroughly to the test and draw lessons invaluable to students, scholars, and policymakers. Using data on every civil war fought between 1940 and 1992, Barbara Walter details the conditions that lead combatants to partake in what she defines as a three-step process--the decision on whether to initiate negotiations, to compromise, and, finally, to implement any resulting terms. Her key finding: rarely are such conflicts resolved without active third-party intervention.

Walter argues that for negotiations to succeed it is not enough for the opposing sides to resolve the underlying issues behind a civil war. Instead the combatants must clear the much higher hurdle of designing credible guarantees on the terms of agreement--something that is difficult without outside assistance. Examining conflicts from Greece to Laos, China to Columbia, Bosnia to Rwanda, Walter confirms just how crucial the prospect of third-party security guarantees and effective power-sharing pacts can be--and that adversaries do, in fact, consider such factors in deciding whether to negotiate or fight. While taking many other variables into account and acknowledging that third parties must also weigh the costs and benefits of involvement in civil war resolution, this study reveals not only how peace is possible, but probable. ... Read more

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A volume in Peace EducationSeries Editors Ian Harris, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Edward J. Brantmeier, Colorado StateUniversity, and Jing Lin, University of Maryland,Spirituality, Religion, and Peace Education attempts to deeply explore the universal andparticular dimensions of education for inner and communal peace. This co-edited book contains fifteenchapters on world spiritual traditions, religions, and their connections and relevance to peacebuilding andpeacemaking. This book examines the teachings and practices of Confucius, of Judaism, Islamic Sufism,Christianity, Quakerism, Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, and of Indigenous spirituality. Secondly, itexplores teaching and learning processes rooted in self discovery, skill development, and contemplativepractices for peace. Topics in various chapters include: the Buddhist practice of tonglen; an indigenousHawaiian practice of Ho'oponopono for forgiveness and conflict resolution; pilgrimage and labyrinthwalking for right action; Twelve Step Programs for peace; teaching from a religious/spiritual perspective;narrative inquiry, Daoism, and peace curriculum; Gandhi, deep ecology, and multicultural peace education in teacher education; peacemaking andspirituality in undergraduate courses; and wisdom-based learning in teacher education. Peace education practices stemming from wisdom traditionscan promote stillness as well as enliven, awaken, and urge reconciliation, connection, wisdom cultivation, and transformation and change in bothteachers and students in diverse educational contexts.In various chapters of this book, a critique of competition, consumerism, and materialism undergird the analysis. More than just a critique,some chapters provide both conceptual and practical clarity for deeper engagement in peaceful action and change in society. Cultural awareness andunderstanding are fostered through a focus on the positive aspects of wisdom traditions rather than the negative aspects and historical complexities ofviolence and conflict as result of religious hegemony. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great for men but is still good about darkness of adolescent
I read the book, "A Seperate Peace", by John Knowles and it was pretty good. It involves two main boys going through high school during World War II. One of the boys,Phineas, is superior at everything involvingsports. The other main character is Gene Forrester. He is great at schoolbut not in sports. These boys are roomed together in their prepatory schoolnamed Devon and are best friends. Gene starts thinking that Phineas, a.k.aFinny, is trying to hold back him from doing so great at school so he canbe the best at everything. So Gene starts hating Finny and ends up creatinga horrible accident that ruins Finny's life forever. It shows that there isalways some darkness in the back of Gene's mind but never once was there inFinny's. Gene goes to tell Phineas that he created the accident but Finnydoesn't belive him. So Gene drops it and hopes Finny won't try to rememberwhat actually happened that one day and remember the truth. Anothercharacter in the book is a boy named Leper Lelliper who is always lookingto find the best things in life he can look at slowly and not rushanything. He decides to go look at and take pictures of a beaver dam thengo and work on the railroads to help the WWII fighters get through thetown. But in his childish life he becomes to be the first person in his andGene's and Finny's class to enlist in the army. After doing thiseverybody's life takes a turn. Brinker Hadley, the class president, dropsout of all extra curricular activites and becomes lazy. Gene starts workingat sports and pitys Finny every chance he can. Phineas starts trying to gethis life back in order and trys to do all the things he did before theaccident. But then one day Gene recieves a letter from Leper asking forhelp. The army has done something to Leper and tooken something away fromhim he can never get back. Gene goes to visit him but can't take it andgoes back to Devon, never speaking of what happened. Then one night BrinkerHadley and a bunch of other boys awaken Finny and Gene to take them to atrail. A trial that would change Finny's life and Gene's life forever.The whole story is told by Gene Forrester in a flashback fifteen years ago.The story shows great symbolism with tree. And always has great themes,such as:private war versus public war, Gene's view of life vs. Finny's viewof life, and a life of conformity vs. a life of freedom. ... Read more

