Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
BooksErnesto Verdeja. Unchopping a Tree: Reconciliation in the Aftermath of Political Violence. Temple University Press, 2009.
Unchopping a Tree develops a normative theory of political reconciliation that emphasizes the importance of shared notions of moral respect and tolerance among adversaries in transitional societies. Drawing from reconciliation efforts around the world—and interviews with people involved in such endeavors—the book debates how best to envision reconciliation while taking into account the very significant practical obstacles that confront such efforts. Unchopping a Tree addresses the core concept of moral respect at four different social levels—political, institutional, civil society, and interpersonal—to explain the promise and challenges of securing reconciliation and broader social regeneration. Read Chapter 1: Theorizing Reconciliation. The book is available here. Reviews: "Discussions of social reconstruction after political violence commonly expose the psychological and moral obstacles to forgiveness of perpetrators by victims. Ernesto Verdeja's Unchopping a Tree, in contrast, offers a sustained and clarifying analysis of respect and thus moves beyond forgiveness as the key to personal and political reconstruction after mass atrocities. The integration of personal narratives into the conceptual analysis makes this an especially valuable treatment of the daunting and demanding challenges for societies recovering from violence." --Martha Minow, Harvard University, author of Between Vengeance and Forgiveness: Facing History after Genocide and Mass Violence "I am greatly impressed by Unchopping a Tree. Ernesto Verdeja manages to synthesize an enormous amount of material into a clear and cogently argued framework to guide thinking about processes of reconciliation. He does an excellent job of presenting what he finds to be the strengths and weaknesses of the competing major approaches to this topic on the way to constructing and defending his alternative. His style is both pedagogic and clear-sighted. I think this will be an important work that makes a clear contribution to the literature." --Ron Eyerman, Yale University, author of Cultural Trauma: Slavery and the Formation of African American Identity "Verdeja has written an excellent book that should be recognized as an important contribution to current debates on reconciliation. It provides a much-needed comprehensive and multilayered normative perspective, and it will be of great value to our global concern with the question of how societies can deal with an atrocious past." --Thomas Brudholm, University of Copenhagen, author of Resentment’s Virtue: Jean Améry and the Refusal to Forgive "In this richly constructed analysis, Verdeja develops a justification for political reconciliation in postconflict societies.... Summing Up: Recommended." --CHOICE "Verdeja’s piece is strong on conceptualisation and provides clear lenses with which to examine and advance his thesis. Reconciliation is multi-faceted, inhabiting four different levels--the political, the institutional, civil society, and the interpersonal, and he deftly examines each in turn.... There is a skillful use of international examples too that provides illustration to his conceptualisation, particularly in discussing the forms that these processes may take. His discussion of the use of apologies as both a simple tool of acknowledgment and a complex future-focused mechanism allowing critical readings of histories, promises of practical redress, and a renegotiation of moral relationships is particularly well done." --Perspectives on Politics "[A] refreshing foray into critical reconciliation studies. Beautifully rendered in stark prose, thickly nuanced with ample research, and boldly defiant of the conventional wisdom, Verdeja’s work represents an important intervention.... Whatever one’s misgivings concerning the unlikelihood of reconciliation’s success, in the end, Verdeja’s text succeeds marvelously. If the mark of a very good book is one that provides for a space that allows for the opening and sustained expression of questions and questioning, rather than one that promotes closure or final conclusions, then Unchopping a Tree should be considered truly outstanding, for it goes one step further: it inspires a swell of hope that, despite its implausibility, an ample response to the legacies of political horror is still possible." --Law, Culture, and the Humanities Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, Douglas Irvin-Erickson, and Ernesto Verdeja, eds. Wicked Problems: The Ethics of Action for Peace, Rights, and Justice. Oxford University Press, 2022. In peacebuilding, ethical dilemmas are often wicked problems: that is, they are defined by circumstances that only allow for suboptimal outcomes and are based on profound and sometimes troubling trade-offs. Wicked Problems argues that the field of peacebuilding and conflict transformation needs a stronger and more practical sense of its ethical obligations in these contexts. The contributors include scholars, scholar practitioners in the field, and activists on the streets, and the chapters cover the role of violence in conflict; conflict and violence prevention and resolution; humanitarianism; community organizing and racial justice; social movements; human rights advocacy; transitional justice; atrocity prevention, political reconciliation; and peace education and pedagogy, among other topics. Introduction: Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, Douglas Irvin-Erickson, Ernesto Verdeja; 1. The Ritual of Black Armed Resistance: Police Abolition through the Eyes of the Black Radical Tradition, Tony Gaskew; 2. Building a Movement to End Poverty through Nonviolent Resistance, Liz Theoharis and Noam Sandweiss-Back; 3. Is Violence the Answer? A Pragmatic Approach, Kirssa Cline Ryckman; 4. How Is It to Be Done? Dilemmas of Prefigurative and Harm -Reduction Approaches to Social Movement Work Ashley J. Bohrer; 5. The Paradox of Survivor Leadership, Minh Dang; 6. Allies Out Front: Dilemmas of Leadership, Daniel J. Myers; 7. Organizing Dilemmas across U.S.