From the Ground Up

In recent years, religion- and culture-based approaches to conflict resolution have been implemented at both the local and regional level. The U.S. State Department, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and other governmental agencies now recognize that religious leaders, transnational religious movements, and faith-based NGOs are central players in the post-Cold War era of ethnic and religious conflict.

Through the Mennonite Central Committee and its International Conciliation Service, the Mennonites have been the leaders in this emerging area of expertise. This collection of essays chronicles, analyzes, and evaluates the Mennonite contribution to the new cultural paradigm in conflict resolution and peacebuilding theory and practice. Here, essayists provide a thorough account of Mennonite initiatives to prevent, resolve, or transform conflict in a variety of settings.