The Little Book of Strategic Peacebuilding: A Vision and Framework for Peace with Justice

by Lisa Schirch

So we'd all like a more peaceful world--no wars, no poverty, no more racism, no community disputes, no office tensions, no marital skirmishes. Lisa Schirch sets forth paths to such realities. In fact, she points a way to more than the absence of conflict.

She foresees just peace--a sustainable state of affairs because it is a peace which insists on justice. Chapters include:
Defining Strategic PeacebuildingValues for PeacebuildingAn...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 156148427X
• ISBN13: 9781561484270
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: Good Books
• Length: 89 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Peacebuilding in Practice

It seems people are under a misconception that peacebuilding needs to be the work of those assumed to be pacifist, idealistic, and not very practical. The field is often stereotyped into a sort of touchy-feely soft social science with no "real world" applicability. Dr. Schirch's book looks beyond those mistaken assumptions towards real understanding and action. This book looks into the heart of what the causes of conflict are, what skills are necessary to improve communication and lessen direct violence, and more importantly, what needs (material, social and symbolic) must be met to break the cycle of violence. This book provides the reader with an understandable, and straightforward framework to begin to understand, address, and reduce conflict in our world.

Great guide for Conflict Transformation Practitioners

Lisa Schirch has written an excellent, accessible book on strategic peacebuilding, perfect for practitioners but also those who are interested in learning more about this emerging profession. The strength of her book lies in its ability to communicate complex theories in everyday language. Though small in size, it covers the essentials of conflict transformation theory and practice. Additionally, it encourages the reader to think about doing this work intentionally and strategically. I would highly recommend it to anyone interesting in learning more about approaches to peacebuilding.

towards well-being....

A common language is one of the first basics of creating a constant, stable change in any kind of transformation, especially in a conflict situation. This is the first time that I have found a book that considers different approaches and definitions of peace related work in one book and in a clear, easy to understand framework. "The Little Book of Strategic Peacebuilding" defines and summarizes Peacebuilding in a way that enables practitioners and social agents to speak the same language and enables us to deliver a clear consistent message that can be easily conveyed to the public. The author brings together many aspects of Peacebuilding and helps us find ways to initiate systematic strategies that can reduce and eventually eliminate cycles of violence. The book enables us to understand, in a broader sense, the framework that needs to be in place in order to create a change. While reading and using this book I was introduced to several new approaches in the field of Peacebuilding. This helped me focus on approaches that fit the context I am working in (the Israeli-Palestinian conflict), and find new, innovative ways to bring hope that change can take place even in places and during times that it seems next to impossible. This is "a must have" book for anyone who is interested in creating a transformation in their environment and working towards holistic well-being. Odelya Gertel, Israel

All you need to know about peacebuilding!

This is such an impressive little book. The peacebuilding field can be complicated and loaded with jargon. This sometimes makes talking about peace issues seem limited to those who have academic understanding of the social sciences. What Schirch has managed to do is take some very complex concepts and make them easy to understand. This is an eminently readable book and would commend it to anyone serious about making this a more peaceful and secure world.

Must read for the peace and justice community

Lisa Shirch's book on Strategic Peacebuilding is a must read for those seeking more effective ways at building peace from the grassroots to track 1 levels. It is a clear and concise overview of the field of peacebuilding and how all of our efforts fit in and contribute (or not) to a lasting peace.