Confronting War: Critical Lessons for Peace Practitioners

These are realities: most peace programs are small, peace is complicated, many people do need to do many things, peace does take time, etc. Yet, from the vantage point of a broad overview of many activities over many locations over a long period of time, one overwhelming conclusion emerges:

All of the good peace work being done should be adding up to more than it is. The potential of these multiple efforts is not fully realized. Practitioners know that, so long as people continue to suffer the consequences of unresolved conflicts, there is urgency for everyone to do better.

So, in spite of the real limitations and constraints, the question of effectiveness is high on the agenda of peace practitioners. It is posed in several ways: How do we do what we do better, with more effect, with better effect? How do we know that the work we do for peace is worthwhile? What, in fact, are the results of our work for the people on whose behalf, or with whom, we work?
[Summary Source: CDA Introduction]

Related Reading: See also Reflecting on Peace Practice