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Exploring the challenge of rehabilitating countries after civil wars, this study finds that attempting to transform war-shattered states into liberal democracies with market economies can backfire badly.Roland Paris contends that the rapid introduction of democracy and capitalism in the absence of effective institutions can increase rather than decrease the danger of renewed fighting. A more effective approach to post-conflict peacebuilding would be to introduce political and economic reform in a gradual and controlled manner. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Provocative but off the mark
This is a provocative and useful book.Besides making a case that the attempt to impose a liberal political and economic order on states recovering from civil war often fails and is sometimes a disaster, Paris provides a nice introduction to several of the most important recent attempts at international post-conflict reconstruction.

But Paris' argument is oversimplified, and sometimes just plain wrong.He paints the international effort as ideologically unified around a liberal order, when in fact those carrying out the economic program (neoliberalism) scarcely talk to those carrying out the political reforms and reconstruction.In fact, the complaint that the two work at cross purposes -- with World Bank and IMF reformers insisting on economic austerity ("fiscal stability"), liberalization, and privatization policies that undermine efforts to provide people with a "peace payoff" -- has become common among those who work and write in this area.

Paris also worries that, in failing to address the poverty and inequality that lay at the root of civil conflicts, the international community has laid the groundwork for future conflicts even in success cases like El Salvador.In fact, the evidence is that political reforms that incorporate dissident elites into the political system satisfied the central "root cause" of civil war.There is lots of inequality and poverty around the world, but it rarely leads to civil war without a political leadership determined to mobilize people against what they see as a repressive and exclusionary regime.

Finally, Paris proposes an alternative model that would have the international community playing a more directive role, taking over the civil administration of countries recovering from civil conflict until institutions are strong enough to manage democracy and economic liberalization.But he ignores the fact that most civil conflicts leave governments standing that are strong enough -- and determined enough -- to resist international meddling.Even in Cambodia, where the UN was given sweeping powers to oversee the civil administration, the Hun Sen government was determined to maintain control and there was not much UNTAC could do to stop it.The illusion that "we" can just step in and impose our agenda is widespread in this country and accounts for the notion that the United States could (and, for some, still can) bring peace and democracy to Iraq if we could just commit enough time and troops to the effort.Paris should ground his recommendations in the real world and not in American fantasies of omnipotence.

This Book Deserves More Attention
It is stunning that so little attention has been given to reviewing this book yet.This volume is one that advances preconditions for successful democratic nation building, based upon a series of recent case studies (such as Angola, Rwanda, Cambodia, Liberia, Bosnia, Croatia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Namibia, and Mozambique). This is one of a series of works (such as The RAND volume, America's Role in Nation-Building;Fukuyama's State-Building; etc.) that address what it takes to create new democratic states that will ensure.

Roland Paris addresses an issue that initially seems far afield--peacebuilding. However, his analysis ends up very much on the mark for better understanding democratic nation building.For Paris, peacebuilding represents ". . .postconflict missions". . .with ". . .the goal of preventing a recurrence of violence" (Paris, 2004: 2).What does this have to do with nation building?As he explains (2004: 5):

Peacebuilding missions in the 1990s were guided by a
generally unstated but widely accepted theory of conflict
management: the notion that promoting "liberalization" in
countries that had recently experienced civil war would
help to create the conditions for a stable and lasting
peace.In the political realm, liberalization means
democratization, or the promotion of periodic and genuine
elections, constitutional limitations on the exercise of
government power, and respect for basic civil
liberties. . . .

On the economic side, liberalization refers, according to Paris, to the movement toward a market economy model.His study of a series of postconflict situations finds this liberal economic democracy model a common end goal of peacebuilders.In effect, what he terms peacebuilding looks very much like what others call democratic nation building.

