The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World
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- Author：Severine Autesserre
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Summary
At turns surprising， funny， and gut-wrenching， this is the hopeful story of the ordinary yet extraordinary people who have figured out how to build lasting peace in their communities
The word "peacebuilding" evokes a story we've all heard over and over: violence breaks out， foreign nations are scandalized， peacekeepers and million-dollar donors come rushing in， warring parties sign a peace agreement and， sadly， within months the situation is back to where it started--sometimes worse。 But what strategies have worked to build lasting peace in conflict zones， particularly for ordinary citizens on the ground？ And why should other ordinary citizens， thousands of miles away， care？
In The Frontlines of Peace， Severine Autesserre， award-winning researcher and peacebuilder， examines the well-intentioned but inherently flawed peace industry。 With examples drawn from across the globe， she reveals that peace can grow in the most unlikely circumstances。 Contrary to what most politicians preach， building peace doesn't require billions in aid or massive international interventions。 Real， lasting peace requires giving power to local citizens。
The Frontlines of Peace tells the stories of the ordinary yet extraordinary individuals and organizations that are confronting violence in their communities effectively。 One thing is clear: successful examples of peacebuilding around the world， in countries at war or at peace， have involved innovative grassroots initiatives led by local people， at times supported by foreigners， often employing methods shunned by the international elite。 By narrating success stories of this kind， Autesserre shows the radical changes we must take in our approach if we hope to build lasting peace around us--whether we live in Congo， the United States， or elsewhere。
The word "peacebuilding" evokes a story we've all heard over and over: violence breaks out， foreign nations are scandalized， peacekeepers and million-dollar donors come rushing in， warring parties sign a peace agreement and， sadly， within months the situation is back to where it started--sometimes worse。 But what strategies have worked to build lasting peace in conflict zones， particularly for ordinary citizens on the ground？ And why should other ordinary citizens， thousands of miles away， care？
In The Frontlines of Peace， Severine Autesserre， award-winning researcher and peacebuilder， examines the well-intentioned but inherently flawed peace industry。 With examples drawn from across the globe， she reveals that peace can grow in the most unlikely circumstances。 Contrary to what most politicians preach， building peace doesn't require billions in aid or massive international interventions。 Real， lasting peace requires giving power to local citizens。
The Frontlines of Peace tells the stories of the ordinary yet extraordinary individuals and organizations that are confronting violence in their communities effectively。 One thing is clear: successful examples of peacebuilding around the world， in countries at war or at peace， have involved innovative grassroots initiatives led by local people， at times supported by foreigners， often employing methods shunned by the international elite。 By narrating success stories of this kind， Autesserre shows the radical changes we must take in our approach if we hope to build lasting peace around us--whether we live in Congo， the United States， or elsewhere。
Reviews
Jeffrey
，
A long overdue call to actionReading Autessere is not just reading a book: it is making a decision。 Will you continue to be part of the problem or do you recognise how you can take responsibility for better action， for more sustainable impact， for actual conflict resolution？ For me Autessere describes what is logical for me: what she professes has been my way of working since I started my career in 2005。 This makes it a difficult read for me， as I often think: "yes， of course。 This not news。" Bu A long overdue call to actionReading Autessere is not just reading a book: it is making a decision。 Will you continue to be part of the problem or do you recognise how you can take responsibility for better action， for more sustainable impact， for actual conflict resolution？ For me Autessere describes what is logical for me: what she professes has been my way of working since I started my career in 2005。 This makes it a difficult read for me， as I often think: "yes， of course。 This not news。" But then I remember: this is news to most people and practitioners。 Autesserre has the talent to take you on a personal journey that allows you to discover your preconceptions， much like she did in 'Peaceland'。 She isn't trying to prove you wrong， she isn't trying to blame you: she is inviting you to engage， to have a conversation。 For me reading this book felt like a conversation with a friend or colleague who has seen what I have seen，who has had the difficult conversations and negotiations that I have， who understands the frustration I feel。 I think this is where Autesserre is at her most convincing: she is a human being telling the story of humanity; she is an expert telling the experiences of true peacemakers。 Would I change things in the book if it was mine？ Yes， I would。 I think and know there are many， many excellent peacemakers that are doing a tremendous job， it's not as negative as I sometimes feel Autesserre explains it。 But。。。then I think again and realise that the majority of colleagues， peacekeepers and officials are Indeed as clueless and arrogant as she describes。 Every budding and experienced peacemaker or peacekeeper should have a copy of this book （ and 'Peaceland'） and the books by Linda Polman。 Systemic change is needed and Autesserre is one of its most eloquent advocates。 I say: read！ 。。。more
