New challenges for citizen peacemaking∗

This paper first appeared as Global Security Study No. 14 by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, 1187 Coast Village Road, Suite 123, Santa Barbara, California 93108–2794 USA. We are grateful for the permission of its President, David Krieger, to reprint it here.

This paper reviews the background to mediation through citizen peacemaking or non‐official diplomacy, and examines its difficulties and relevance in ethnic conflicts characterized by social breakdown as in former Yugoslavia. It emphasizes the need for adequate training of the peacemakers and especially development of their inner resources to enable them to cope in difficult and hostile situations.

Key Words:

• Citizen peacemaking
• Ethnic violence
• Mediation
• Non‐violence training
• Social change

Notes

This paper first appeared as Global Security Study No. 14 by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, 1187 Coast Village Road, Suite 123, Santa Barbara, California 93108–2794 USA. We are grateful for the permission of its President, David Krieger, to reprint it here.