This updated and expanded edition of the highly popular volume originally published in 1997 describes the tools and skills of peacemaking that are currently available and critically assesses their usefulness and limitations.

This updated and expanded edition of the highly popular volume originally published in 1997 describes the tools and skills of peacemaking that are currently available and critically assesses their usefulness and limitations.

The analysis and interpretation of conflicts can be a dangerously simplistic exercise. A western, developed socio-economic perspective can simplify conflicts in the so-called ‘Third World’ as the inevitable struggles of people who cannot coexist because of ethnic, religious or cultural differences. While acknowledging that many contemporary conflicts are characterised and influenced by these factors, this book calls for an approach to conflict prevention and resolution which mainly addresses the underlying political, economic and social causes. The conflict in Sudan, where narratives evolved from an interpretation based on religious differences between a Muslim North and the Christian South, provides a case study through which the author explores how most prevention and resolution strategies were based on flawed assumptions leading to poor results. By focusing instead on the underlying socio-economic inequality and marginalisation among groups she analyses the dynamics of the complex peace process to ascertain if and how economic and social rights were effectively included and implemented as a part of the peace agreement, including after South Sudan’s independence.

Intractable conflict is a protracted, violent and long-time struggle, wherein generation after generation is socially conditioned to continue fighting. To break the chain of destruction, a revolutionary peacemaking process is required. This book serves as an introduction to the study of peacemaking revolutions, which are necessary to build a peaceful and well-functioning society in desperate intractable conflict situations. The challenge of peacemaking revolution is to turn opposing parties into a peacemaking community. A peacemaking community offers political platforms to involve the different societal elements of the opposing parties in the struggle for change. It offers a consensus-building process that approaches the conflict from different sides, dimensions and directions. This book provides a fresh perspective to the study of destructive social conflicts, their transformation, and resolution. It will serve to provoke a critical discussion among those who are interested in the new emerging study of peacemaking revolutions.

The book provides a comprehensive overview of the literature on religion, conflict, and peacebuilding. With a focus on structural and cultural violence, the volume also offers a cutting edge interdisciplinary reframing of the scope of scholarship in the field.

Duane K. Friesen suggests ways Christians can interpret and respond to international conflict. He draws on both theological and social scientific literature to suggest that living in a more peaceful world is no utopian dream, but a realistic alternative.

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

This new Routledge Handbook offers a comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview of the meanings and uses of the term ‘peacebuilding’, and presents cutting-edge debates on the practices conducted in the name of peacebuilding. The term ‘peacebuilding’ has had remarkable staying power. Other terms, such as ‘conflict resolution’ have waned in popularity, while the acceptance and use of the term ‘peacebuilding’ has grown to the extent that it is the hegemonic and over-arching term for many forms of mediation, reconciliation and strategies to induce peace. Despite this, however, it is rarely defined and often used to mean different things to different audiences. Routledge Handbook of Peacebuilding aims to be a one-stop comprehensive resource on the literature and practices of contemporary peacebuilding. The book is organised into six key sections: Section 1: Reading peacebuilding Section 2: Approaches and cross-cutting themes Section 3: Disciplinary approaches to peacebuilding Section 4: Violence and security Section 5: Everyday living and peacebuilding Section 6: The infrastructure of peacebuilding This new Handbook will be essential reading for students of peacebuilding, mediation and post-conflict reconstruction, and of great interest to students of statebuilding, intervention, civil wars, conflict resolution, war and conflict studies and IR in general.