John Paul Lederach. Transformació de conflictes: petit manual d’ús. Barcelona: Institut Català Internacional per la Pau; Icària, 2010.
This book offers a hopeful perspective on conflict in that it deems conflict to be an ever-present part of human coexistence. The book looks at conflict between people, between groups within societies, and between states and uses the commonalities found amongst these different expressions of conflict to formulate its analysis.
J.P. Lederach explains his decision to use the expression “conflict transformation” rather than “conflict resolution” or “conflict management” in that transformation more fully encapsulates the complexity of the topic at hand. The practice of conflict transformation not only looks to put an end to an undesirable situation, but also questions how the dynamic that we do desire can be constructed; it considers not only how immediate crises must be faced, but also sets out to deal with conflicts from a long term perspective. The practice of conflict transformation requires both the formulation of solutions and the practice of social change.
About the author
John Paul Lederach has more than twenty years work experience in the conflict transformation and peace building fields, having worked specifically in Latin America, Asia, Africa, North and Central America. He has published a number of books and manuals on the subject that demonstrate an expertise reflective of years hands on experience working on these issues. He currently works as a teacher of International Peace Building at The Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at Notre Dame University, and is also a distinguished researcher at the Center for Justice and Peace building at The Eastern Mennonite University.