Oxford University Press has accepted proposals from the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies to publish a series of books on strategic peacebuilding, beginning this fall, and a handbook on religion, conflict and peacebuilding in 2011. The books will be written by scholars around the world engaged in peace research, including Kroc Institute faculty.
The Oxford Studies of Strategic Peacebuilding, a collection of monographs and edited volumes, will be edited by Notre Dame’s Scott Appleby, John M. Regan Jr. director of the Kroc Institute; John Paul Lederach, professor of international peacebuilding; and Daniel Philpott, professor of political science and peace studies. The first book in the series, “Strategies of Peace: Transforming Conflict in a Violent World,” is edited by Kroc faculty members Philpott and Gerard F. Powers.
Strategic peacebuilding, the Kroc Institute’s signature concept, is defined by Appleby as “the creation and nurturing, over time, of constructive relationships — at every level of society and across ethnic, religious, class and racial boundaries — as a means of transforming structures and social, political and cultural dynamics that promote discrimination, inequality, hatred and war and other forms of deadly violence.”
“The Oxford Handbook on Religion and Peacebuilding” will be edited by Appleby; Atalia Omer, assistant professor of religion, conflict and peacebuilding at the Kroc Institute; and David Little, formerly of the Harvard University Divinity School.
Religious or faith-based peacebuilding, a subfield of peace studies that has recently gained attention among U.S. and international policymakers, is one of the Kroc Institute’s core research programs. While religious extremism is often cited as a cause of conflict, religion’s role in building and sustaining peace is less recognized. The handbook is expected to be a significant contribution to greater understanding of the importance of religion, peace and conflict in international affairs.
Founded in 1986, the Kroc Institute is a leading center for the study of the causes of violent conflict and strategies for peace. It offers education in peace studies and strategic peacebuilding at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree levels. More information is available online at http://kroc.nd.edu.
Contact: Joan Fallon, 574-631-8819, jfallon2@nd.edu