Maflca
，
The series is absolutely amazing
Mireille
，
Eye-Opening BookAnyone who wonder the ins-and-outs of the United Nations’ failure on Peacekeeping Missions， The Frontlines of Peace is a required book。 It changes the perspectives on how peacekeeping missions should look like: numerous individuals are optimistic and hopeful to work and leave the same-old strategies behind to build peace one step at a time。 Finally， it is an inspiring book showing that every individual is worthy to start small projects that are important for them， and it does bri Eye-Opening BookAnyone who wonder the ins-and-outs of the United Nations’ failure on Peacekeeping Missions， The Frontlines of Peace is a required book。 It changes the perspectives on how peacekeeping missions should look like: numerous individuals are optimistic and hopeful to work and leave the same-old strategies behind to build peace one step at a time。 Finally， it is an inspiring book showing that every individual is worthy to start small projects that are important for them， and it does bring positive outcomes。 。。。more
Muhammad Saad
，
Autesserre puts forward a compelling case for focusing on achievable and cost-effective， locally-driven peacebuilding。 Drawing on examples from the DRC， Somaliland， and other conflict-affected countries， she suggests that supporting peacebuilding， while conflict persists， is important。 It was interesting to read examples of 'success' both because they illustrate how painstaking and drawn-out peacebuilding is and how fragile any achieved peace is。 Crucially， she emphasizes that locally-driven pea Autesserre puts forward a compelling case for focusing on achievable and cost-effective， locally-driven peacebuilding。 Drawing on examples from the DRC， Somaliland， and other conflict-affected countries， she suggests that supporting peacebuilding， while conflict persists， is important。 It was interesting to read examples of 'success' both because they illustrate how painstaking and drawn-out peacebuilding is and how fragile any achieved peace is。 Crucially， she emphasizes that locally-driven peacebuilding really means letting local people （not national elites） take control of the process; from collectively determining the causes of conflict to suggesting and implementing solutions。 。。。more
Allison Williams
，
Award-winning researcher Severine Autesserre examines the well-intentioned but inherently-flawed peace industry。 This never-before-seen perspective on what drives conflicts and who stands to benefit from them is an essential read for anyone interested in the world as a global community。 This book has the singular result of making the reader think， “Maybe I can do something myself to help create peace。” But it's also a wicked， dirty read about what the process of building peace on the ground actu Award-winning researcher Severine Autesserre examines the well-intentioned but inherently-flawed peace industry。 This never-before-seen perspective on what drives conflicts and who stands to benefit from them is an essential read for anyone interested in the world as a global community。 This book has the singular result of making the reader think， “Maybe I can do something myself to help create peace。” But it's also a wicked， dirty read about what the process of building peace on the ground actually looks like right now--where's the money coming from， where are the "white saviors" going， and how does it screw up peace for everyone when well-meaning， flawed individuals take the lead。 。。。more
Jasmine
，
I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a more nuanced understanding of international intervention and how it can succeed。 I have so much respect for the way that Autesserre approaches peacebuilding—a thorny and often painful topic in the past half-century—in this book。 She criticizes the conventional top-down peacebuilding approaches where foreign peacebuilders run the show and socialize in insular peacebuilder circles， focusing on arranging handshakes between leaders and scheduling e I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a more nuanced understanding of international intervention and how it can succeed。 I have so much respect for the way that Autesserre approaches peacebuilding—a thorny and often painful topic in the past half-century—in this book。 She criticizes the conventional top-down peacebuilding approaches where foreign peacebuilders run the show and socialize in insular peacebuilder circles， focusing on arranging handshakes between leaders and scheduling elections instead of the quotidian causes of violence that affect the communities that peacebuilders are supposed to protect。 These criticisms of what she calls “Peace， Inc。” are grounded in Autesserre’s brutally honest reflections on her own experience as a foreign peacebuilder following guidelines that perpetuate neo-colonialist/neo-imperialist dynamics between peacebuilders and locals。 However， Autesserre does not just focus on the myriad ways that peacebuilding has failed over the past decades， but instead she has valuably outlined what strategies *have* worked。 Drawing from organizations and initiatives in the Congo， Colombia， Somaliland， and Palestine/Israel， Autesserre emphasizes the importance of bottom-up strategies in successful peacebuilding—of listening to locals explain where the source of violence is， of respecting the expertise of insiders instead of assuming they are not as capable as foreigners at analyzing the problems， and of committing to local， grassroots initiatives for peace， projects that require long-term investment， and are certainly less glamourous than negotiating a handshake between leaders。 Ultimately， this book helped me feel hopeful that there are tools that dedicated individuals can implement to foster peace in their communities。 Her vivid anecdotes helped me see the leaders and activists hard at work in foreign lands， using strategies that I feel empowered to replicate in my own communities。 。。。more