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By illuminating the conflict-resolving mechanisms inherent in the relationships between democracies, Bruce Russett explains one of the most promising developments of the modern international system: the striking fact that the democracies that it comprises have almost never fought each other. ... Read more

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A nice summary
This book is a collection of Russet's earlier work on the democratic peace, the finding that no two democracy have ever gone to war with one another, with an emphasis on those works that expand the empirical realm oftesting.The first two chapters essentially summarize the literature onthe democratic peace (up until 1993) explaining both its empirical rootsand the theoretical arguments.After summarizing the normative andstructural explanations, Russett (with William Antholis) attempts todiscover if the democratic peace extended to Ancient Greece.Finding onlyminor support Russett hypothesizes that peace needs not only the simpleinstitutions of democracy, but also the perception, by other democracies,of the type of regime.Without the mutual recognition the norms andinstitutions democracy may fail to prevent conflict.Russett (with ZeevMaoz) then applies the democratic peace to the post World War II era andfinds that joint democracy does in fact promote peace.The last empiricalstudy in the book deals with non-industrial societies (done with Carol andMelvin Ember).While it remains difficult to gain a strong relationship,they do find that participation, joint participatory societies, matters inreducing conflict.In general, this book is a good summary of Russett'searly work on the democratic peace and provides some interesting tests asthe theory is applied to non-nation-state eras.For those new to thisliterature it is a good place to start. ... Read more

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A superb introduction to the ethical aspects of war and peace, this collection of tightly integrated essays explores the reasons for waging war and for fighting with restraint as formulated in a diversity of ethical traditions, religious and secular. Beginning with the classic debate between political realism and natural law, this book seeks to expand the conversation by bringing in the voices of Judaism, Islam, Christian pacifism, and contemporary feminism. In so doing, it addresses a set of questions: How do the adherents to each viewpoint understand the ideas of war and peace? What attitudes toward war and peace are reflected in these understandings? What grounds for war, if any, are recognized within each perspective? What constraints apply to the conduct of war? Can these constraints be set aside in situations of extremity? Each contributor responds to this set of questions on behalf of the ethical perspective he or she is presenting. The concluding chapters compare and contrast the perspectives presented without seeking to adjudicate their differences. Because of its inclusive, objective, comparative, and dialogic approach, the book serves as a valuable resource for scholars, journalists, policymakers, and anyone else who wants to acquire a better understanding of the range of moral viewpoints that shape current discussion of war and peace. In addition to the editor, the contributors are Joseph Boyle, Michael G. Cartwright, Jean Bethke Elshtain, John Finnis, Sohail H. Hashmi, Theodore J. Koontz, David R. Mapel, Jeff McMahan, Richard B. Miller, Aviezer Ravitzky, Bassam Tibi, Sarah Tobias, and Michael Walzer. ... Read more

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When the circle ends to turn around itself !

The aroused controversy on different international stages, around the powerful meaning of the justice as secular idea, collides with the war in more than an aspect. The overpopulation, and many others issues generated by very well known consequences by "the greenhouse effect", may not ignore the opinion of the religious views. If we assume we are living in a challenging and changing world, the innovativeness appears as vital resource to face every one of the unthinkable consequences derived from this process of evolution, where the breakthrough of the paradigms affects continuously our own convictions, and at least to my view, you have to be absolutely centered about your bliss in the life; if not I ' m afraid no other solution will be precisely comfortable or permanent. In this state of things what' must be the role of religion and moreover, in what level may contribute and make its voice be listened. If we analyze the emotional nature of the human being in comparison with our first ancestors, there's not a remarkable difference and that fact doesn't' seem to be a good signal.

Regardless your religious beliefs, the book is very interesting, because it gives us important clues around such thorny theme.
... Read more

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Thoroughly updated and expanded, this new edition of the popular textbook Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace examines the history of recurrent efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict, focusing on peacemaking episodes from the Egyptian-Israeli peace of 1979 through the beginning of the Obama administration. In a lively and accessible style, Laura Zittrain Eisenberg and Neil Caplan identify the factors that seem to persistently derail negotiations. The authors consider how, when, and why the process does or does not work and explore what must change if diplomats are to achieve an enduring peace in the Middle East.