Paris argues that the most promising strategy is IBL---Institutionalization Before Liberalization, that is, that peacebuilders should not immediately move toward economic and political liberalization.Rather, they should first (re)build institutions so that there is a stable base. Among the steps in this process are:

1. Wait until conditions are conducive for elections to
take place.
2. Design electoral systems to reward moderate parties
and candidates.
3. Work to develop a stable civil society.
4. Head off the emergence of "hate" speech.
5. Develop conflict-reducing economic policies.
6. In short, rebuild effective state institutions.

For Paris, there needs to be a two-step process: first, build institutions as a foundation; second, construct liberal structures on that foundation.

This means time and hard work.For successful democratic nation-building, patience is needed--and understanding thast the process must be carefully managed with uncertain outcomes.In short, this is a must read on the subject of what it takes to produce successful nation-building. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Scholarly and Thought-Provoking
Making peace between nations is less sexy than making war but Atlanticist Charles Kupchan delivers.His basic thesis is that stable peace can occur through a four-phase process: unilateral accommodation; reciprocal restraint between nations; societal integration; and the generation of new narratives and identities. Kupchan further argues that stable peace emerges when three conditions are present among states: institutionalized restraint, compatible social orders and cultural commodity.In the absence of one or more of these conditions, stable peace will not endure.To support his argument, Kupchan provides detailed historical examples where peace has succeeded and failed: U.S. and Great Britain (success); Norway and Sweden (success); Brazil and Argentina (success); China and Russia (failure); and Great Britain and Japan (failure).While brillantly luminating the historical successes and failures of stable peace in the 19th and 20th Centuries, Kupchan could have tested his hypothesis on the Israeli-Egyptian peace process.Moreover, although Kupchan does not explicitly say that peace is possible in the Near East between Iran and the United States or even Iran and Israel, he is careful to imply that there are limitations to achieving stable peace. ... Read more

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Peace Research has become one of the most dynamic and innovative areas of research into war and conflict. This volume comprises essays by Prof. Peter Wallensteen, one of the leading scholars in this field over the past 30 years.

Peace research began in the 1950s when centres were formed in the USA and Europe, and today there are research institutes and departments on every continent, with teaching and research programs in most countries, and peace researchers contribute to the development of international studies, development research and security analysis. Prof. Wallensteen has been a witness to much of this since forming the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University in the late 1960s. 

The book focuses on four key fields of inquiry in peace research:
1) finding ways to understand and identify conflicts and undertake conflict resolution;
2) practising conflict resolution through academic diplomacy;
3) peaceful alternatives to war, notably sanctions;
4) the need to reflect on peace research itself.

This book will be of great interest to all students of peace studies, conflict resolution, war and conflict studies, development studies and IR/security studies in general.

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OUR PRAYERS SHOULD GO AS DEEP AS OUR SOULS.

In today's society we are often handicapped in our spiritual growth by too narrow a horizon when it comes to spiritual practices. Each generation suffers a kind of collective amnesia, forgetting the practices and perspectives that nourished countless followers of Christ in centuries past. Rediscovering these skills is one way to respond to our culture's-and our own-deep spiritual hunger.

While it is surely preposterous for us to suppose we can interact with the God of this universe, Scripture repeatedly invites us to do that very thing. Prayer is not a minor idea tucked into the cracks of the text, it is central, normative, and expected. Why is it, then, that our prayers are so often dry and difficult?

In Meditative Prayer, you'll discover ways of prayer that make use of your mind and imagination, that address your needs as well as strengthen your spirit. By drawing from a number of different sources-Scripture, wise men and women who have gone before, and one another-this study guide will enable your soul to drink deeply from the inexhaustible well of prayer.

(Though you can use this guide for a personal journey of prayer, it is ideally suited for exploration with a small group of like-minded friends.) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Gift
Since my husband and I travel on pass, I was able to spend 10 hours with this book in the Denver airport!On our return I ordered 3 copies of the book for friends!'nough said! ... Read more

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This book explores the impact of different civil-military structures on operational effectiveness in complex peace operations. Recent operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia are examples of grand failures to enforce peace and to promote democracy and development through international interventions. A missing variable in analyses of these conflicts hitherto has been the nature of the civil-military interface and its impact.