Elizabeth Chen
，
As a student of Geopolitics and someone who has worked with both grassroots activists and Government organizations， I recommend this book as an essential read for everyone。 Not only is this book inspirational， fun， funny （at times）， heart-wrenching （in a good way）， and fascinating， it is an incredibly informative dive into the life of a seasoned peacebuilder。 Dr。 Autesserre's book describes the essential work done on the ground by grassroots activists in their communities that has yielded sustai As a student of Geopolitics and someone who has worked with both grassroots activists and Government organizations， I recommend this book as an essential read for everyone。 Not only is this book inspirational， fun， funny （at times）， heart-wrenching （in a good way）， and fascinating， it is an incredibly informative dive into the life of a seasoned peacebuilder。 Dr。 Autesserre's book describes the essential work done on the ground by grassroots activists in their communities that has yielded sustainable positive change。 Dr。 Autesserre also analyzes in detail the issue with the long relied on internationally accepted peace methods that have at times done more harm than good。 The book is a page-turner， and， unlike many academic reads， it is not redundant， bombastic， egocentric， or boring。 If you are a foreign or local donor - read this book。 If you consider yourself a humanitarian - read this book。 If you are a student or a Professor - read this book。 If you donate your time to any worthy cause - read this book。 If you have never been involved in humanitarian work - read this book。 If you want to understand why millions of dollars in peacekeeping missions have failed and conflict continues to rage - read this book。 If you want to change the world - read this book。 If you want to understand the world better - read this book。 I cannot recommend The Frontlines of Peace enough。 。。。more
Gizem
，
A must-read for every "Peacelander" - anyone working as part of a top-down， outsider led peacebuilding setting。 It is an eye-opener， as it not only shows what is wrong with the whole externally-led peacebuilding industry but also uniquely focuses on how we can get it right。 It took me in and out of my existential crisis！ It reads itself easily， and the storytelling is very compelling， and Séverine knows how to draw the reader in。 Overall， 5/5！ A must-read for every "Peacelander" - anyone working as part of a top-down， outsider led peacebuilding setting。 It is an eye-opener， as it not only shows what is wrong with the whole externally-led peacebuilding industry but also uniquely focuses on how we can get it right。 It took me in and out of my existential crisis！ It reads itself easily， and the storytelling is very compelling， and Séverine knows how to draw the reader in。 Overall， 5/5！ 。。。more
Megan
，
I read this book for my peacekeeping class at Georgetown。 While the author's argument about the need for embracing a bottom-up approach to building peace is not necessarily new， she has been arguing for this shift in thinking for more than a decade。 She has been working in conflict zones for her entire career， and， as such， has more than ample opportunity to observe the field and identify what needs improvement。 Dr。 Autesserre also visited our class and talked about how she presented this book t I read this book for my peacekeeping class at Georgetown。 While the author's argument about the need for embracing a bottom-up approach to building peace is not necessarily new， she has been arguing for this shift in thinking for more than a decade。 She has been working in conflict zones for her entire career， and， as such， has more than ample opportunity to observe the field and identify what needs improvement。 Dr。 Autesserre also visited our class and talked about how she presented this book to the UN Security Council a few weeks ago。 This is a very enjoyable read - packed full with personal anecdotes from her work （indeed on the frontlines） and interviews with other peacebulders， UN personnel， government elites， local activists， and her own students。 The main idea is that locals should be leading the way to transform conflict and bring peace。 They possess the understanding and the tools needed to address the root clauses of violence wherever it is found。 It is essential that we move away from the "foreigners know best" mindset。 I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Megan Rodgers
，
A must-read for anyone interested in peacebuilding， conflict prevention or intervention both at home and abroad。 Autesserre points out the critical flaws in the “Peace Inc。” model and presents a new model for peacebuilding that is based on what has been proven to work。 Can’t wait to hear more from Autesserre during her live conversation for STAND’s book club！ （Shameless plug）
Owen
，
Just had the pleasure to listen to Autesserre talk on her book and her experience in the field during a class at Seton Hall。 The weeks leading up to the class we had read selected chapters from her book and were able to prepare questions for when she was gracious enough to give her time to share her experiences with diplomacy undergrad students learning and preparing for the field。 Chapter after chapter of her life experience and personal accounts of what peace building and more importantly succ Just had the pleasure to listen to Autesserre talk on her book and her experience in the field during a class at Seton Hall。 The weeks leading up to the class we had read selected chapters from her book and were able to prepare questions for when she was gracious enough to give her time to share her experiences with diplomacy undergrad students learning and preparing for the field。 Chapter after chapter of her life experience and personal accounts of what peace building and more importantly successful peacebuilding looks like was a breath of fresh air to read as most of our course work readings are out of textbooks or written by academics with limited field experience。 To be able to read of first hand on the ground peace building efforts from the eyes of Autesserre and then to have the pleasure of hearing her elaborate and go even more into depth was a unique experience。 This book puts peace building efforts under a true spotlight that leaves nothing out giving a real between the lines feel as to how those trying to make the world a better place like Autesserre find real impactful success。 。。。more
