Realizing peace

About this book

"Realizing Peace combines three bodies of work that have not previously been integrated. First, it critically examines major episodes of U.S. government engagements in foreign conflicts since the beginning of the Cold War. This includes American engagements in struggles against adversaries, interventions among adversaries, and mediations between adversaries. Second, Realizing Peace also examines the efforts of non-governmental organizations and non-official individuals in advancing peace in foreign conflicts. Third, it traces and applies the developing fields of peace studies and conflict resolution, synthesized in the constructive conflict approach, to evaluate those American engagements. Using the constructive conflict approach, the book draws on its insights and research findings to make critical assessments of American engagements. Realizing Peace suggests alternative strategies that would be more effective and yield more beneficial results than did many of the strategies that had been pursued. A major set of episodes discussed in this book pertain to Americans' engagements in the Cold War, through its escalations and de-escalations, its final transformation, and subsequent American-Russian interactions. Multiple analyses also relate to conflicts with Panama, Al Qaeda, Iraq, North Korea, and Iran. In addition, interventions in Yugoslavia, Haiti, and elsewhere are examined. Finally, several mediation efforts in the Israeli-Arab/Palestinian conflicts are critically discussed. The analyses incorporate consideration of the American political circumstances and the evolving global context"--