
Must We Fight?
From The Battlefield to the Schoolyard - A New Perspective on Violent Conflict and Its Prevention
William L. Ury(Editor)
Jossey-Bass (Publisher)
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 9. January 2002
Book
Paperback/Softback
128 pages
978-0-7879-6103-9 (ISBN)
Description
In this landmark book, William Ury-- best-selling author and director of the Project on Preventing War at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School-- and a stellar panel of experts from several scientific disciplines debunk the commonly held notion that violence is a predictable part of the human condition and outline an innovative paradigm for preventing violent confrontations. Must We Fight? presents compelling new research and insights into human nature which clearly demonstrate that humankind is not doomed to continue the seemingly endless cycle of violent conflict. With intelligence and sensitivity, Ury describes a brilliant program for personal and community empowerment called The Third Side. As he explains, in most conflicts between two parties there is actually a third entity-the community in which the combatants, and their dispute, are embedded. The Third Side is a proven model for ending conflict that shows how to mobilize communities to stop and, in some cases, prevent individual and group violence.
Reviews / Votes
Ury, co-author of the bestselling Getting to Yes and a director at Harvard Law School's Program on Negotiation, observes that, in most cases, conflict between two parties involves a "third side"-"the community in which the combatants, and their dispute, are embedded." Whether the conflict takes place in inner-city Boston, between Hindus and Muslims in India or in apartheid South Mrica, Ury argues that the solution to "containing, resolving, and preventing" violence lies in activating this third group, whether it means involving independent witnesses, having "community talks" or mobilizing the media and the clergy. Two other writers from different fields contribute to the book's attempt to debunk the commonly held belief that violence and war are part of our primate and prehistoric heritage. Frans de Waal, a Jeading primatoJogist, argues that aggression in primates occurs in a social context and that mechanisms for cooperation are as natural as aggression. Brian Ferguson, an anthropologist of war, asserts that archeological evidence shows a history of limited flare-ups of carefully planned violence that benefit elites rather than a regular constant pattern of violent conflict. While the authors make a strong, persuasive case, arguing for more open societies and community involvement rather than increased policing, the format of the book is disappointing and will limit its audience to academe. The book consists of edited transcripts (including question-and-answer sessions) of two symposia held at Harvard in 1999 and 2000 and one "workbook" section in which readers are asked to put themselves in the place of an administrator faced with a simulated racial incident at a school. (Jan.) (Publishers Weekly)More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
John Wiley & Sons Inc
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
With dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 7 mm
Weight
147 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7879-6103-9 (9780787961039)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
William L. Ury is director of the Project on Preventing War at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School and a member of its steering committee. He is the coauthor of the best-selling Getting to Yes and author of Getting Past No.
Content
Primate behavior and human aggression / Frans de Waal The history of war: fact vs. fiction / R. Brian Ferguson
The power of the "third side": community roles in conflict resolution / William L. Ury
Reducing youth violence in Boston : lessons from the 1990s / Christopher Winship
Reducing Hindu-Muslim violence in Indian towns : community initiatives / Steven Wilkinson
Containing, resolving, and preventing violent conflict : activating the third side in urban communities / William L. Ury
Questions, comments, answers
Sanford High race riot: opportunities and choices for the third side / Joshua Weiss, Brian Blancke, and Chang In Shin
The power of the "third side": community roles in conflict resolution / William L. Ury
Reducing youth violence in Boston : lessons from the 1990s / Christopher Winship
Reducing Hindu-Muslim violence in Indian towns : community initiatives / Steven Wilkinson
Containing, resolving, and preventing violent conflict : activating the third side in urban communities / William L. Ury
Questions, comments, answers
Sanford High race riot: opportunities and choices for the third side / Joshua Weiss, Brian Blancke, and Chang In Shin