Annez
，
An inside look at the assumptions and cultures of "Peace， Inc。" the established organizations in conflict zones that rely on top-down， codified solutions and racist and colonial mindsets rather than working with and listening to local populations。 Autesserre offers examples from her own experience and those of others on a different approach。 "Change happens when we engage with the very people who disagree with us，" she notes， adding a final chapter on how these principles can be applied at home An inside look at the assumptions and cultures of "Peace， Inc。" the established organizations in conflict zones that rely on top-down， codified solutions and racist and colonial mindsets rather than working with and listening to local populations。 Autesserre offers examples from her own experience and those of others on a different approach。 "Change happens when we engage with the very people who disagree with us，" she notes， adding a final chapter on how these principles can be applied at home （such as "interrupter" organizations like Cure Violence）。 A thought provoking read if you are interested in this kind of work。 。。。more
Rebecca Bowman
，
Séverine Autesserre’s The Frontlines of Peace contests the idea of top-down peacebuilding that has been used by interveners and aid agencies for decades。 Autesserre argues that Peace， Inc。’s unwillingness to involve the local community actually affected by the conflict - as well as the intervener’s elitist arrogance in their belief that they know best - is not a long-term solution to conflict， and though it may succeed in postponing violence for a period of time it is rarely a permanent solution Séverine Autesserre’s The Frontlines of Peace contests the idea of top-down peacebuilding that has been used by interveners and aid agencies for decades。 Autesserre argues that Peace， Inc。’s unwillingness to involve the local community actually affected by the conflict - as well as the intervener’s elitist arrogance in their belief that they know best - is not a long-term solution to conflict， and though it may succeed in postponing violence for a period of time it is rarely a permanent solution for the citizens of a given country。 Autesserre’s approach to peace is not only effective in curbing violence in war-torn countries such as Congo， Afghanistan and Sudan， but also in places such as the United States where violence permeates minority communities at an obscene level。 As she explains， of the thirty countries with the highest homicide rates in the world， only half have ongoing wars。 This is indicative of the need for bottom-up peacebuilding in a myriad of situations - especially those often ignored by the traditional Peace， Inc。 approach。 。。。more
Greg
，
While I am not nearly as experienced or successful as the author， I have worked and studied development for a greater portion of my career， and this includes field studies of UN peacekeeping missions。 My experiences and knowledge support the author’s assertion that participatory peacekeeping （and participatory development more generally） needs to be adopted as a primary strategy， especially over top-down policy setting。 I also empathize with the author’s portrayal of some （or most？） development While I am not nearly as experienced or successful as the author， I have worked and studied development for a greater portion of my career， and this includes field studies of UN peacekeeping missions。 My experiences and knowledge support the author’s assertion that participatory peacekeeping （and participatory development more generally） needs to be adopted as a primary strategy， especially over top-down policy setting。 I also empathize with the author’s portrayal of some （or most？） development workers/peacekeepers。 Their intentional isolation from the country in which they are working smacks of colonialism and racism （in my experience， the US State Department might be the worst）。 All too often， western individuals disparage their non-western colleagues to horrid degrees， in all settings。 Indeed， greater grassroots local insight would improve peacekeeping/development efforts。 This all becomes all-too clear in cases like the assassination of the American Lawyer， Fern Holland， in Iraq。 More is covered in the book under the general moniker “Peace Inc。” Truly， I think the author’s presentation of participatory development can help resolve problems ranging from troubled supply chains （fair wages and child labor） to climate change。 I also appreciate the author’s recognition of those whose work would otherwise largely go unnoticed。 However， my experiences also compel me to proclaim that I find the author’s argument regrettably weak and misleading。 In short， this book is not rigorous， provides cherry-picked examples （the weaknesses of which are dismissed with a slight of hand towards the end）， takes up only the most “scarecrow” counterpoints， discusses old debates and old examples as nothing has changed since， and generally covers the topic worse than “White Man’s Burden，” “The Tyranny of Experts，” “Poor Economics，” and “Dead Aid，” which were written up to a decade ago。 In fact， I feel “Peace Inc。” is derivative of William Easterly’s “Planners。”If you have read anything on development prior， you will not find the sentiment of the book new。 