Customer Reviews (1)

Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace:
In an innovative study, two historians of the Arab-Israeli conflict reflect on what their craft can contribute to peacemaking.They reach the depressing conclusion that the tried and true ways lead to failure, and that "the more closely negotiations follow the old patterns, the less likely they are to succeed.Hopes for resolution of this conflict rest on deviating from those patterns."

More specifically, Eisenberg and Caplan find six considerations important to success:the parties' motives, timing, high-status negotiating partners, minimal third-party involvement, reasonably similar terms of agreement, and the absence of psychological obstacles. Some of these factors are commonsensical, other more subtle; in all, it is good to see them assayed in the balance of historical experience.

Just one error in judgment mars an otherwise sound analysis, namely the authors' tendency toward moral equivalency, implying that the democratic state of Israel is no better or worse that the terrorist organization led by Yasir Arafat or the totalitarian regime headed by Hafiz al-Asad.For example, in one passage, the authors hold that "both Arab and Israeli leaders" struggled with extremist wings of their constituencies-making it seem as though West Bank settlers were the counterpart of Saddam Husayn.

Middle East Quarterly, September 1998 ... Read more

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Every summer since 1993, the woods of Maine havewitnessed aremarkable attempt to plant the idea of peace in the heartsand minds of the next generation of Middle East leaders. For threeweeks, hundreds of Arab and Israeli teenagers leave behind theviolence and hatred ingrained in their homelands to meet their"enemies" face to face. At times its an emotionally wrenchingprocess, but it can produce surprising friendships and an enduringbelief in coexistence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great Book
A very moving book.It marks out in detail the words of Israeli and Palestinian youth as they confronted each other, offering enormous hope to the idea that yes, these people can live together.A remarkable book about a remarkable program.

A waste of your hard earned money
This book is the worst book I ever read. I can't understand why someone would publish this. He presents ideas that are radical to say the least. And it's seems like he is living in his imgination. He doesn't know anything about the middle east, I mean he his romantsizing terrorists as though they were freedom fighters (like car boomings is a good thing!?!). Thats probbly why only people from is orgnizition are recommanding you to buy this terrible book. My 3 year old dughter can probbly write better then him (John Wallach is the main autor if you can even call him an autor).

Pro-Peace IS pro-Palestine, Pro-Israel
The escalating rhetoric of Palestinians and Israeli, the escalating fighting is all the more absurd if one has enjoyed the experience of two groups meeting not in enmity but friendship, as in the covers of this great book. Since one will never win, the only way to peace, real and just peace, is a meeting of minds, young or old, or in-between. This is the only way. How long will it take? What is so obvious, as seen here, is strangely, so hard to achieve. This book best exemplifies the way barriers are broken down when face to face meetings occur.

The people of Peace Rejoice
I participated in the Seeds of Peace camp this past summer. Even though the book used examples from more early years, I could relate my experiences to the amazing process described in the book, the unmasking of the enemy,and the establishment of friendships amongst foresworn enemys. But thisbook wouldn't appeal only to those who have gone through the program, itwill show those who aren't fimiliar with it, and even those who do not knowmuch about the middle east, the work being done to resolve this conflict,and the emphasis that even though the participants are young in age, theycan and will shape the society, and the future of the middle-east to abetter place for all religions and nationalities.

The SOP Story
I only read parts of the paperback covered book, and i tell you, as an active member of SOP here in Israel, that this book is the best of expression to our feelings here in the middle east, and our hopes and fearsof and for the future. i recomend this book to anyone who is interested inmaking the world a better place. thank you, E.

Israel ... Read more

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The Nobel Peace Prize is the world's most coveted award, galvanizing the world's attention for 110 years. In recent decades, it has also become the world's most reviled award, as heads of militarized states and out-and-out warmongers and terrorists have been showered with peace prizes. Delving into previously unpublished primary sources, Fredrik Heffermehl reveals the history of the inner workings of the Norwegian Nobel Committee as it has come under increasing political, geopolitical, and commercial pressures to make inappropriate awards.

As a Norwegian lawyer, Heffermehl makes the case that the Norwegian politicians entrusted with the Nobel peace awards have brushed aside the legal requirements in Scandinavian estate law using the prize to promote their own political and personal interests instead of the peace ideas Alfred Nobel had in mind. Evaluating each of the 119 Nobel Peace Prizes awarded between 1901 and 2009, the author tracks the ever-widening divergence of the committee's selections from Nobel's intentions and concludes that all but one of the last ten prizes are illegitimate under the law.