The principal argument of this book is that the civil-military interface should ideally be integrated within the interagency arena as well as within the defence ministry. Such integration has the potential to provide joint civil-military planning and comprehensive approaches to operations. It also creates mutual trust and understanding amongst officers and civil servants from different departments, agencies and units, and thereby, a co-operative interagency culture. For the civil-military interface to function effectively within the chain of command during operations, a co-operative culture of trust is essential. Crucially, structurally and culturally integrated civil-military structures are likely to provide a more balanced view of the functional imperative of the armed forces. The results are armed forces fit for whatever purpose the political leadership decides for them - including complex peace support operations. Empirically, the book applies the theoretical framework to a comparative study of US and British patterns of civil-military relations, their strategic cultures and their operations in Iraq.

This book will be of much interest to students of peace operations, civil-military relations, humanitarian intervention, and security studies/IR in general.

Robert Egnell is a lecturer in War Studies at the Swedish National Defence College and a senior researcher at the Swedish Defence Research Agency. He was awarded the 2008 Kenneth N. Waltz Dissertation Prize for the best thesis in the field of international security.

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New to the Seminar Studies, a valuable introduction to the League of Nations and the birth of "international relations" in the inter-war period.

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This new, updated and extensively revised edition of "Searching for Peace" is one of the first books to bridge the gap between peace and conflict studies, world order and globalization. Revealing deep structures and deep cultures of violence and finding in them the reasons for increasing violence and peacekeeping failures, it presents the lessons that can be learned from the TRANSCEND approach, adopted as a UN training guide. A critical and piercing analysis of the short-comings of conventional approaches to conflict resolution, realpolitik and worsening dynamics of global violence which, if not resolved, threaten even more catastrophic destruction in the future. The book maps the conditions and path to sustainable peace, and the challenge for peace by peaceful means. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

combines theory with practice
"Searching for Peace: the Road to TRANSCEND" is an indispensable guide for "peaceworkers".It combines theory (e.g. "on the psychology of the TRANSCEND Approach") with concrete examples of 40 conflicts from around the world, based on 40 years of practical experience in helping conflict parties find nonviolent solutions. Instead of seeking to bring the conflict parties to the negotiating table from the beginning, which can often result in a stream of mutual accusations that exacerbates the conflict, this approach first holds extensive dialogues separately with each conflict party, to gain their trust and understand their grievances and fears, needs and desires.By presenting the parties with a richer repertoire of possible approaches, and by showing them how similar conflicts have been successfully solved elsewhere, this often helps them see a way out of a seemingly intractable situation in which they feel themselves trapped.Johan Galtung, who founded the academic discipline of peace research, and has always applied his insights to help people suffering from conflict, like a good doctor, has joined forces with Carl Jacobsen, Finn Tschudi and Kai Frithjof Brand-Jacobsen to share with us his rich experience.This book ought to be required reading for all international relations scholars, practitioners, policy-makers and peace activists.

combines theory with practice
"Searching for Peace: the Road to TRANSCEND" is an indispensable guide for "peaceworkers".It combines theory (e.g. "on the psychology of the TRANSCEND Approach") with concrete examples of 40 conflicts from around the world, based on 40 years of practical experience in helping conflict parties find nonviolent solutions. Instead of seeking to bring the conflict parties to the negotiating table from the beginning, which can often result in a stream of mutual accusations that exacerbates the conflict, this approach first holds extensive dialogues separately with each conflict party, to gain their trust and understand their grievances and fears, needs and desires.By presenting the parties with a richer repertoire of possible approaches, and by showing them how similar conflicts have been successfully solved elsewhere, this often helps them see a way out of a seemingly intractable situation in which they feel themselves trapped.Johan Galtung, who founded the academic discipline of peace research, and has always applied his insights to help people suffering from conflict, like a good doctor, has joined forces with Carl Jacobsen, Finn Tschudi and Kai Frithjof Brand-Jacobsen to share with us his rich experience.This book ought to be required reading for all international relations scholars, practitioners, policy-makers and peace activists. ... Read more

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This edited volume focuses on the use of ‘necessary condition counterfactuals’ in explaining two key events in twentieth century history, the origins of the First World War and the end of the Cold War.

