Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Strategic Governance To “Silence The Guns” In Africa: Urban Sub-Saharan African Perceptions On War's Root Causes., Peter Tresor Miyalou, Chun Yan Hu

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

Despite the African Union’s campaign to silence the guns in Africa by 2020 (STGIA 2020), many African countries are suffering from wars and political instability, the primary causes of underdevelopment in Africa. This paper examines the roots causes of wars in Africa and provide a strategic governance to silence the guns beyond 2020. To accomplish this, we gathered data from 169 questionnaire responses administered across 25 African countries, to capture African people’s perceptions on the root causes of wars and whether employing strategic governance would help silence the guns in these countries. The results showed that political power struggle (47.9%), …

Coping With The Complexity Of The Changing Character Of War: Toward A New Paradigm Of Adaptive Peace, Cedric De Coning

New England Journal of Public Policy

The world has entered a period of heightened geopolitical instability that is compounded by climate change and the emergence of new technologies. The number of conflicts and related deaths are increasing. Dramatic failures in Afghanistan and elsewhere show that the mainstream approach to peace and conflict is no longer effective. The aim of this article is to contribute to re-thinking peace and security in two ways. First, by explaining why trying to influence complex social change process with a determined-design approach is self-defeating. Second, by introducing adaptive peace theory as a normative and functional approach to ending violent conflicts and …

Review Of After Genocide: Memory And Reconciliation In Rwanda, Selina Gallo-Cruz

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Book Discussion "Innovations In Peace And Security In Africa"

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Abdul Aziz Said: A Pioneer In Peace, Intercultural Dialogue, And Cooperative Global Politics, Patricia Mische

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

In Memory Of Bishop Paride Taban, Sara Ketelaar, Fr. Peter Mbaro, John Ashworth, Fr. Joseph G. Healey, Rosanne Fischer, William O’Keefe

The Journal of Social Encounters

The Journal of Social Encounters mourns the loss, and celebrates the life, of the much-loved Bishop Paride Taban. We thank our authors below for sharing their reflections on him. In his memory, we also re-print an essay about him by Alberto Eisman Torres, A Beacon of Hope in a Troubled Context: Sketches of the Life of Mons. Paride Taban, Shepherd and Bridge-builder, an essay in our special collection on Peace Bishops. I was blessed to know Bisop Taban, and would see him in Nairobi and in Minnesota. One of his associates was a student of mine at the Catholic …

Pacem In Terris: Historical Context & The Call For Global Governance, Joseph J. Fahey

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay examines the historical context that led to Pope John XXIII’s proposal for a global “public authority” in his April 11, 1963, encyclical letter, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth). The catalyst for this letter was the Cuban Missile Crisis that occurred between October 22 and October 29, 1962. Pope John offered to mediate that crisis, and President Kennedy and Premier Khrushchev agreed and eventually came to an agreement not only to end the crisis but also to negotiate a limited nuclear test ban treaty. In the last year of his life, a time for him …

Reframing The Ontology Of Peace Studies, Anders Reagan

Peace and Conflict Studies

The academic field of peace studies suffers from a lack of ontological clarity, with peace researchers widely disagreeing on how to define “peace.” This internal incoherence has far-reaching implications for peace study’s scope, theories, and methodologies, and by extension, for peace practice in general. This article explores the possibility that at least part of this incoherence may be due to a fundamental misreading of peace study’s central object of study. Despite significant disagreement between peace researchers on a standardized definition of peace, there seems to be overwhelming consensus that "peace" – in all its varied academic conceptualizations – always relates …

Book Discussion - Violence And Peace In Sacred Texts: Interreligious Perspectives, Maria Power, Helen Paynter

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Nelson Mandela: Peace Through Reconciliation, Gary Prevost

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Building Bridges Through Shared Spirituality: A Practical Theology Of Fasting And Prayer Among Christians And Muslims In Mombasa, Mathew Musyoki

The Journal of Social Encounters

Christians and Muslims who live at the coastal region of Kenya frequently engage in inter-religious conflict. Following Gerben Heitink, action domains of religion and society where practical theology is seen as a theology [medium] of action. This research aims at establishing what Christian pastors and Muslim imams could potentially do to build bridges around the shared spirituality of prayer and fasting. Questionnaires and interview guides for focused group discussions were used to collect data which from a sample size of 60 respondents who were selected randomly and purposively. The data were analyzed and the results discussed. The research established that …

Subsidiarity: A Central Principle For Justice, Peace, And Sustainability In Mining, Caesar A. Montevecchio

The Journal of Social Encounters

The Catholic social teaching principle of subsidiarity states that problems should be dealt with at the lowest level possible, but the highest level necessary. It attempts to create structures of social power that can best protect the dignity of individuals and families and promote their human flourishing. In the case of mining, subsidiarity would say that the communities impacted by mining need to be centered and empowered to the greatest extent possible, but that the national, regional, and/or global nature of the issues at stake, like climate change, violent conflict, or economic justice, mean that community goals and decisions need …

Extractivism And Conflict: Comparative Study Of Serbia And The Drc, Borislava Manojlovic, Espoir Kabanga

The Journal of Social Encounters

This study explores how populations in Serbia and the DRC have been affected by and responded to natural resource extraction. Specifically, protests and other activist engagement were examined by surveying social movements’ participants from civil society and academia. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of inquiry were used. Data was collected from multiple sources, including academic and online sources pertaining to the topic of extractivism, and a survey of 71 participants. The results indicate that both Congolese and Serbian participants have grave concerns about extractivism and its impact on the environment, peace, stability, health, and well-being but differ in their ability …

Review Essay: Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen: A Still And Quiet Conscience, William L. Portier

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma: Advocate Of Peace And Development, Loreta Navarro-Castro

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay describes the advocacy of Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, currently the co-president of Pax Christi Philippines and archbishop emeritus of the archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, Philippines, towards peace and development not only in Mindanao but also throughout the country. He is a strong proponent of interreligious dialogue and the importance of addressing the roots of the armed conflict so there can be an enduring peace in the Philippines and beyond.