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Although the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to a Kenyan environmentalist, few have considered whether environmental conservation can contribute to peace-building in conflict zones. Peace Parks explores this question, examining the ways in which environmental cooperation in multijurisdictional conservation areas may help resolve political and territorial conflicts. Its analyses and case studies of transboundary peace parks focus on how the sharing of physical space and management responsibilities can build and sustain peace among countries. The book examines the roles played by governments, the military, civil society, scientists, and conservationists, and their effects on both the ecological management and the potential for peace-building in these areas.

Following a historical and theoretical overview that explores economic, political, and social theories that support the concept of peace parks, and discussion of bioregional management for science and economic development, the book presents case studies of existing parks and proposals for future parks. After describing such real-life examples as the Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor in Africa and the Emerald Triangle conservation zone in Indochina, the book looks to the future, exploring the peace-building potential of envisioned parks in security-intensive spots including the U.S.-Mexican border, the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, and the Mesopotamian marshlands between Iraq and Iran. With contributors from a variety of disciplines and diverse geographic regions, Peace Parks is not only a groundbreaking book in International Relations but a valuable resource for policy makers and environmentalists.

Contributors:
Dramé-Yayé Aissetou, Saleem H. Ali, Rolf D. Baldus, Charles Besançon, Kent Biringer, Arthur G. Blundell, Niger Diallo Daouda Boubacar, K. C. (Nanda) Cariappa, Charles Chester, Tyler Christie, Sarah Dickinson DeLeon, Bill Dolan, Rosaleen Duffy, Christina Ellis, Wayne Freimund, Stephan Fuller, Rudolf Hahn, Anne Hammill, Bruce Hayden, Ke Chung Kim, Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo, Jason Lambacher, Raul Lejano, Maano Ramutsindela, Michael Schoon, Belinda Sifford, Anna Spenceley, Michelle L. Stevens, Randy Tanner, Yongyut Trisurat, and Michele Zebich-Knos ... Read more

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Eye-Opening, Comprehensive Take On Conservation as Conflict Resolution
This is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in saving the world and the planet at the same time. If that distinction makes no sense, read this book. Never before did I realize the degree to which environmental concerns can influence, and always have influenced, international affairs; and the degree to which the environment has suffered indirectly (or directly) due to conflict. A must-read for anyone on the progressive edge of either conflict management, conservation or environmental studies.

Conserving the environment makes peace
Peace Parks, Conservation and Conflict Resolution, edited by Saleem H. Ali, explores what was called Environmental Peacemaking in a 2003 anthology of that name, edited by Ken Conca and Geoffrey D. Dabelko.

Ali opens this collection of scholarly essays with an introduction that defines "peace parks" as environment conservation zones "that can play an instrumental role in peacemaking or sustaining amity between communities" (p. 1) especially transboundary protected areas. The World Conservation Union lists 188 transboundary protected areas around the world. The first peace park was Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, established in 1932. Rotarians on both sides of the United States-Canada border had promoted the creation of this international peace park. Since the United States and Canada have maintained friendly relations, Ali calls the establishment of this first peace park a "symbolic" gesture (p. 2). But the two nations cooperate in managing the natural and cultural resources of the international park, and Ali admits that such peace parks can "provide some insights in terms of how cooperation can be sustained between amicable neighbors through environmental conservation" (p. 11).A case study of the park, later in the book, shows a history of effective cooperation in function, like interpretation and public safety, and resiliency despite the United States increasing border security within the international park in recent years.

The case of Ecuador and Peru deserves special consideration, according to Ali, because "it was the first formal effort in which conservation groups were actively involved in international conflict resolution" (p. 9)A border dispute decades old erupted briefly in 1995 in armed conflict. Prodded by Conservation International and other conservation groups, the two countries agreed to peace, to a designated international border, and to conserve the area on both sides of the new border. Indigenous Chimu communities joined the discussions that led to adoption of a bioregional conservation plan and, in 2004, binational recognition of the Condor -Kutuku conservation corridor. Yet this is not the subject of any case study in the book.

Ali asks, is there a natural connection between ecology and peace?He answers his own question, yes. Environmental concerns can be the common grounds that give conflicting parties reason to cooperate, even if their conflict is not over environmental resources.

