Peacemaking: Lessons from the Past, Visions for the Future

Peacemaking includes a large array of activities from local to global attempts to attain peace. It includes consideration of international, interstate, and intertribal conflict resolution; communal, personal, and interpersonal social justice; deterrence of the use of nuclear weapons; design of international treaties that prevent war or other forms of international conflict; disarmament; international organizations that secure the order among nations; and even, from some points of view, war. As the 20th century drew to a close, we have witnessed peacemakers trying to end ethnic cleansing, reinstate justly elected political leaders, and reach compromises in the ideological differences that perpetuate age-old conflicts. We also see peacemaking in our schools, homes, and workplaces.
Philosophers have long been interested in peacemaking in one form or another, and philosophical accounts of peacemaking reflect the variety of perspectives, methods, and activities developed in pursuing peacemaking. In some instances, philosophers expand upon the situations, activities, and methods of the peacemaker in the field. The essays in this volume propose some theoretical arguments for various aspects of peacemaking, offer nonmilitary alternatives to war, and discuss practical examples of peacemaking in daily life. The contributors analyze power relations, language, social groupings, and distribution of resources. At times, they draw insight from social and historical models of conflict and conflict-resolution. This collection of essays on peacemaking aims to enlighten contemporary social and political discussions and contribute to achieving the ever-challenging goal of peace.