In fact， you will be scratching your head as to why certain things were not addressed （and why an entire preface was devoted to the author bragging about herself needlessly—only to later explain that she is the humblest of her colleagues）。 If you have not read anything on development or peacekeeping， I would suggest you start with the mentioned books。 I will now address specific points in the argument in no specific order nor comprehensively （spoilers）:First， it presents “results-based management” as a current debate。 This misleading。 This was a debate from over a decade ago。 It’s already wildly used throughout the development/peacekeeping world and has actually evolved to “learning and evaluation。” The World Bank is even piloting a citizen’s grievance system where they operate and has established major divisions to social and environmental impacts。 Second， the book takes no mention of peacekeeping strategy evolutions in the pat 20 years。 For example， in 2009 （or earlier）， the UN mission to Haiti took on a new strategy of “CVR” which entirely attempted grassroots and civilian-led peacekeeping。 Further， they contracted with and engaged local and foreign NGOs that specialized in grassroots peacebuilding。 One might admit that Haiti is not currently peaceful， but why is this not addressed？ Haiti was one of the UN’s longest peacekeeping missions。 Third， the book takes no mention of the Arab Spring。 I could have a misunderstanding of the conflict （which is why it should definitely be covered） but I have been led to believe the Arab Spring was *primarily* a grassroots initiative （the individual who started it lit himself on fire in protest before a government building—the Nobel prize winner who wrote the forward stripped naked with others in front of a government building）。 Not addressing this seems to dodge a huge gap in the argument。 Forth， the author states， “there is a tremendous amount of literature on democratization and peace” and then proceeds to summarize it with only a few papers that （I presume） provide regressions with peace and measures of democracy。 The oversimplification to better her argument is unfortunate， especially given the profundity of the debate on the matter。 Fifth， the author mentions that diaspora helped in the stabilization of Somaliland。 Sure。 Yet， diaspora may （even more frequently） cause conflict in their home countries。 I understand that the point was to provide a grassroots example of peacemaking， but the nuance of the example is entirely lost。 Sixth， many of the Peace Inc examples seem obvious in hindsight， and they are all “N=1。” Meaning， it’s very easy to say， looking back， that the country was not made stable by Peace Inc efforts。 Yet， there is no way to know that things wouldn’t have been worse without the strategy of peacekeeping that was employed。 I have been told by Peace Inc members that， in fact， their mission was a success even though fighting continued after their interventions （it’s all very confusing）。 Seventh， I find the author’s presentation of examples that， as she herself proclaims， don’t hold external validity yet are relevant because “many more of them exist” to be slight of hand。 I *believe* there to be importance in these examples but find this presentation disappointing。 Eighth， the author claims that she is going to write a “positive” book that focuses on the successes of peacebuilding。 She then proceeds to spend something like 70% of the time providing extremely negative arguments concerning Peace Inc。 Finally， the author picks the most obviously uninformed criticisms to address as her counterpoints: Constantly repeating the scenario “while I was giving a presentation one time， this member of the audience said，” and then following with bizarre audience comments like “you’re just colonial！” Besides being a weird analogy （anyone whose ever been to a conference will notice the quality of fielded questions tends to be quite low）， it would be much more interesting to address criticism by someone of her own stature。 You’re really not “changing the way [one] sees the world，” unless you’re actually causing a paradigm shift， are you？ 。。。more
Katy
，
I received my copy free through Goodreads Giveaways。
Dale
，
PeaceGreat insight from an expert on the frontlines of peace。 The author has years of experience in troubled areas across the global and provides useful stories of outreach and a mature assessment of who is providing this。 Has some great recommendations on how we should move forward。 Recommended for my planner friends。
Steven A。 Hirsch
，
When she was young， Séverine Autesserre thrilled to the stories told by her globe-trotting war-correspondent father—tales of participating in the Algerian revolution， dodging death in Yugoslavia， escaping kidnappers in Iran， and jetting about on the French equivalent of Air Force One。 But she and her mother also bore the brunt of the violence that her father brought home with him from those conflict zones; and as she grew， she realized that many of his stories were overblown or even fictional。 H When she was young， Séverine Autesserre thrilled to the stories told by her globe-trotting war-correspondent father—tales of participating in the Algerian revolution， dodging death in Yugoslavia， escaping kidnappers in Iran， and jetting about on the French equivalent of Air Force One。 But she and her mother also bore the brunt of the violence that her father brought home with him from those conflict zones; and as she grew， she realized that many of his stories were overblown or even fictional。 Her subsequent career in international peacemaking followed a curiously similar trajectory: By dint of hard work and talent， she made it into the upper echelons of what she calls “Peace， Inc。”—the coterie of international experts who parachute （nonliterally） into conflict zones armed with generic “templates” for ending war; who host negotiations between top-level government and rebel figures; who learn little of the local languages， cultures， or history; who make few if any close local friends; and who then depart after filing reports exaggerating their often meager accomplishments。 