Peace by Peaceful Means
Peace and Conflict, Development and Civilization
- Johan Galtung - Norway
Peace Studies/Conflict Resolution
The book is organized in four parts, each examining the one of the four major theoretical approaches to peace. The first part covers peace theory, exploring the epistemological assumptions of peace. In Part Two conflict theory is examined with an exploration of nonviolent and creative handling of conflict. Developmental theory is discussed in Part Three, exploring structural violence, particularly in the economic field, together with a consideration of the ways of overcoming that violence. The fourth part is devoted to civilization theory. This involves an exploration of cultural violence focusing on the deeper aspects of cultures. Finally, the threads of these four approaches are drawn together with a focus on peace action - peace by peaceful means.
`Even a reviewer who has spent a lifetime in peace research finds much insight, inspiration and provocation in [this book]. It is a book to start the road with - and to return to by the end of the road' - Democratization
`Galtung's book is one of the best guides for getting to know the world we live in. It contains astonishing insights, not only about war and peace, but about one's own cultural roots and ideological predispositions. It is a courageous and highly ethical work, full of unpalatable truths but lit up by sparks of truth' - Media Development
`This is an important volume by one of the most important scholars of modern peace studies.... It is both an overview and an elaboration of his ideas regarding the conceptual and material implications of peace.... This is not an easy book to read in the sense that the prose is dense and the arguments are spread over the main text and within the detailed footnotes. However, it is worth reading carefully precisely because it is concerned with locating peace studies within a broader social and intellectual context than other parts of the discipline of international relations or political science. Galtung concludes his latest contribution with a plea for perseverance: peace is something that has to be worked at and, moreover, peace workers have to expect resistance from those inculcated within reactionary state structures' - International Affairs