Containing essays by leading figures in the field, this book analyzes the causal logics of necessary and sufficient conditions, demonstrates the variety of different ways in which necessary condition counterfactuals are used to explain the causes of individual events, and identifies errors commonly made in applying this form of causal logic to individual events. It includes discussions of causal chains, contingency, critical junctures, and ‘powder keg’ explanations, and the role of necessary conditions in each.

Explaining War and Peace will be of great interest to students of qualitative analysis, the First World War, the Cold War, international history and international relations theory in general.

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Proof that one person can make a difference.

One day, a lightbulb went off in Jeremy Gilley's head: there should be one day each year when the world stops fighting and celebrates peace. And he did much more than just think about it. He traveled the globe, meeting with leaders such as Kofi Annan, Amre Moussa, Shimon Peres, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Jeremy's enthusiasm and tireless efforts convinced the governments of the world to change the UN International Day of Peace from a day that moved each year and didn't actually require anyone to stop fighting into a cease-fire day of nonviolence that would fall on September 21 every year.

This amazing story touches on the causes of war, what would happen on a cease-fire day, ways to promote peace on September 21, and most important, how a single person can make a difference in the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

How World Peace Day came to be and the man that helped it become this special day
This book is the story of Jeremy Gilley and his quest to make a World Peace Day. We all want world peace and a good place to start is one day.... and maybe one day there will be world peace. We need our future to know about World Peace Day - which if you don't know is September 21.

This is the story of how Jeremy started with a great idea, how he traveled around the world speaking to presidents, the Dalai Lama and United Nations. How he had help from friends, shot a short film on war and how it effects the children who live in war zones. In one day of peace with no fighting or shooting a lot could be accomplished like food and water would be able to be transported to places that need it, children can sleep without fear, roads can be paved, homes, building, and infrastructures can be fixed, health workers can give immunizations and real heros can inspire others to stretch and family can see each other.

The illustrations are done in a collage style with photos of Jeremy, photos of children from all over the world and also used news print and paintings. The book is definately for older children, I'd sugguest 2nd grade and up.And you can also go to the website www.peaceoneday.org and remember 1 person can make change and peace!

Inspiration for all ages.
Peace One Day is a colorful, enchanting and inspiring book.It is the story of a young man who believes that one person can make a difference in the world and has demonstrated it many times over.Sometimes the world seems too big, too complex and out of reach, particularly to kids.True changemakers appear larger than life or saints but here is a story about Jeremy Gilley who is just a man who loves children, loves life and loves peace.He set out to establish a single day of peace on the calendar when all countries and people observe a global ceasefire when food and medicine can get across borders and refugees can return to their families.He set out asking heads of state, dignitaries and engage children all over the globe.
Illustrated by Pulitzer Award winning Karen Blessen, this collage of pictures, narration and photos tells all about it.You can show the pictures to preschoolers, read together with grade-schoolers and share the possibility of peace, but most of all you can tell kids that they can make a difference, one person at a time.I love this book and its message.

... Read more

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Does democracy reduce state repression as human rights activism, funding, and policy suggest? What are the limitations of this argument? Investigating 137 countries from 1976 to 1996, State Repression and the Domestic Democratic Peace seeks to shed light on these questions. Specifically, it finds that electoral participation and competition generally reduces personal integrity violations like torture and mass killing; other aspects of democracy do not wield consistent influences. This negative influence can be overwhelmed by conflict, however, and thus there are important qualifications for the peace proposition. ... Read more

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The perfect college textbook for peace courses, now newly revised with material on the cold war and nuclear arms deleted, and 22 new articles added. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Classic book on peace studies

This book is a timeless reference for "classic" articles and speeches about peace. It is a "must" for anyone interested in the broad topic of peace and non-violence.