Captivated at first by the exciting expatriate lifestyle and sense of purpose， Autesserre again experienced disillusionment， concluding that peacebuilding efforts by foreign intervenors were mostly a waste of time and money。 Her portrayal of the intellectual arrogance and casual bigotry of some international peace functionaries is devastating。 Fortunately for us all， though， disillusionment is not where she ended up。 In her gripping， heartfelt， and sometimes even humorous new book， The Frontlines of Peace， Dr。 Autesserre explains in lively and non-academic prose that foreign peacebuilding can succeed if it emanates from both the “treetops”—that is， from the top-down， elite-level negotiations favored by Peace， Inc。—and from “grassroots” efforts to end local conflicts。 Autesserre then describes what grassroots peacebuilding looks like and how foreigners can participate in it usefully without usurping the role of the local people who ultimately must take the lead in ending their own conflicts。 It turns out that many atrocious conflicts arise from local tensions—battles over the ownership or use of land， succession conflicts among local leaders， complex ethnic rivalries， and plain old feuds—so that even if internationally brokered peace agreements are signed up in the treetops， local tensions on the ground may erupt in spasms of deadly violence that undermine the entire peace process。 Using concrete examples from places as diverse as Congo， Afghanistan， South Sudan， and Chicago， Autesserre explains that successful grassroots peacebuilders must learn local languages， embed themselves in local communities for years at a time， forge deep local friendships， learn humility， and let local people lead the way in identifying both the sources of conflicts and the best means of ending them。 Although local people must lead， foreign peacebuilders can provide vital assistance by providing small amounts of targeted funding， by introducing ideas that worked in other conflict zones， by providing local people with connections to the “treetops” （government officials and international organizations）， and even by extending to locals the umbrella of physical protection that often shields privileged foreign professionals from the surrounding violence。 And Autesserre brings all these lessons home by showing how they have been applied successfully to conflict zones right here in the United States， making this a book not just for foreign-policy mavens but for anyone who wants to play a role in reducing violence anywhere。 。。。more
Michael Nest
，
This book will be read in 50 years because of its compelling story-telling and its insights into peacebuilding from the 1990s to 2010s。 During these decades huge efforts were made to control violence with， in many cases， remarkably little to show for the money spent 。。。 at the same time， in and around the behemoth called 'Peace Inc。' the green shoots of local initiatives persisted stubbornly and creatively， and in some cases grew to produce magnificent fruits。 Part handbook， part memoir， it is a This book will be read in 50 years because of its compelling story-telling and its insights into peacebuilding from the 1990s to 2010s。 During these decades huge efforts were made to control violence with， in many cases， remarkably little to show for the money spent 。。。 at the same time， in and around the behemoth called 'Peace Inc。' the green shoots of local initiatives persisted stubbornly and creatively， and in some cases grew to produce magnificent fruits。 Part handbook， part memoir， it is an antidote to cynicism， boredom and a tuning-out from the world's problems; it illuminates a path all of us can walk to a more peaceful world。 。。。more
Yasmin Riaz
，
Frontlines of Peace is a beautifully written work which seamlessly weaves anecdotal stories， pressing issues in international relations and peacekeeping， and sophisticated insider reflections on what Dr。 Autesserre coins "Peace Inc。" Dr。 Autesserre provides a compelling， sophisticated yet accessible account of her global experiences， encompassing an illustrious career （which provides decades of on-the-ground research）。 Her honest perspective gives any of today's global citizens a bit of hope tha Frontlines of Peace is a beautifully written work which seamlessly weaves anecdotal stories， pressing issues in international relations and peacekeeping， and sophisticated insider reflections on what Dr。 Autesserre coins "Peace Inc。" Dr。 Autesserre provides a compelling， sophisticated yet accessible account of her global experiences， encompassing an illustrious career （which provides decades of on-the-ground research）。 Her honest perspective gives any of today's global citizens a bit of hope that a future with lasting peace is possible， using local grassroots leaders and strategic thinking。 。。。more
Annie Iezzi
，
The Frontlines of Peace is a sincere and informative ray of light in the all-too-often bleak genre of peace literature。 Autesserre focuses her piercing gaze on her own peace community， termed “Peaceland，” as well as the dominant top-down and often corporate-esque methods of peacebuilding， which she has aptly labeled “Peace， Inc。” She astutely critiques the culture， politics， and methodology espoused by both， sprinkling in witticisms and tender anecdotes。 Cushioning these criticisms are stories o The Frontlines of Peace is a sincere and informative ray of light in the all-too-often bleak genre of peace literature。 Autesserre focuses her piercing gaze on her own peace community， termed “Peaceland，” as well as the dominant top-down and often corporate-esque methods of peacebuilding， which she has aptly labeled “Peace， Inc。” She astutely critiques the culture， politics， and methodology espoused by both， sprinkling in witticisms and tender anecdotes。 