Oxford University Press has accepted the Kroc Institute’s proposal to publish a multi-volume series of studies 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 faculty.
The Oxford Studies of Strategic Peacebuilding, a collection of monographs and edited volumes, will be edited by 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.
Signature scholarship
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 Scott Appleby; Atalia Omer, assistant professor of religion, conflict, and peacebuilding at the Kroc Institute; and David Little, formerly of Harvard University Divinity School.
Faith-based peacebuilding
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 well recognized. The Handbook is expected to be a significant contribution to greater understanding of the importance of religion, peace, and conflict in international affairs.
About Kroc
The University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies is a leading center for the study of the causes of violent conflict and strategies for peace. It was founded in 1986 by the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., president emeritus of Notre Dame, and the late philanthropist Joan B. Kroc. The Institute offers education in peace research and strategic peacebuilding at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.
Contact: Joan Fallon, Kroc Institute, (574) 631-8819, jfallon2@nd.edu