Building Cultures of Peace: Transdisciplinary Voices of Hope and Action
Editor: Elavie Ndura-Ouédraogo and Randall Amster
Date Of Publication: Oct 2009
Isbn13: 978-1-4438-1329-7
Isbn: 1-4438-1329-X
From violence and abuse within family units, to communities and regions torn apart by inter-group conflict and wars among nations, the human condition is rife with turmoil. The consequences of this seemingly perpetual strife weigh heavily on humanity, often creating feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness that only serve to breed more conflict and violence. In the face of these monumental challenges, initiatives for peace struggle to take root. Seeking effective ways to encourage these efforts, the United Nations adopted three declarations on the eve of the 21st century, including the “Declaration on a Culture of Peace” that broadly defines what the vision looks like and the actions necessary to build cultures of peace. Taking up this central challenge of our time, this volume of collected essays presents multiple perspectives on the critical issues of peace and conflict resolution that pervade the globe, addressing the UN’s charge to develop “values, attitudes, modes of behavior and ways of life conducive to the promotion of peace among individuals, groups, and nations.” Bringing together scholars and practitioners from fields including education, sociology, criminology, political science, and peace studies, this work constructively engages the task of creating peace and fostering hope in a conflict-ridden world.

Elavie Ndura-Ouédraogo is Associate Professor of Educational Transformation at George Mason University. Her publications have appeared in forums including Harvard Educational Review and Multicultural Perspectives. She co-authored 147 Tips for Teaching Peace and Reconciliation (Atwood Publishing, 2009) and co-edited Seeds of New Hope: Pan-African Peace Studies for the 21st Century (Africa World Press, 2009).

Randall Amster, Professor of Peace Studies at Prescott College, received his PhD in Justice Studies from Arizona State University. He is the author of Lost in Space: The Criminalization, Globalization, and Urban Ecology of Homelessness (LFB Scholarly, 2008), and serves as Executive Director of the Peace & Justice Studies Association.

“Building Cultures of Peace is an immensely rich, creative, and, above all, an optimistic book. The fifteen very competent chapters approach the issue of a culture of peace based on social justice and equity, as opposed to the ubiquitous culture of violence. Here are concrete programs and ideas; now let us all go out, do it, and get ever higher in the knowledge, skills and art of building peace.”

—Johan Galtung, Founder, dr hc mult, TRANSCEND: A Peace, Development

and Environment Network.

“Since the United Nations launched the “culture of peace” to much fanfare but little tangible result, the idea of a culture that would be more conducive to peace than war (which would seem to be an inevitable result of the culture we have today), has taken hold, and that is very helpful. If further proof of that were needed (and unless you are in the peace profession it probably is), this book demonstrates that there is a ‘field’ of peace that is there to help people in all walks of life to understand and indeed contribute their bit, whatever it may be, to peace. There could hardly be a more needed development, and this book, with its diversity and yet its overriding focus on the elusive dream of peace, is a great contribution to it. I would like to see it in every school library — and in the mind and heart of every child.”

—Michael N. Nagler, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley; author of The Search for a Nonviolent Future

Price Uk Gbp: 39.99
Price Us Usd: 59.99

Sample pdf (including Table of Contents)