Cushioning these criticisms are stories of what grassroots leaders have done right， and the ways that they have been supported （or not） by the peace community。 This book pulls from peacebuilding and keeping theory to investigate the nuance of on the ground peacebuilding， illuminating unintended consequences for better and for worse。It is my opinion that any reader can enjoy this book， whether she has an intimate knowledge of the peace world or is simply interested in the humanity undergirding it all。 I found myself smiling at the successes Autesserre describes and wincing when Peacelanders missed the bottom-up boat time and time again。 Importantly， she takes ownership for her own role in all of the above， peering inward to apply her observations to her own actions and preconceptions。 The Frontlines of Peace serves as the reader’s ticket into those behind-closed-doors meetings and intimate town halls that are the foundations of peacebuilding。 In reading it， I felt as though I had come across my ticket earnestly， and that Autesserre was a scholarly and attentive guide to help me make sense of it all。 。。。more
Maleeka Zainab
，
Looking forward to reading this！！
Katrina Leclerc
，
Must read - looking forward to the insightful contributions to peacebuilding and focus on local bottom-up approaches needed for sustainable peace。
PHILIPPE ROSEN
，
Do not miss it。 A unique understanding of peacebuilding， and ideas how we can all be an active part on our country and community
Seeun
，
Severine is definitely one of the best scholars， who presents a new perspective to the field of peace studies。 The Frontlines of Peace shows the power of the bottom-up approach and explains how the local people-led peace initiatives could bring a positive impact on peace-building。 If you are interested in understanding how this bottom-up approach could resolve a conflict not only at the local level but also at the national level， I highly recommend you read this and take a closer look at the exa Severine is definitely one of the best scholars， who presents a new perspective to the field of peace studies。 The Frontlines of Peace shows the power of the bottom-up approach and explains how the local people-led peace initiatives could bring a positive impact on peace-building。 If you are interested in understanding how this bottom-up approach could resolve a conflict not only at the local level but also at the national level， I highly recommend you read this and take a closer look at the example of Idjwi Island in the DRC， which is described in the book。 Plus， for those who only thought the UN is the best institution to resolve problems concerning political violence and conflicts， I also highly encourage you to read this because she explains why the top-down-led conflict resolution system would not function well in the field。 This book will broaden your horizon on knowing more about the power and role of the normal citizens in international peace。 。。。more
Holly
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Anyone who has taken a good， hard look at peacebuilding eventually scratches their head and asks: Does this actually work？ In this book， Séverine Autesserre draws on her firsthand experience in peacebuilding and field research to explore instances where lasting peace has been achieved。 Whether in Colombia， Somaliland， or Congo， she shows how peace usually results from local grassroots initiatives supported by committed individuals。 Autesserre is candid but optimistic， a refreshing change in tone Anyone who has taken a good， hard look at peacebuilding eventually scratches their head and asks: Does this actually work？ In this book， Séverine Autesserre draws on her firsthand experience in peacebuilding and field research to explore instances where lasting peace has been achieved。 Whether in Colombia， Somaliland， or Congo， she shows how peace usually results from local grassroots initiatives supported by committed individuals。 Autesserre is candid but optimistic， a refreshing change in tone for readers familiar with peacebuilding and international aid。 However， the book is also accessible for those just starting to explore these fields。 If you want to discover one practitioner's challenge to the status quo in peacebuilding- look no further。 。。。more
Juliette Verlaque
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In The Frontlines of Peace， Professor Severine Autesserre takes readers on a journey around the world， from Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to Israel and the United States， in pursuit of answers to an age-old question: how can we build peace more effectively？ Political science classes and texts often focus on the root causes of violence。 Autesserre’s focus on the root causes of peace， and what the international community can do to end violent conflicts， is refreshing， fascinating， a In The Frontlines of Peace， Professor Severine Autesserre takes readers on a journey around the world， from Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to Israel and the United States， in pursuit of answers to an age-old question: how can we build peace more effectively？ Political science classes and texts often focus on the root causes of violence。 Autesserre’s focus on the root causes of peace， and what the international community can do to end violent conflicts， is refreshing， fascinating， and endlessly important。 Using her personal experiences as a peacebuilder and drawing on decades of field research， Autesserre exposes the flaws of the current international peacebuilding model and its focus on bringing leaders and outsiders together and making changes at a national level。 And even more compellingly， she offers a policy alternative grounded in real-world examples of places where peace has lasted - often next to， or in the midst of， some of the world’s most protracted and violent conflicts。 Autesserre’s writing is accessible and engaging （and sometimes even humorous！）， making this book suitable for anyone， regardless of their background knowledge or level of education。 。。。more