Peace Parks is divided into eighteen chapters, written by a total of thirty-one authors and organized into three sections. In the first section five chapters address theoretical and policy aspects of Environmental Peace-Building. Another five chapters appear in the second section on existing Transboundary Conservation in Action. The third section on proposed Peace Parks and Regional Governance Regimes has eight chapters, including Ali's conclusion. In addition to academicians, the authors include park rangers, consultants, and employees of government agencies (like the German Development Agency) and non-governmental organizations (like the World Conservation Union).

Among the case studies of existing peace parks are Selous-Siassa Wildlife Corridor and "W" International Peace Park in Africa; the Emerald Triangle conservation zone in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia; Antarctica; and Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Peace parks are proposed along the U.S.-Mexican border, in Liberia, for Korea's demilitarized corridor, in the Kashmir province, between Afghanistan and its neighbors, and even for the Mesopotamian marches in Iraq and Iran. Jason Lambacher, for example, reports on a possible Russo-Japanese peace park in the Kuril Islands, which have been the subject of conflict, albeit not armed, since the Soviet occupation of the islands at the end of World War II. Peace efforts in such cases of conflict, according to Ali, should be grounded in the "dilemma of common aversions," which "implies that harm to the environment is a mutually destructive outcome that rational actors in a conflict would wish to avoid" (p. 335).

In general, this book offers case studies, strategic guidance, practical advice, and idealism. "Since environment planning is inherently concerned with future outcomes of present decisions," says planner Ali (p. 335), "it tends to be less likely to be mired in historical grievances between communities that often tinge security discourse." ... Read more

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Acknowledging that religion can motivate both violence and compassion, this book looks at how a variety of world religions can and do build peace. ... Read more

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LOVE OURSELVES?

Improper self-love leads to a lifestyle that is selfish and self-destructive.But failing to love ourselves adequately is also self-destructive.Without proper self-esteem, people fail to use their God-given gifts and have difficulty loving others.Jesus calls us to walk the narrow road between selfishness and selflessness.This study will help you do that.You'll learn how to study the Bible as you examine and discuss the included topics.

Each chapter has three main sections-GROUP STUDY: materials for a sixty to ninety minute small-group Bible study;STUDY RESOURCES: notes and comments for use in both group and personal study; and PERSONAL STUDY: a series of reflection questions for use by group members on their own during the week.

Extra help is available at the end of the book in the sections "The Art of Leadership" and "Small Group Leader's Guide."

The goal of PILGRIMAGE GUIDES is to understand what it means for us to meet and know Jesus. Through an examination of the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, prayer, and worship, we experience what it means to be a spiritual pilgrim-walking in a new way with God.And we look at how this new way changes the way we view others and live our lives in Christ. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Greatwomen's Bible study!
Jesus Himself commanded us to "Love one another AS we love ourselves."But Christian women today seem to have a problem in this area - either falling into temptation to embrace the world's view of self-esteem or what they were taught by the world is humility (but is really self-depreciation).This book leads the way to study "proper self-love" which begins and ends in Christ.It is appropriate for all levels of the Christian walk. There are even sections which explain how to use Bible resources (concordances, dictionaries, etc.).Reading lists at the end of each chapter are suggested for additional indepth study for each topic covered.

We used this book as one of our studies in a long-standing weekly women's Bible study.I particularly liked the way it was organized to help you dig in deeper to the Scripture references and help the leader to facilitate the group discussions.We not only discussed what was outlined for us, but we used it as a jumping off point to examine ourselves, with the loving help of our sisters in the group. ... Read more

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In the face of overwhelming attention to extremist movements and the fundamentalist Islam they often espouse, exploration of peacemaking and conflict resolution in Muslim communities is especially timely. Crescent and Dove looks at the relationship between contemporary Islam and peacemaking by tackling the diverse interpretations, concepts, and problems in the field of Islamic peacemaking. Although Islamic law requires followers to preserve and protect life, and peacemaking efforts arise in Muslim communities everywhere, those who advocate for Islamic principles of nonviolence and peacebuilding, as well as traditional methods of conflict resolution, face serious challenges. Writing from their perspective as Muslim scholars and peacebuilding practitioners, the contributors offer critical perspectives on what works, what opportunities exist, and what areas are fertile for effective peacebuilding efforts. Their experience and analysis demonstrate that fostering a culture of peace in Muslim communities and building effective conflict resolution practices must occur within an Islamic framework and must engage Muslim leaders. Crescent and Dove addresses both theory and practice by delving into the intellectual heritage of Islam to discuss historical examples of addressing conflict in Islam and exploring the practical challenges of contemporary peacemaking in Arab countries, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Indonesia. These groundbreaking essays offer possibilities for nonviolent interventions, peacemaking, the implementation of human rights, the reinterpretation of texts, peace education instruction, and employing successful mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills in an Islamic context. ... Read more