A Good Primer on Nonviolence and Objectivity to War
This nice collection of articles, essays and pamphlets is a must for any High School or College course regarding Peace, Conflict Resolution, Political Structure, and War.

There is a nice introduction to every pieceto give the reader a decent context, and each article has a few follow-upquestions for future insight. ... Read more

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Sociologist Elise Boulding offers a collection of essays that emphasize her study of civil society during the second half of the 20th century. She revisits her theme of connection among family, community and government, offering perspectives and advice on how to fuel the process of peace. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great book, fine service.
We need more peace at all levels. Less of the male response to stress: fight or flight; more of the feminine response: tend and befriend.

A Light Shining In The Dark
Cultures of Peace provides an overview of the voices that have spoken to build peace in the world, the work being done to figure out how to persuade more people of the value of peace, and provides a sense of connection to an ongoing movement among many people.The perspective it shows made me feel that we are making progress toward greater cooperation among peoples and nations despite the depressingly large amount of news about current conflicts.My thanks to the author, the publisher, and to all who seek to promote greater understanding and human prosperity. ... Read more

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In 1795 Immanuel Kant published an essay entitled "Toward Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch." The immediate occasion for the essay was the March 1795 signing of the Treaty of Basel by Prussia and revolutionary France, which Kant condemned as only "the suspension of hostilities, not a peace." In the essay, Kant argues that it is humankind's immediate duty to solve the problem of violence and enter into the cosmopolitan ideal of a universal community of all peoples governed by the rule of law.The essay's two-hundredth anniversary, 1995, also marked the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II and of the establishment of the Charter of the United Nations. The essays in this volume were written for a conference held in Frankfurt in May 1995 to commemorate these three anniversaries. Together, the authors argue for the continued theoretical and practical relevance of the cosmopolitan ideals of Kant's essay. They also show that history has both confirmed and outstripped Kant's prognoses. As recent events have shown, we certainly have not emerged from the violence of the state of nature. Accelerating globalization also gives these reconstructions and reappraisals of Kant's cosmopolitan ideal a new urgency.Contributors: Karl-Otto Apel, Kenneth Baynes, James Bohman, Jürgen Habermas, David Held, Axel Honneth, Matthias Lutz-Bachmann, Thomas McCarthy, Martha Nussbaum. ... Read more

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Since it sprang from obscurity to international headlines in 2004, the name "Darfur" has become synonymous with war, massacre, and humanitarian crisis. The crisis had, however, been brewing for far longer, its causes neglected by both scholars and Sudanese leaders.

War in Darfur and the Search for Peace is a series of essays by leading Sudanese and international specialists on Darfur, combining original research and analysis. The book provides in-depth analysis of the origins and dimensions of the conflict, including detailed accounts of the evolution of ethnic and religious identities, the breakdown of local administration, the emergence of Arab militia and resistance movements, and regional dimensions to the conflict.

The study also focuses on the search for peace, with contributions by those most closely engaged in local and international efforts to resolve the conflict. This includes documentation and analysis of the warring parties' ideologies and agendas and how they have changed in the course of the conflict, and examination of the efforts made by Sudanese civil and political leaders, the African Union, and other international actors to bring the war to an end.

Customer Reviews (2)

The most important book on the Darfur conflict
"War in Darfur and the Search for Peace" is by far the best book on the current conflict in Darfur. One of the reasons for this is the fact that the contributors are not only Westerners, but also Sudanese and Darfurians. The contributions cover all the important issues about the roots of the Darfur conflict and the prospects for peace.

I hope those who want to understand the Darfur conflict read this book.

