Peacebuilding through Dialogue

Description

“This vibrant, insightful volume sheds new light on dialogue processes that serve as the DNA of peacebuilding, and help bridge the chasms of deeply divided societies. The book is especially groundbreaking in its focus on the links between “inner peace,” including dynamics such as compassion and dignity, and broad social change. It is this constant interplay between transformation of the self and transformation of society that gives dialogue its tensile strength, and the authors capture these dynamics compellingly. In an increasingly polarized world, this book offers hope, and a reflection on how we can change society, and ourselves.”

—Melanie Greenberg, former Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance for Peacebuilding, and current Managing Director for Peacebuilding of Humanity United

“This set of chapters on the use of dialogue in peacebuilding is powerfully informative and beautifully written. Engaging in dialogue is challenging work, and this fine book provides substantial help.”

—Nel Noddings, Lee L. Jacks Professor of Education, Emerita, at Stanford University, and author,  Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education and Peace Education: How We Come to Love and Hate War

“Editor Peter Stearns has done a splendid job of putting together a volume that looks at the significant role of dialogue in delivering peaceful outcomes in a wide range of contexts and scenarios. This edition utilizes a range of interdisciplinary lenses in covering dialogue in education, interpersonal and personal transformation, and conflict resolution…I recommend this book to anyone interested in and learning more about the role of dialogue in delivering peace. It is thoughtfully put together and lives up to its title…It is relevant for everything from managing heated discussions or sharing trauma to processes on community building and international relations.”

—Wim Laven, Instructor of Political Science, Kennesaw State University

This volume examines the many dimensions of dialogue as a key driver of peaceful personal and social change. While most people agree on the value of dialogue, few delve into its meaning or consider its full range. The essays collected here consider dialogue in the context of teaching and learning, personal and interpersonal growth, and in conflict resolution and other situations of great change. Through these three themes, contributors from a wide variety of perspectives consider the different forms dialogue takes, the goals of the various forms, and which forms have been most successful or most challenging. With its expansive approach, the book makes an original contribution to peace studies, civic studies, education studies, organizational studies, conflict resolution studies, and dignity studies.

Contributors: Susan H. Allen, George Mason University * Monisha Bajaj, University of San Francisco * Andrea Bartoli, Seton Hall University * Meenakshi Chhabra, Lesley University * Steven D. Cohen, Tufts University * Charles Gardner, Community of Sant’Egidio * Mark Farr, The Sustained Dialogue Institute * William Gaudelli, Teachers College, Columbia University * Jason Goulah, DePaul University * Donna Hicks, Harvard University * Bernice Lerner, Hebrew College * Ceasar L. McDowell, MIT * Gonzalo Obelleiro, DePaul University * Bradley Siegel, Teachers College, Columbia University * Olivier Urbain, Min-On Music Research Institute * Ion Vlad, University of San Francisco.

About the Editor:

Peter N. Stearns is University Professor of World History and the Provost Emeritus of George Mason University. He has written or edited more than 135 books, including Peace in World History and World History: The Basics.