Grassroots Approaches to Community-Based Peacebuilding Initiatives examines how change is affected in society by studying the experiences of community leaders involved in social activism in Winnipeg, Canada. Documenting the peace-building activities of a host of Community Based Organizations (CBOs), it explores how these activities are used strategically to impact conflict transformation related to issues such as racism, inequality, and extremism in local settings. Due to its combination of a theoretical foundation and first-hand accounts of actual peace-building projects, this book is a highly useful resource for understanding policy and praxis related to peace-building, and a significant contribution to the literature on peace and conflict studies and policy formation.
As developed throughout the dissertation's chapters, I combined a number of different and interconnected agendas with the overall goal being to strengthen and revitalize the field of conflict resolution and peacebuilding research in a number of ways. First, I critiqued the past and current peacebuilding literature in order to present its theoretical, methodological and substantive gaps and inadequacies. Second, I argued for a recognition of the interconnectedness of methodology, reflexivity and knowledge/power in general, and more specifically within the peacebuilding literature. Third, my theoretical and methodological framework constituted a distinctive exemplar for conflict resolution and peacebuilding that begins to ground our research questions, methodologies and discourses as situated knowledges within relations of power. Fourth, I argued academic peacebuilding discourses and practices are not neutral but inherently involved in larger social relations. Fifth, I presented the critical narratives from the locality of Indigenous and non-Indigenous grassroots activists in order to shift the spotlight of peacebuilding discourses and practices onto the transformative possibilities of grassroots community-based peace building. I continued with a reformulated theorization of grassroots community peacebuilding as alternative geographies of knowledge, place-based practices and counter-narratives, important in themselves, and as part of a glocality of bottom-up transformative change. Finally, I conclude with a call for a renewing of the field of Conflict resolution and Peacebuilding based on social justice and community-based praxis.
Local Peacebuilding and National Peace is a collection of essays that examines the effects of local peacebuilding efforts on national peace initiatives. The book looks at violent and protracted struggles in which local people have sought to make their own peace with local combatants in a variety of ways, and how such initiatives have affected and have been affected by national level strategies. Chapters on theories of local and national peacemaking are combined with chapters on recent efforts to carry out such processes in warn torn societies such as Africa, Asia, and South America, with essays contributed by experts who were actually actively involved in the peacemaking process. With its unique focus on the interaction of peacemaking at local and national levels, the book will fill a gap in the literature. It will be of interest to students and researchers in such fields as peace studies, conflict resolution, international relations, postwar recovery and development.
Historians often ignore the day-to-day struggles of ordinary people to improve their lives. They tend to focus on the accomplishments of illustrious leaders. Peace Education from the Grassroots tells the stories of concerned citizens, teachers, and grassroots peace activists who have struggled to counteract high levels of violence by teaching about the sources for violence and strategies for peace. The stories told here come from the grass roots meaning the educators are close to the forms of violence they are addressing. This collection of essays tells how citizens at the grassroots level developed peace education initiatives in thirteen different nations (Belgium, Canada, El Salvador, Germany, India, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Uganda, and the United States). A fourteenth article describes the efforts of the International Red Cross to implement a human rights curriculum to teachers on the ground in the Balkans, Iran, Senegal, and the United Sates. These chapters describe a variety of schools, colleges, peace movement organizations, community-based organizations, and international nongovernmental organizations engaged in peace education.
This thesis discusses the role of grassroots organizations in peacebuilding at multiple levels of society. It also examines the challenges and potential of elite-level peacebuilding, looking specifically at the case of Colombia since the 2016 accord. The thesis uses theories of Conflict Transformation and Multi-Level Peacebuilding to argue that local-level peacebuilding is essential for the sustainability of a peace accord, and that a culture of peace can only be built through the work of organizations that are rooted in community life. Through interviews with peacebuilding organizations in Colombia and the analysis of websites and publications of community peacebuilding organizations, this thesis analyzes discourses of peace. Community-based discourses are then compared to those of the state. The comparison offers insights into a way forward for sustainable peacebuilding by highlighting the unique contributions that community-based organizations offer, such as a focus on the individual psycho-social level.