A thorough look
This important book rbings together the scholarship of many authors to offer insight into all facets of the Darfur conflict and its history and why the world should have paid attention sooner.One of the greatest human crises of the first decade of the 21st century, Darfur is the latest genocide to follow on the heels of Rwanda and Cambodia, in which the West did nothing to prevent the same genocide everyone declared would never happen againa fter the Holocaust.

Instead 200,000-400,000 are dead and a million are refugees and neighboring states from Chad to the Central African Republic are being torn asunder by the conflict which pits the genocidal Janjaweed Arab militias against the poor African people of Darfur.This is not a war over religion, although the history shows that the Arab Muslims who invaded Sudan in the 8th century have long considered the black muslims as inferior as as 'abd' or slaves.It is not truly about resources, as Ban Ki Moon has said.It is, in fact, a well coordinated, government supported genocide.

Seth J. Frantzman ... Read more

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With 44 page study guide that presents 4 two hour lessons plans, one for each section of the book, as well as advice for study leaders. An excerpt from the book's Introduction: "This book is divided into three major sections. Section I examines the concept of peace in the three Abrahamic religions. Section II considers obstacles to breaking cycles of violence. Section III looks at keys to creating a world culture of peace. Section IV tells about women who are engaged in peacemaking, and a concluding chapter focuses on peacemakers' own inner peace through contemplative prayer. One caveat. If this work appears Christocentric, readers should keep in mind the intention of Shalom, Salaam, Peace. It has been written by a Christian clergywoman primarily for Christian study and discussion. My efforts are in devotion to the Christ, who prayed 'that they may all be one' (John 17:21). Jesus revealed God's extravagant love. Facing death he prayed: Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:25-26, NRSV)" ... Read more

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A NEW WAY TO READ THE BIBLE.

Reading the Bible is something with which most of us are familiar.Some even do it regularly. But do we really think about how we read and respond to Scripture? How deeply do we allow ourselves to be impacted by it?

Contemplative Bible reading (or lectio divina, as it is often called) is an ancient method of approaching Scripture. Consisting of four parts, this method begins with the selected biblical passage and moves to meditating, praying, and contemplating what God is revealing through the Bible.

Many of us tend to think of meditation as something done individually, but reflecting on Scripture in a small group invites us to act and encourages us to share with others how God is calling us to respond.

Contemplative Bible Reading examines this spiritual discipline and invites you to approach the Scripture in a new and challenging way. By exploring different passages and learning to hear God's voice in them, this guide will help you meditate and act on the truth of the Bible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A hesitant ecumenical move
The author, Richard Peace is a "professor of evangelism and spiritual formation at Fuller Theological Seminary."It is not suprising, therefore, that at times he is hesitant to trust the method of lectio divina - a particularly ancient and monastic practice.This hesitancy is reflected in two ways: first, his insistence that the subjective experience of lectio divina be subjected to the discernment of the group and second, that a more Protestant "objective" study of the text precede the lectio divina.It is worth noting that for mediatio he suggests the imaginative approach most frequently associated with the Ignatian exercises. The result is a small group "lectio divina" which may work well as an introduction to lectio divina for Evangelical small study groups, but is questionable as a general introduction.

My concerns begin with the directedness of the "objective" study - directed at times by multiple choice questions and at other times by mingling of personal application with the "objective" study.My concerns continue with assumptions as to what the person praying the Scripture will hear.After listening to the Scripture and noting what word/phrase catches one's attention the questions are: "How is my life touched by this word?" "Am I being invited to respond?" ending with prayer for the individual to your right in response to the invitation they noted.

The result is that the focus becomes too oriented toward the human rather than the divine.And, it appears to me as a Catholic, that the author fails to trust in God's Scripture as a living communication between the lover (God) and the beloved (human) in the here and now.

