Customer Reviews

Peace Skills: Manual for Community Mediators

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I am very enthusiastic about this book. It is very practical and should be useful in conflict situations throughout the world. It is based on the collaborative work of the authors in South Africa during the transition from apartheid. The book is intended to build the peacemaking skills of non-professional community leaders and it succeeds admirably in achieving this goal. The authors approach peacemaking from a religious perspective, but the book can be used in both religious and secular settings.

This is a marvelous book. Some mediation texts teach from a distance, seeming to say "you only get to watch while you are learning", but this book drew me into the learning
experience and made me part of it. Often it seemed to be speaking to me personally. The language and writing style not only make it clear and easy to read, but pull the reader into the essence of the mediation experience. The foundation of the authors' years of experience is evident in the clear and focused organization of this book.

I also thought that Peace Skills helps bridge the gap between concepts and practice by asking questions and offering application exercises which can help one discover one's practice potential. The exercises are extremely helpful for those who want to use it as a teaching manual. The text would stand alone for those who want a reference book, or an introduction to mediation.