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This collection of ethnographies discusses how non-violent values and conflict resolution strategies can help to create and maintain peace. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting and Informative
I am reading this book for a course on Peaceful Societies. It is well-written, has thoughtful contributions by respected writers in the fields of anthropology and sociology and peace studies. The essays look at a number of societies that have found peaceful, non-aggressive ways to deal with conflict amongst their groups as well as with outsiders. It brings a bit of optimisim about the possibility of creating a more peaceful world...if these cultures have found a way, hey we can too. ... Read more

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Veteran scholar and peace activist David Cortright offers a definitive history of the human striving for peace and an analysis of its religious and intellectual roots. This authoritative, balanced, and highly readable volume traces the rise of peace advocacy and internationalism from their origins in earlier centuries through the mass movements of recent decades: the pacifist campaigns of the 1930s, the Vietnam antiwar movement, and the waves of disarmament activism that peaked in the 1980s. Also explored are the underlying principles of peace - nonviolence, democracy, social justice, and human rights - all placed within a framework of 'realistic pacifism'. Peace brings the story up-to-date by examining opposition to the Iraq War and responses to the so-called 'war on terror'. This is history with a modern twist, set in the context of current debates about 'the responsibility to protect', nuclear proliferation, Darfur, and conflict transformation. ... Read more

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Peace - the experience was great
The book was well written, well researched, incredibly referenced, objectively provided views from both the right and left, extremely current and well worth the read.The Amazon purchase process was flawless with no issues.I rate with a Green Light.

An Utterly Superb Intellectual Contribution--a Major New Reference
This book is a gift to humanity, a foundational reference of such extraorindary value that I earnestly believe it should be required reading for every single liberal arts program in the world, and used as a core book in all graduate international relations programs.

Part I reviews the history of peace movements; Part II reviews core themes of peace within religions, populism, democracy, social justice, responsibility to protect and wraps up with three cahpters on a moral equivalent, realizing disarmament, and realistic pacifism.

The footnotes, the bibliography, and the index are world-class.The paper is glossy and annoyingly unreceptive to ink, but as a library volume or one that does not allow notes, this is an absolute top-notch production at a phenomenally reasonable price.I have the note mid-way: utterly brilliant blending of works of others within own architecture--superior scholarship.

The book does not touch on the evolutionary activism, conscious evolution, integral consciousness literature, and this is not a criticsm as much as a roadsign: the following five books complement this work in a distinct fashion.
Reflections on Evolutionary Activism: Essays, poems and prayers from an emerging field of sacred social change
Conscious Evolution: Awakening Our Social Potential
Integral Consciousness and the Future of Evolution
The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness

HUGE EYE-OPENER;Pashtun Peace Army in Pakistan-Afghanistan, the Servants of God, discussed on pages 193 and 313.I've been working Information Operations (IO) and used to do Covert Action and I am pretty sure neither CIA nor DIA have a clue that this is a major historical movement that could be reactivated.

The author has provided a meticulous review, ably documented, that is easy to read, a non-trivial accomplishment.I learn for the first time of the Journal for Peace Research as well as three commissions (Blix, Responsibility to Protect, and Canberra) and one report (Barcelona) that I will link to from Phi Beta Iota, where I have more creative control and you can access all of my reviews in any of 98 categories (e.g. Peace).

QUOTE Mary Caldor, author of New and Old Wars: Organized Violence in a Global Era, Second Edition: Violations of humanitarian and human rights law are not a side effect (of armed violence) but the central methodology of new wars.The strategy of violence in the new paradigm uses terror and destabilization to displace populations and gain control of territory and sources of income.

Some key terms and phrases:
Liberal political, free trade, and religious foundations
Kantian triad includes mutual democracy, economic interdependence, international cooperation
Modern peace activists classify terrorism as a tactic
Alternatives to war include multilateral action, cooperative law enforcement, and amelioration of political and economic grievances
Peace is more than the absence of war

QUOTE from Jonathan Schell, one of my most respected sources and author of The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People:Violence is a method by which the ruthless few can subdue the passive many.Nonviolence is a means by which the active many can overcome the ruthless few.

