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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 in her timely book sets forth paths to such realities In fact, she points a way to more than the absence of conflict. She foresees justpeace-a sustainable state of affairs because it is a peace which insists on justice. How to arrive there is the subject of this book. Peacebuilding recognizes the complexity and the effort this elusive ideal requires. Schirch singles out four critical actions that must be undertaken if peace is to take root at any level) - 1.) waging conflict nonviolently; 2.) reducing direct violence; 3.) transforming relationships; and 4.) building capacity. She never imagines this to be a quick-or an individual-task. Her clear and incisive strategy encourages enabling many approaches to peace, honestly assessing who holds power, and persuading and coercing, but always with keen judgment and precise timing. From Schirch's 15 years of experience as a peacebuilding consultant in Africa, Asia, and Latin America..
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Lisa Schirch's work is vital in setting conflict analysis and resolution theory and practice, as well as diplomacy, in a new direction
--Dr. Marc Gopin, Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University

Wonderful and long overdue. . .fills a glaring gap in our professional peacebulding literature. This book should be on the shelves of every practitioner, researcher and trainer working in this field.
--Dr. John Paul Lederach, Professor of International Peacebuilding, University of Notre Dame

This book... helps to make visible tools that are often used unconsciously or without purposeful intent by peace practitioners throughout the world. Her real-life scenarios show parties in conflict being transformed by engaging together in the practice of ritual. Schirch provides optimism for the future of peacebuilding practice in a world with many intractable conflicts.
-- Sheryl Beckford, Development, 49(1)

Does more than point to the power of ritual and symbolism. In a highly readable style, she parses ritual and symbol into useful analytic and practical components that may be used in setting the stage for peacebuilding opportunities and events.

-- Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal, 2006

Not merely another scholarly contribution to an ever-growing field of research [but] an exemplary case of moving the debate in a new direction.

-- Veronika Bajt, Peace Institute, Slovenia



*Serves as a guide to using ritual acts in peacebuilding efforts

*Abundant with examples of symbolic acts that aided the peace process

Conflict is dramatic. In theater, literature, story telling, and news reporting, it is a powerful mechanism that draws attention, heightens the senses and evokes emotion. Schirch argues that peacebuilding has the potential to do just the same.



Examples of peacebuilding often center on the serious, rational negotiations and formal problem-solving efforts in conflict situations. Schirch argues, though, that what truly bonds adversaries and helps achieve peace are the symbolic, non-verbal ritual acts--shaking hands, sharing a meal, showing a photograph of a loved one. Yet these are often overlooked as deliberate components of peace negotiations.



Ritual and Symbol in Peacebuilding underscores the importance of incorporating symbolic tools, including ritual, into traditional approaches to conflict. Ritual assists in solving complex, deep-rooted conflicts, and helps to confirm and transform worldviews, identities, and relationships. With theories and language to explain the symbolic dimensions of conflict, this text will be useful to scholars and practitioners active in the diverse field of peacebuilding..
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This digital document is an article from Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2006. The length of the article is 866 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Ritual and Symbol in Peacebuilding.(Book review)
Author: Laura Simich
Publication:Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 38 Issue: 1 Page: 190(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale.
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