- Based Social Justice Movement Spaces, alicia sanchez gill; 8. The Ones Who Walk Away to Stay and Fight, Philip Gamaghelyan; 9. From Righteous to Responsive: Rethinking the Role of Moral Values of Peacebuilding, Reina C. Neufeldt; 10. Dilemmas in Action Where Rule of Law Conflicts with Justice, Deena R. Hurwitz; 11. Establishing an Ethics of Post-Sanctions Peacebuilding, George A. Lopez and Beatrix Geaghan-Breiner; 12. Threading the Needle: Ethical Dilemmas in Preventing Mass Atrocities, Ernesto Verdeja; 13. Whither the Villains? The Ethical Dilemma in Armed Conflict, Laurie Nathan; 14. "A Different Kind of Weapon": Ethical Dilemmas and Nonviolent Civilian Protection, Felicity Gray; 15. The Ethics of Transitional Justice, Tim Murithi; 16. Why the Peacebuilding Field Needs Clear and Accessible Standards of Research Ethics, Elizabeth Hume and Jessica Baumgardner-Zuzik; 17. Consent, Inclusivity, and Local Voices: Ethical Dilemmas of Teaching Peace in Conflict Zones, Agnieszka Paczynska and Susan F. Hirsch. Read the Introduction here. The book is available here. "This comprehensive survey of the wicked ethical problems created by struggles for peace, rights, and justice is elegant and fast-paced. It weaves together different perspectives, contexts, and dilemmas to provide readers with a vivid, diverse, and sometimes provocative set of insights. This collection will surely become the go-to text for all those wanting to better understand the moral complexities of movements for peace and justice." -- Alex J. Bellamy, The University of Queensland, Australia "Wicked Problems is refreshing, forward looking, and engaging. It pushes the peace and conflict studies field into new directions and frames many of its most difficult challenges around the ethical implications for the various areas of this vast field of practice." -- Pamina Firchow, Associate Professor of Coexistence and Conflict, Brandeis University, and author of Reclaiming Everyday Peace: Local Voices in Measurement and Evaluation After War "Peace, rights, and justice advocacy has a wicked problem: an aspiration for the good that demands change and therefore entails conflict small, large, and sometimes even violent. Bringing together a diverse group of scholars and practitioners who have thought deeply about and grappled with such ethical dilemmas, this volume offers important insights, lessons learned, and possible paths forward. As such, Wicked Problems is a must-read for anyone involved in normative fields like peace studies, transitional justice, human rights, atrocity prevention, and social justice." -- Alexander L. Hinton, Rutgers University, and author of It Can Happen Here: White Power and the Rising Threat of Genocide in the US "A really valuable volume full of real-world dilemmas, rich personal experience, and practical advice from a wide range of activists. Wicked Problems is a major addition to the reading list of students studying human rights activism, social movements, political resistance, conflict transformation, and the struggle for peace." -- Hugo Slim, Senior Research Fellow, Las Casas Institute for Social Justice at Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford "A stunning array of authors write short, punchy chapters that offer a visceral kick in the gut by describing the trade-offs and tensions involved in addressing these problems outside the realm of normative academic posturing... Although other books examine ethics in change-making, this one stands out in the diversity of the contributors’ backgrounds, experiences, and assumptions about change-making... This book may be especially helpful for those who have a passion for justice but have not experienced the pangs of idealism meeting reality... Although libraries accrue many books on ethics related to violence and social change, this volume does not have any real competitors in terms of offering readers a humbling taste of the dilemmas of change-making." -- Perspectives on Politics "The editors of Wicked Problems, three professors at prominent schools/centers of peace and conflict studies, argue that those working in peace and justice fields are particularly prone to encounter wicked problems with no apparent “right” solution, because the pursuit of peace and justice requires conflict... Wicked Problems will appeal to practitioners and scholars as a way of comparing notes across sectors and subfields. The book's focus on dilemmas - on those "wicked problems" - means that it offers a window onto the cutting edge of the practice and study of peace and conflict." -- Peace & Change: A Journal of Peace Research Joyce Apsel and Ernesto Verdeja, eds. Genocide Matters: Ongoing Issues and Emerging Perspectives. Routledge, 2013.
