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Just Peacemaking: Ten Practices for Abolishing War

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As the US and NATO bomb Yugoslavia to show that killing people is wrong (April 1999), many sincere people are asking, "But we have to do something. What alternative do you recommend?" I recommend the ten practices for abolishing war outlined in detail by various experienced practitioners and writers in Glen Stassen's book, JUST PEACEMAKING. Let's be honest. NATO and the US did not launch this war without preparation. They prepared for years, and Milosovich prepared his military power for years. The West responds with a military attack because that is what it has prepared to do. Let's be honest about something else. Situations can deteriorate to the point where there is no good solution--indeed, no solution. A passerby has no solution to save a person falling from a 40th story window. But if people fall on a regular basis, a responsible observer would do something to prevent them from falling. JUST PEACEMAKING outlines actions which can be taken by people, organizations and societies who want to act responsibly toward the victims of war (who appear in history on a very regular basis.) Taking seriously the purported goodwill of people who say they want to protect innocent people from the ravages of nationalistic, militaristic and totalitarian powers, this book describes concrete, but also costly and personally demanding, tasks and processes for the prevention of war. These practices will challenge and change much which passes for "peacetime" "normalcy" in the United States. As a nation we could, if we tried, have something more, and something better, than bombs and guns to offer suffering people.

A collection of some of the finest minds in the nation. Glen Stassen assembles the thoughts of giant scholars from New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Kansas and California and provides a crisp guide for abolishing war. This is a noble book. It provides practical steps to stop war theory and implement a just and enduring peace. I found chapter six, "Foster Just and Sustainable Economic Development," a superb piece of workmanship. In a perfect world, this book would be required reading for every member of Congress.

This book is a must read for those troubled by the current situation in the middle east. The root causes of terrorism are examined. Preventative measures are discussed. This is a book of action in utlizing democratic and political practices to promote conflict resolution.