Nonetheless, the volume is useful as a way to introduce people used only to the intellectual study of Scripture to Scripture as direct prayer/communication.From the suggestions for further reading, I believe that the author "did his homework" and deliberately chose the audience and focus for the program.That is not an audience with which I am familar.But for individuals already comfortable with imaginative approaches to Scripture and contemplation, this is not an appropriate introductory volume.

A guide to meditation and personal devotion of Scripture
Dr. Peace is the Robert Boyd Munger Chair as Professor of Evangelism and Church Renewal at Fuller Theological Seminary.

This is a relative thin book (96 pages), and is meant for a small group to read through, as well as individuals to study through.It is divided into 14 sessions, where individuals are supposed to go through and do the odd numbered sessions, and small groups are supposed to do the even numbered sessions.

This book is primarily meant to be a study guide for small groups, with leader notes, art of leadership guide, bibliography for further study.The exercises are meant for individuals to work towards the small group study.

Contemplating Bible reading is a 1500+ year old tradition based on lectio divina, divine reading.The process, as described by peace is to Reading/Listening to Scripture (listening for phrases or words that jump out at the reader), Meditating (considering what these words/phrases are and the connection to one's life), Praying (...through these phrases), and Contemplation (resting and listening to God in these topics in silence).

The book goes through a number of texts, and allows both groups and individuals to reflect upon them.It gives some background to the Scriptures, and allows for discussion questions.There are some thoughtful questions in each of the sessions, to allow the reader to think about the passages and the meaning (and application) more.There are also essays on Lectio divina and upon each step.

It pretty good book for some small groups and individuals, if your small group is fairly biblically sound and mature as Christians.The danger of being overly subjective is present, and reading one's own story or one's own prejudices into the text (eisegesis) is a possibility.Nonetheless, this can be a thoughtful way to read Scripture differently than the traditional Bible study guides. ... Read more

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Douglas Lemke inquires as to whether the factors that lead to war among great powers also apply to other countries, considering different regional circumstances and historical experiences. The book examines Africa, the Far East, the Middle East and South America, and argues that the causes of war are similar across these regions, but that there are differences based on varying patterns of development. This book will interest students and scholars of international relations, peace studies, comparative politics and area studies. ... Read more

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Sri Lanka has been torn apart by a vicious civil war. The majority Sinhala and minority Tamils have killed each other with increasing ferocity. What will bring about an end to this destructive conflict, and how will the island nation heal its physical and psychic wounds following a peace? How will a sustainable peace be arranged? Can mediation help? This book of essays by Sri Lankan and Western authors examines the causes of war and the possibilities for peace. The contributors include Chandra R. de Silva, Saman Kelegama, David Little, David Scott, Donald R. Snodgrass and Jayadeva Uyangoda. ... Read more

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This book examines Palestinian politics in Jerusalem since 1967, since the outbreak of the second intifada in particular, focusing on the city’s decline as an Arab city and the identity crisis among the Jerusalemite Palestinians. Principally concerned with Palestinian politics and how they have evolved over time from the grass roots upwards, it covers issues such as the separation wall, military activity and terror, planning regulations, the joint Jewish-Arab struggle against the occupation and efforts to remove Palestinians from the city.

Drawing upon conversations with hundreds of Palestinians – Islamists, nationalists, collaborationists and a-political people – as well as on military courts files and Palestinian writings, Hillel Cohen tells the story of the failure of the Palestinian struggle in Jerusalem in both its political and military dimensions. He points at the lack of leadership and at the identity crisis among Palestinian Jerusalemites which were created by Israeli policies (the separation wall, the closure of Palestinian institutions) and Palestinian faults (the separation exclusion? of Jerusalem from the Palestinian Authority in Oslo Agreements, or the suicide attacks in the second intifada).

Providing a broad overview of the contemporary situation and political relations both inside the Palestinian community and with the Israeli authorities, the book gives a unique insight into Palestinians' views, political behaviour and daily life in Israel's capital. As such, it is an important addition to the literature on Palestinian politics, Jewish and Israeli studies, and Middle Eastern politics.