The past two decades have witnessed the emerging role of grassroots social movements and community-based peacebuilding as key sites of transformative political and cultural engagement. Merging Fires explores three grassroots alliances between Indigenous communities and non-Indigenous activists in Canada, including the actions of the Chippewa of Nawash, the Grassy Narrows First Nation and the Anishnabe Grand Council of Treaty #3. These Canadian examples offer insights into the challenges, limitations and complexities of transformative, community-based alliance building and raise critical questions about power, knowledge and critical pedagogy at the grassroots level. While this analysis is uniquely Canadian in scope, Merging Fires is of great political relevance in light of the Idle No More movement as well as other initiatives occurring worldwide. Furthermore, Rick Wallace's sophisticated research methodologies are starkly different from many academic approaches, and his documentation of on-the-ground grassroots efforts at peacebuilding fills a noticeable gap in the work on this subject.
In a world torn by conflict, from neighborhood disputes to international wars, this groundbreaking book offers hope and practical solutions through the power of grassroots mediation. Drawing on more than 100 case studies from six continents, it demonstrates how local, community-driven peacebuilding efforts can transform societies, save lives, and foster prosperity. Discover for example how Grassroots Mediation works for peace in: · Colombia Peace Communities · Israel-Palestine Grassroots Peace Initiatives · Northern Ireland - Community Restorative Justice Programs · Philippines - Barangay Justice System · Rwanda - Community Reconciliation Efforts · Somalia Grassroots Peace Initiatives (EWERN and Peace Caravans) · South Sudan's Youth-Led Ceasefire Monitoring Mechanisms This comprehensive guide explores: · The theoretical foundations of grassroots mediation · Creative approaches using art, sports, and technology · The crucial roles of women and youth in peacebuilding · Economic initiatives that turn adversaries into partners · Cultural practices that foster reconciliation Whether you're a community leader in a conflict zone, a policymaker seeking innovative solutions, or a citizen passionate about building peace, this book provides the tools, inspiration, and evidence-based strategies to make a difference. Learn how Grassroots Mediators: · Initiate dialogue in divided communities · Build trust across ethnic, religious, and political lines · Empower marginalized voices in peace processes · Create sustainable structures for long-term peace · Adapt global best practices to your local context Featuring insights from renowned peacebuilders like Liberia's Leymah Gbowee, Kenya's Dekha Ibrahim Abdi, Guatemala's Rigoberta Menchú Tum, and Notre Dame's John Paul Lederach, this book bridges theory and practice, offering a roadmap for transforming conflicts at all levels of society. From the favelas of Rio to the villages of Afghanistan, grassroots mediators are proving that peace can be built from the ground up. Their stories challenge us to reimagine conflict resolution, showing that even in the face of severe violence, there are always seeds of hope waiting to be nurtured. As conflicts like the war in Ukraine continue to claim lives and destabilize regions, the lessons in this book become ever more urgent. It reminds us that peace is not just the absence of war, but the presence of justice, dignity, and shared prosperity. By harnessing the power of grassroots mediation, we can create ripples of peace that grow into waves of positive change. This book is a call to action for anyone who believes in the possibility of a more peaceful world. It shows that each of us, regardless of our position or background, has the power to be a mediator, a bridge-builder, a source of healing in our communities. In the words of Kenya's Wangari Maathai, "It's the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference." This book equips you with the knowledge and inspiration to make that difference, one conversation, one community at a time. Join the global movement of grassroots peacebuilders. Discover how you can save lives, bring peace, foster economic growth, and build a healthier, happier homeland. The journey to a more peaceful world begins with you, and it begins now. To ensure broad accessibility, this book is priced affordably. It is my sincere hope that by making this resource widely available, it can have a meaningful, positive impact. If my book "Grassroots Mediation: How to Save Lives and Bring Peace, Happiness, Economic Growth in Your Homeland", can save even one life or bring a measure of happiness to a single individual, I will feel a deep sense of fulfillment and happiness myself. I will be grateful to be able to make a difference through this work. David Hoicka
This encyclopaedia provides a comprehensive overview of major theories and approaches to the study of peace and conflict across different humanities and social sciences disciplines. Peace and conflict studies (PCS) is one of the major sub-disciplines of international studies (including political science and international relations), and has emerged from a need to understand war, related systems and concepts and how to respond to it afterward. As a living reference work, easily discoverable and searchable, the Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies offers solid material for understanding the foundational, historical, and contemporary themes, concepts, theories, events, organisations, and frameworks concerning peace, conflict, security, rights, institutions and development. The Palgrave Encyclopaedia of Peace and Conflict Studies brings together leading and emerging scholars from different disciplines to provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date resource on peace and conflict studies ever produced.