Asha Jyothi
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Renowned peacebuilding scholar Severine Autesserre's latest book will offer you a delectable array of stories and anecdotes curated from her experiences in the DR Congo， Colombia， the Palestinian Territories and Israel， and Somaliland。 Far and away the strength of the book， many of these tales are infused with a sense of humour， but the underlying tragedy that they embody is hard to ignore。 Depending on the story and circumstance， the tragic element can reach shocking proportions。 Regardless of Renowned peacebuilding scholar Severine Autesserre's latest book will offer you a delectable array of stories and anecdotes curated from her experiences in the DR Congo， Colombia， the Palestinian Territories and Israel， and Somaliland。 Far and away the strength of the book， many of these tales are infused with a sense of humour， but the underlying tragedy that they embody is hard to ignore。 Depending on the story and circumstance， the tragic element can reach shocking proportions。 Regardless of whether we have worked in the sector， we can see our own experiences mirrored through stories like these， and it forces us to introspect on our own prejudices and shortcomings。 *Spoilers related to personal opinions of the content*The author acknowledges that peacebuilders already operate under personal and professional duress。 The argument of the book is that anyone truly committed to this work has to do more: “Maintaining social peace is a never ending task”， not “instant coffee。” I would have liked more detail on how to go about advocating this to donors， the UN and the like。 Clearly， ‘evidence’ is not enough。 There is enough research to document that large organisations tend to replicate past patterns of functioning even when they have analysed a situation correctly。 We need to think seriously about what it really takes to make systems-level change within an organisation， and worry more about the optimal ways in which we can speak the language of the master in order to 'get our own way'。 The book does well to recognise the complementary nature of insider/outsider， tree-top and ground-up work。 For instance， one of the claims is that international backing or presence can make locals feel valued and important。 While this may be true， it does not dissect inequitable systems of globalised capital that cause this differentiation in human value and skills in the first place。 The insider/outsider division is also not a static marker of identity or identification。 In conclusion， the best aspects of the book lie in the author’s ability to tell effective， pleasantly surprising， sometimes horrifying stories from places like Idjwi， Somaliland and San Jose de Apertado。 It is well-paced， accessible and unputdownable。 。。。more
Amanda Waldron
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The Frontlines of Peace gives a fascinating on-the-ground and behind-the-scenes look at the work of building peace in conflict zones。 The author reflects honestly and critically on her time in these countries， sharing entertaining stories of working with local populations， lessons from successful interventions， and insights into a new approach to building peace。 The book is simultaneously funny， challenging， and inspiring。 You will walk away with a better sense of what the field of "peacebuildin The Frontlines of Peace gives a fascinating on-the-ground and behind-the-scenes look at the work of building peace in conflict zones。 The author reflects honestly and critically on her time in these countries， sharing entertaining stories of working with local populations， lessons from successful interventions， and insights into a new approach to building peace。 The book is simultaneously funny， challenging， and inspiring。 You will walk away with a better sense of what the field of "peacebuilding" and the work of peacebuilders entails， as well as a positive outlook on how these strategies can be overhauled in favor of truly sustainable peace。 。。。more
Laura McCreedy
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This book really resonated with me， and Autesserre's writing is so engaging that I didn’t want to put it down （I think I read it in maybe one or two sittings！） The book draws on cases from a number of regions， examining the myriad of factors underlying ‘positive peace’， an approach that is sorely needed， as most cases tend to focus on where things go wrong。 In particular， it focuses on the importance and resilience of grassroots initiatives and locally driven solutions for peace。 This book and h This book really resonated with me， and Autesserre's writing is so engaging that I didn’t want to put it down （I think I read it in maybe one or two sittings！） The book draws on cases from a number of regions， examining the myriad of factors underlying ‘positive peace’， an approach that is sorely needed， as most cases tend to focus on where things go wrong。 In particular， it focuses on the importance and resilience of grassroots initiatives and locally driven solutions for peace。 This book and her other works treat peacekeeping with the complexity necessary for critically assessing existing frameworks， potential negative outcomes of interventions， and the roles and functions of interveners in the peacebuilding system， all of which are essential for reflective and responsible peacebuilding interventions （her work has already been hugely influential in the push for more locally-driven solutions）。 For these reasons， this book （in addition to all Autesserre's other works） is a must read， not only for anyone planning to go into the field of conflict resolution and peacebuilding， but for anyone working in an international intervention。 。。。more
Lucia O'Brien
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