Absolute anti-war pacifists roughly 20%; practical committed pacifists and peace advocates roughly 80%
Africa Ubuntu community & social justice merits more attention
Police power better than war power because more focused
Assertive non-violence a core path to the future (plenty of Gandhi, Neubauer, Kant in here)

Feminism added strength to social justice movement.See my review of Mapping the Moral Domain: A Contribution of Women's Thinking to Psychological Theory and Education.

Author cites two authors I have really appreciated:
The Invention of Peace: Reflections on War and International Order
Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny

Secession is not included, see my various reviews in that domain.
Self-determination is the recurring theme, the absolute foundation for peace

Natural law is alw above nations and foundation for the human security initiatives, see my review of Human Security and the UN: A Critical History (United Nations Intellectual History Project Series)

Arbitration was a naive and elitist sidebar

Disarmament is a distinct track from human security, hugely successful in the Reagon-Gorbechev era

Communism tarred and therefore impeded peace movements by association during the Cold War

I learn of aan out of print book, Speaking Truth to Power: The Quaker Search for an Alternative to Violence (1955) and am reminded of a number of titles in the same genre, the best for me being Speaking Truth to Power.

It's at this point that I make a note to recommend The Health of Nations: Society and Law beyond the State.The author has covered everything else including Monty Marshall and Paul Collier's important contributions.

CORE POINT:Practice and scholarship establishing that unilateral initiatives can reduce tensions and spur arms reductions.From where I sit, Derek Leebaert has it right--we have wasted 50 years of blood, treasure and spirit, see The Fifty-Year Wound: How America's Cold War Victory Has Shaped Our World.

Conscious objectors outnumbered conscripts in the last year of the Viet-Nam war.

Iraq crystallized anti-US foreign opinion and created the meme of the "other superpower" that Howard Zinn and others have been counting on, but as the author explores in the second half of the book, the psychology of the masses, including democratic masses, just is not there yet.However, the author makes a point of the potential of the UN and other international associations with such public opinion and power.

Pacifism and non-violence are not the same thing.

Righteous means are important, help ensure righteous ends (citing Gandhi).

Concept of ahimsa or non-harm, is amply covered and most worthy of deep reflection (page 214.Truly the heart of the book in my own view.I am also absorbed by the author's review of Gandhi's recognition of the relatively of truth--as my own mantra is "the truth at any cost reduces all other costs" I have to pause, but I definitely buy in to the 360 all stakeholders Open Space Technology (e.g. Harrison Owen's works including Wave Rider: Leadership for High Performance in a Self-Organizing World.

Martin Luther King adopted the four steps:
1)Collect the facts
2)Negotiate and dialog
3)Prepare for sacrifice
4)Take direct action

QUOTE:The pioneering peace practitioner John Paul Lederach has emphasized that effective mediation requires cultural sensitivity, language skills, and trust between mediators and affective communities.These often involve long-term commitment and a willingness to enter into situations fraught with peril.

So much for the Department of State, the Central Intelligence Agency, and our Armed Forces--they fail all of the above pre-qualifications.

The author discusses peace in the context of democracy and then--more me mostly new information--in the context of social justice which is where the West has been totally off-base with centuries of colonialism, predatory immoral capitalism and its counterpart unilateral militarism.See for instance The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic (The American Empire Project); The Global Class War: How America's Bipartisan Elite Lost Our Future - and What It Will Take to Win It Back and the many other books I review at Phi Beta Iota in the categories of Capitalism (Good and Bad) and Empire.

It is quite clear to me from both this book (which does not advocate specific paths) and my other reading that we have to accept, nurture, and restore the New International Economic Order (NIEO) that was attempted by the developing world and then subverted.Now that we have all seen the crash of phantom wealth and predatory finance capitalism, it makes sense to move actively toward natural sustainable capitalism that is firmly focused on social justice and the consent and well-being of those at the bottom of the pyramid.

The entire section on Responsibility to Protect is essential reading for any course having to do with international relations and particularly peacekeeping.I learn of and will link to from Phi Beta Iota:
Peace Brigades International
Witness for Peace
Christian PeacemakerTeams
International Solidarity Movement

I recommend Faith- Based Diplomacy Trumping Realpolitik and also Religion: The Missing Dimension of Statecraft.

Everything about this book confirms and deepens my appreciation for the importance of what I call 360 degree holistic analysis that gives voice to ALL stakeholders

The author concludes that a science of peace building is emerging, and earlier addressed the various proposals for national service able to instill non-military patriotism.My own suggestion since 9-11 has been to restore national service for all, with a shared boot camp and then three choices, the first two voluntary selections: Armed Forces, Peace Corps, Homeland Service.

