Books

Paul M. Cobb, Usama ibn Munqidh: Warrior-Poet of the Age of Crusades (Oxford: Oneworld, 2006).

Usama ibn Munqidh (1095–1188) was a Syrian poet and warrior who was at the front line of some of the most dramatic moments in Islamic history, including the invasion of the Turks into the Middle East, the collapse of Shi’ite political power, and, above all, the coming of the Crusades. Stressing Usama’s literary achievements as much as his political adventures, Kroc Institute Faculty Fellow Paul Cobb examines the complete literary legacy of this famous “Arab-Syrian Gentleman” and offers a unique window into his life, times, and world of thought.

David Cortright, Gandhi and Beyond: Nonviolence for an Age of Terrorism (Boulder, Colorado: Paradigm Publishers, 2006).

Is there room for nonviolence in an age of terrorism? Kroc Institute Research Fellow David Cortright makes a strong case for the need for nonviolent action — now more than ever. Drawing on the legend and lessons of Gandhi, Cortright traces the history of nonviolent social movements. Gandhi and Beyond offers a critical evaluation and refinement of Gandhi’s message, laying the foundation for a renewed dedication to nonviolence as the universal path to social progress and antidote to terrorism. The author portrays Gandhi’s political strengths and weaknesses; shows how the lessons of Gandhi were applied by such 20th century luminaries as Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Dorothy Day, and Barbara Deming, and integrates Cortright’s personal experience with the peace movement.

Denis Goulet, Development Ethics at Work: Explorations 1960-2002 (London and New York, Routledge, 2006).

In recent years, global institutions such as the World Bank have become increasingly conscious of the role that ethical reflection may play in leading towards more successful knowledge and policy for development. This key book, written by Kroc Faculty Fellow Denis Goulet (founder of the field of development ethics), gathers together his main contributions in three distinct parts, covering the early journeys of the author’s thinking, an exposition of the main themes he has explored, and the transition from early alternative development to alternative globalizations.

Daniel Philpott, ed., The Politics of Past Evil: Religion, Reconciliation, and the Dilemmas of Transitional Justice (South Bend, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 2006).

Over the last few decades, societies have been forced to confront past evil, including the injustices of communism, military dictatorship, apartheid, and civil war. Emerging from these efforts is the concept of reconciliation, whose meaning philosophers and social scientists have debated in the context of political transitions in countries as diverse as South Africa, East Timor, Guatemala, and the Czech Republic. Most of these debates share a secularism that is at odds with the beliefs of many of the participants in these transitions. By contrast, the focus is on theology in this volume edited by Daniel Philpott, Kroc peace studies faculty member and associate professor of political science. The book is a conversation among theologians, philosophers, political scientists, and historians. Alan Torrance, David Burrell, C.S.C., Nicholas Wolterstorff, and Philpott draw on theology and philosophy for their theoretical perspectives; A. James McAdams, Mark Amstutz, and Ronald Wells chart the path of reconciliation in Germany, Argentina, South Africa, and Northern Ireland. The concluding essay is written by Scott Appleby, John M. Regan Jr. Director of the Kroc Institute.

Raimo Väyrynen, ed., The Waning of Major War: Theories and Debates (New York: Routledge, 2005).

In this book, leading international scholars map the trends in major-power warfare and explore whether it is waxing or waning. Is major-power war as a historical institution in decline? While there is some convergence in their individual conclusions, the authors are by no means unanimous about the trend. Their articles explore different causes and correlates of the waning of major-power warfare, including international structure, nuclear weapons, international law, multilateral institutions, sovereignty, and value changes. Editor Raimo Väyrynen, former director of the Kroc Institute, now directs the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, Finland. The first versions of the chapters were presented at a conference organized by the Kroc Institute in May 2001. Contributing authors are Paul W. Schroeder, John Mueller, Marie T. Henehen, John Vasquez, Peter Wallensteen, Martin van Creveld, T. V. Paul, Kalevi J. Holsti, Patrick M. Morgan, Hendrik Spruyt, and William R. Thompson.

Chapters

John Darby, “Peace Processes,” in Charles Villa-Vicencio and Erik Doxtader, eds., Pieces of the Puzzle: Keywords on Reconciliation and Transitional Justice (Cape Town Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, 2005), pp. 19–24.

Since 1990 there have been more than 30 major settlements of conflict, and dozens of partial ones, with a formidable increase in our knowledge of recent and contemporary peace processes. In this chapter, John Darby, Kroc Institute research director, discusses six propositions about peace processes. They are: Most ceasefires collapse in the first few months; a lasting agreement is impossible unless it actively involves those with the power to bring it down by violence; spoiler groups can only be neutralized with the active involvement of ex-militants; during peace negotiations, the primary function of leaders is to deliver their own people; members of the security forces and paramilitary groups must be integrated into society if a peace agreement is to stick; finally, a peace process does not end with a peace accord.

Daniel Philpott and Timothy Samuel Shah, “Faith, Freedom, and Federation: The Role of Religious Ideas and Institutions in European Political Convergence,” in Timothy A. Byrnes and Peter J. Katzenstein, eds., Religion in an Expanding Europe (Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2006), pp. 34–64.