An Angry Shepherd: Sudanese Bishop Macram Max Gassis, John Ashworth

The Journal of Social Encounters

Bishop Macram Max Gassis is a near-legendary figure in Sudan since he first spoke out against human rights abuses in his country before a committee of the US Congress in 1988. Targeted by the Islamist military dictatorship which ruled Sudan for thirty years, for protesting enslavement, religious oppression, forced starvation and mass murder in Sudan, he lives in exile, bringing help and hope to his persecuted people.

This essay is condensed from the 2021 book by the same author with the same title.

Introduction - Volume 6, Issue 2, Ronald Pagnucco

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Whose Peace? Grappling With Local Ownership In Sierra Leone, Oscar Mateos, Andreu Solà-Martín

Peace and Conflict Studies

Local ownership has become a basic tenet of post-conflict peacebuilding strategies sponsored by the International Community. However, research on peacebuilding underlines a gap between policy discourse and actual practice. This paper illustrates the challenges and opportunities posed by the promotion of local ownership by assessing the case of Sierra Leone. This West African country is often labelled as one of the most successful peacebuilding interventions thus far. However, by analysing the interaction between insiders and outsiders during the initial post-conflict phase (1996-2007), this paper concludes that stakeholders perceived differently the meaning and policies associated with the concept of local ownership. …

Review Of Advancing Nonviolence And Just Peace In The Church And The World, William J. Collinge

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Peace Is The Answer For Our Post-Pandemic World, Steve Killelea

New England Journal of Public Policy

Humanity is facing a series of existential threats unlike any it has experienced before in its short history. They are driven mainly by overpopulation, increasingly impactful advancements in technology, and now a pandemic. Countering these threats will require a new way of conceptualizing our relationships with each other and the ecosystems we depend on. The world needs a new approach that will allow us to adapt in the short term and reverse the decline in the long term.

Peace is central to a safe and productive society. Without peace, we will never achieve the level of trust, cooperation, and inclusiveness …

The Sound Of The Sun: Religious Understandings Of Peace And The Role Of Religious Leaders In Peacebuilding―A Qualitative Study In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Stipe Odak

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article discusses the different roles of religious leaders in peacebuilding processes, and their specific understanding of peace. It is based on analysis of 75 in-depth interviews with Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim religious leaders from Bosnia and Herzegovina, conducted in the period from 2015 to 2017. In the first part, peace is analyzed as a concept that contains elements of giftness, spirituality, and praxis. Arguing for the relevance of all three elements, the article warns against possible misunderstandings that can come when peace is assessed only through directly measurable indicators. In the second part, peacebuilding activities of religious leaders are …

Review Of Women And Nonviolence, Kelly Kraemer

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Building Peace In America, Chris Hausmann, Ron Pagnucco

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Catholic Social Teaching And Theologies Of Peace In Northern Ireland: Cardinal Cahal Daly And The Pursuit Of The Peaceable Kingdom, Kathryn Lamontagne

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Champions For Peace: Women Winners Of The Nobel Peace Prize, Patricia M. Mische

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

“Wepeace” And Women Peacekeeping In The Philippines, Arlyssa Bianca Pabotoy

The Journal of Social Encounters

The “Women’s Agency in Keeping the Peace, Promoting Security” or “WePeace” is an initiative to capacitate selected community women in the Philippines on gender-responsive peacemaking and peacekeeping. This essay describes how the project has helped form women peacekeeping teams and enabled women’s increased participation in existing peacekeeping mechanisms. The community women are from four different areas in the country facing different conflict lines: tribal wars, clan wars or “rido”, internal displacement, and development aggression.

Women Count For Peace And Security: A Story Of Collaboration In The Philippines, Jasmin Nario-Galace

The Journal of Social Encounters

On 31 October 2000, United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325, the first Women, Peace, and Security resolution, was adopted by the United Nations Security Council. The resolution mandated UN member states to increase women’s participation in decision-making in matters that relate to peace and security, particularly in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and post-conflict reconstruction. Years after its adoption, however, implementation was slow and scattered and hardly changed the invisibility and marginalization of women in decision-making on matters of peace and security, where women have a unique perspective on keeping and making peace and have a historical tradition of …

The Catholic Peacebuilding Network: Lessons Learned, Gerard F. Powers

The Journal of Social Encounters

As one of the world’s largest transnational institutions, the Catholic Church is deeply engaged in a wide variety of peacebuilding activities at all levels through many different types of institutions and organizations. This essay examines one of these entities, the Catholic Peacebuilding Network (CPN), a network of university institutes, episcopal conferences, development agencies, and independent peace organizations. It considers CPN’s mission, activities, contributions to the Catholic community’s wider work for peace, and the challenges it faces as it seeks to accompany the Catholic community in areas of conflict. By looking at this one actor, this essay offers insights into Catholic …

Introduction To Volume 5, Issue 2, Joseph Okumu, Ron Pagnucco

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

A Just Peace Ethic Primer: Building Sustainable Peace And Breaking Cycles Of Violence, William J. Collinge

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.