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 Overview of Peacebuilding ProcessesWaging Conflict NonviolentlyReducing Direct ViolenceTransforming RelationshipsAnd more!
Schirch singles out four critical actions that must be undertaken if peace is to take root at any level): ) waging conflict nonviolently, reducing direct violence, transforming relationships; and building capacity. From Schirch's 15 years of experience as a peacebuilding consultant in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

“ThisLittle Bookis an attempt to bring together the various fields and activities related to peacebuilding to integrate them into one conceptual framework. At the core of this framework is the idea ofstrategic peacebuilding,an interdisciplinary, coordinated approach to building a sustainablejustpeace—a peace with justice. Strategic peacebuilding requires clear goals. While the concept ofjustpeaceis growing in popularity, few writings lay out the vision and practice of justpeace. One aim of this book is to promote the concept of justpeace as an overall goal or vision for peacebuilding.

A title in The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding Series.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction
2. Defining Strategic Peacebuilding
3. Values for Peacebuilding
4. Relational Skills for Peacebuilding
5. Analysis for Peacebuilding
6. An Overview of Peacebuilding Processes
7. Waging Conflict Nonviolently
8. Reducing Direct Violence
9. Transforming Relationships
10. Building Capacity
11. Strategic Design of Peacebuilding
12. Evaluating and Coordinating Peacebuilding
Endnotes
Selected Readings
About the Author