The authors seek to uncover the reasons why different European religions — the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and Turkish Islam — take different attitudes towards the political unification of Europe. They look at two episodes in particular: the democratic revolutions of 1989 and the widening and deepening of European integration in the 1990s.

Daniel Philpott and Brian Cox, “What Faith-Based Diplomacy Can Offer in Kashmir,” in David R. Smock, ed., Peaceworks: Religious Contributions to Peacemaking: When Religion Brings Peace Not War, No. 55 (Washington, D.C.: United States Institute for Peace, 2006), pp. 5–8

This chapter describes the nature and history of the authors’ work for faith-based reconciliation in Kashmir, conducted under the auspices of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy over the past six years. They conclude with proposals for cooperation between track-one and track-two levels of conflict resolution.

Articles

David Cortright, “Reminiscences of Resistance,” Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice, vol.18, no. 2 (Spring 2006): 207–214.

In 1968, fresh out of college, David Cortright was drafted into the U.S. Army, despite his qualms about the Vietnam conflict. In this article, the Kroc Institute research fellow describes a transformative experience: his participation in the GI antiwar movement, which shook the foundations of the American military. His involvement included protests, publications, and a notable lawsuit. His personal crisis of conscience, he writes, was rooted in the social crisis of war, and he ultimately committed his life to the struggle for justice and peace.

Alan Dowty, “The Enigma of Opacity: Israel’s Nuclear Weapons Program as a Field of Study,” Israel Studies Forum, vol. 20, no. 2 (Winter 2005): 3–21.

Research on Israel’s nuclear weapons policy is seen as a classic case of conflict between security constraints and the academic ethos of openness. However, the ambiguity of Israel’s declared policy has eroded considerably over time, first to “opacity” and now to simple non-acknowledgement, according to the author, a Kroc Institute faculty fellow and emeritus professor of political science. Furthermore, Alan Dowty argues, there have been vast changes in strategic circumstances: the initial rationale as a nuclear deterrent to conventional attack has been eclipsed by deterrence of other weapons of mass destruction. This rationale is potentially a more promising platform for arms control agreements, Dowty contends.

Alan Dowty, “Despair is Not Enough: Violence, Attitudinal Change, and ‘Ripeness’ in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.” Cooperation and Conflict, vol. 41, no.1 (March 2006): 5–29.

In what ways does intensified violence change attitudes in protracted conflicts? When does it harden attitudes, and when does it moderate them? This question is tested for two intifada periods (1987–1993 and 2000–05) . The author notes that a clear distinction emerges between “expressive” issues — those with a short-term focus and a high emotive content — and the primary issues in the conflict. He illustrates how the first intifada accelerated dovish trends on primary issues, while in the second intifada attitudes did not moderate until a basic structural change occurred.

Robert C. Johansen, “The Impact of U.S. Policy toward the International Criminal Court on the Prevention of Genocide, War Crimes, and Crimes Against Humanity,” Human Rights Quarterly, vol. 28, no. 2 (May 2006): 302–331.

Senior Fellow Robert Johansen contends that the United States has undermined the effectiveness of the International Criminal Court in multiple ways. It has refused to join or support the court; withheld support for United Nations peacekeeping unless U.S. citizens are exempted from international enforcement arising out of such operations; pressed other countries to sign treaties exempting U.S. citizens from court proceedings; cut aid to selected countries unless they sign immunity agreements with Washington; and held victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity hostage to obtaining exemptions for U.S. citizens. Johansen argues that these policies make it more difficult to enforce the laws prohibiting genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Daniel Philpott, “Kashmir: riconciliazione dal basso” [Kashmir: reconciliation from below], Missione Oggi (February 2006): 25–28.

In this piece written for an Italian missionary magazine, the author describes the nature, purpose, and challenges of the faith-based reconciliation he has worked for in Kashmir under the auspices of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy.

Jackie Smith, “Economic Globalization and Labor Rights: Towards Global Solidarity?” The Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics, and Public Policy, vol. 20 (Spring 2006): 873–881.

his paper was part of a symposium sponsored by the journal in April 2006 on “The Future of Labor Unions.” The author, Kroc peace studies faculty member and associate professor of sociology, summarizes the impact of globalization on worker rights. She argues that the future of labor unions will depend upon their ability to forge a wider array of ties to diverse national and issue-based constituencies. The contemporary movement for global justice provides opportunities for unions to expand their base, Smith contends, and it challenges labor unions to think globally about their work.

Oliver Williams, “The UN Global Compact” in An African Perspective: The St. Augustine Papers, vol. 6, no. 1 (2005): 1–28.

The UN Global Compact is a voluntary initiative designed to help
fashion a more humane world by enlisting business to follow 10 principles concerning human rights, labor, the environment, and corruption. The author, a Kroc faculty fellow, notes that although the four-year-old compact has signed up more than 1,100 companies and more than 200 large multinationals, few major U.S. companies have joined. The article outlines the problems that the compact brings to the fore and offers insights from the ethical literature that may address company concerns or provide new ways of thinking about the issues. It further argues that the forum provided by the compact may be the most effective means to gain consensus on the role of business in society.