QUOTE: The prevalence of war can be reduced by promoting democracy, economic interdependence, gender equality, equitable economic development, and the resolution of political grievances.

QUOTE JOHN XXIII:The most fundamental human right is the right to life, the right to personal integrity and the development of life.

That's how I have understood the true meaning of the US Founding Fathers with respect to the "pursuit of happiness" not as frivolous divertissment, but as fulfillment. The human brain is the one infinite resource we have --imagine harnessing the giving of the one billion rich to give free cell phones to each of the five billion poor, connecting them and then educating them "one cell call at a time" as Earth Intelligence Network has conceptualized.

We can, I believe, leverage our collective intelligence to create a prosperous world at peace (see the book by thattitle), but first we have to create a virtual world brain and global game that connects all human minds to all information in all languages one call at a time.

I cannot do this book justice in one reading.It is a righteous mighty effort meriting adoption by all possible parties, and certainly translation into as many languages as possible starting with French and Chinese.

There is now way to peace, peace is the way!
If you care about your family, friends, community, city, state, country and most importantly, our world, read this book.If you've ever worried about the direction our country has taken, especially the violent, militaristic route since 9/11, you will find viable alternatives in this book.

From laypeople and students, all the way to scholars, policy-makers and business leaders, this book is a must-read for everyone.It is a pragmatic, thoroughly researched, objective and honest account of the history of nonviolent action and peace ideas struggling against incredible odds.Cortright has once again managed magnificently to write a book that is concise, understandable, and above all, a very good read.

The first chapter is titled, "What is peace?"All of us conjure up an answer of what peace is which originates from an interpretation of our personal experiences and those of others.Cortright has taken the experiences of the many and answers the question, "what is peace?" in a way that might challenge, and change your answer.

In our troubled world with destabilizing threats facing the security of our families to our world, we cannot sit idly by.Alternatives to solve these problems do exist.If you believe we are on the wrong path, (a burning question for me is how can the US spend more on our Pentagon budget annually - which does not include the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - than the entire world combined, yet I feel less secure than ever before), and you are willing to open your mind to an alternative way, I believe you have come to the right book.






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Product Description

This book offers an intellectual history of an emerging technology of peace and explains how the liberal state has come to endorse illiberal subjects and practices.

The idea that conflicts are problems that have causes and therefore solutions rather than winners and losers has gained momentum since the end of the Cold War, and it has become more common for third party mediators acting in the name of liberal internationalism to promote the resolution of intra-state conflicts. These third-party peace makers appear to share lessons and expertise so that it is possible to speak of an emergent common technology of peace based around a controversial form of power-sharing known as consociation.

In this common technology of peace, the cause of conflict is understood to be competing ethno-national identities and the solution is to recognize these identities, and make them useful to government through power-sharing. Drawing on an analysis of the peace process in Ireland and the Dayton Accords in Bosnia Herzegovina, the book argues that the problem with consociational arrangements is not simply that they institutionalise ethnic division and privilege particular identities or groups, but, more importantly, that they close down the space for other ways of being. By specifying identity categories, consociational regimes create a residual, sink category, designated 'other'. These 'others' not only offer a challenge to prevailing ideas about identity but also stand in reproach to conventional wisdom regarding the management of conflict.

This book will be of much interest to students of conflict resolution, ethnic conflict, identity, and war and conflict studies in general.

Andrew Finlay is Lecturer in Sociology at Trinity College Dublin.

Product Description
Preventing sweeping human rights violations or wars and rebuilding societies in their aftermath require an approach encompassing the perspectives of both human rights advocates and practitioners of conflict resolution. While these two groups work to achieve many of the same goals--notably to end violence and loss of life--they often make different assumptions, apply different methods, and operate under different values and institutional constraints. As a result, they may adopt conflicting or even mutually exclusive approaches to the same problem.

Eileen F. Babbitt and Ellen L. Lutz have collected groundbreaking essays exploring the relationship between human rights and conflict resolution. Employing a case study approach, the contributing authors examine three areas of conflict--Sierra Leone, Colombia, and Northern Ireland--from the perspectives of participants in both the peace-making and human rights efforts in each country. By spotlighting the role of activists and reflecting on what was learned in these cases, this volume seeks to push scholars and practitioners of both conflict resolution and human rights to think more creatively about the intersection of these two fields. ... Read more