This volume provides an interdisciplinary overview of recent scholarship in the field of genocide studies. The book examines four main areas: the current state of research on genocide; new thinking on the categories and methods of mass violence; developments in teaching about genocide; critical analyses of military humanitarian interventions and post-violence justice and reconciliation. Foreword. Helen Fein 1. Introduction: Genocide Matters. Ongoing Issues and Emerging Perspectives Joyce Apsel and Ernesto Verdeja 2. Questioning Boundaries: What’s Old and What’s New in Comparative Genocide Theory Maureen Hiebert 3. Critical Genocide StudiesAlex Hinton 4. Holocaust Studies and Genocide Studies: Past, Present and Future Donald Bloxham 5. Genocide and the Politics of Rape: Historical and Psychological PerspectivesRoger W. Smith 6. Genocide by Attrition: Silent and Efficient Sheri P. Rosenberg and Everita Silina 7. Research and Teaching About Genocide: History, Challenges and New DirectionsJoyce Apsel 8. Humanitarian Military Intervention After the Responsibility to Protect: Obstacles and Prospects Paul D. Williams 9. Transitional Justice and Genocide Ernesto Verdeja Read the Introduction here. The book is available here. Reviews: "In Genocide Matters, Apsel and Verdeja bring together a range of important authors and themes, including the perspectives of the next generation of genocide scholars. This is an important volume to understanding the field. An indispensable book." --Daniel Feierstein, Director of the Center for the Study of Genocide, Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero, Argentina "This is an excellent volume by leading scholars discussing the current state of comparative genocide studies. Recommended for scholars and advanced students in the field." --Rhoda E. Howard-Hassmann, Canada Research Chair in International Human Rights, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada "The burgeoning field of genocide studies brings together disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, united in their fascination with the causes and consequences of mass atrocity and in their determination to put it to an end. Leading thinkers in the field wrestle with the contemporary debates about prevention and intervention in this useful, compact volume edited by two of the field’s eminent scholars." --William Schabas, Professor of International Law, Middlesex University, Great Britain, Chair of Irish Centre for Human Rights "Apsel and Verdeja have assembled an impressive lineup of scholars, who ask pointed questions and attempt comprehensive answers. An engaging commentary on the field of studies in a state of flux." --Anton Weiss-Wendt, Chair of Research Department, Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Religious Minorities, Oslo, Norway "Wide-ranging in scope, conceptually innovative, and boldly transgressing disciplinary boundaries, this outstanding collection opens up new perspectives on how to approach the terrifying phenomena subsumed under the rubric of genocide. This landmark contribution is a tribute to the discernment of the editors and the cutting-edge scholarship of the contributors. Few other works offer such a wide range of conceptual and theoretical breakthroughs in the field of comparative genocide." --René Lemarchand, author of The Dynamics of Violence in Central Africa, Emeritus Professor of Political Science, University of Florida, United States "The volume's eight thematic essays provide an excellent overview of the important methodological, theoretical, and pedagogical issues related to the field from a range of disciplinary perspectives. This collection of essays… raises a wide range of thought-provoking and important issues and questions; it succeeds in highlighting many of the 'challenges and future directions for studying and thinking about genocide.'" -- Genocide Studies International Jackie Smith and Ernesto Verdeja, eds. Globalization, Social Movements and Peacebuilding. Syracuse University Press, 2013.
Each year, governments spend billions of dollars on peacekeeping efforts around the world, and much more is spent on humanitarian aid to refugees and other victims of armed struggle. Yet research shows that nearly half of all countries experiencing civil war see renewed violent conflict within five years of a peace agreement. How do we account for such a poor track record? The authors in this volume consider how global capitalism affects fragile peace processes, arguing that the international economic system itself is a major contributor to violent conflict. By including the work of anthropologists, sociologists, and political scientists, this book presents a broad yet thorough exploration of the complexities of peacebuilding in a global market economy. Included in the volume are specific studies of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as considerations of conflicts on the global scale. Introduction: Jackie Smith and Ernesto Verdeja 1. The Post–Cold War Arms Trade Paradox: Humanitarian Arms Control, NGOs, and the Strategic Complexes of the Liberal Peace Neil Cooper 2. Neoliberal Ethics, the Humanitarian International, and Practices of Peacebuilding Cecelia Lynch 3. Laughing at the Enemy: Rethinking Critiques of Communal Political Violence in India Dia Da Costa 4. Toward Human Security and Gender Justice: Reflections on Afghanistan and Iraq Valentine M. Moghadam 5. Capitalism at Sea: Piracy and ‘State Failure’ in the Gulf of Aden Isaac Kamola 6. Poisoned Patronage: Appropriating Aid and Pulling Down ‘Big Men’ in Northern Sierra Leone Catherine Bolten 7. Peacebuilding as a Transformative and Deliberative Process James Bohman 8. The World Social Forums as Transformative Peacebuilding Jackie Smith, Rebecca Burns, and Rachel Miller. Conclusion: Ernesto Verdeja and Jackie Smith Read the Introduction here. The books is available here. Reviews: “This book puts forward the important argument that peacebuilding is not just about what happens at local war torn levels; it is global policies that matter. In particular groups committed to humanitarian or human security goals can only have a marginal impact if they fail to challenge the dominant neo-liberal discourse. The argument is substantiated through several fascinating themes and cases contained in the individual chapters.” --Mary Kaldor, Professor of Global Governance, The London School of Economics and Political Science "Jackie Smith and Ernesto Verdeja have produced a compelling and timely volume calling for an epistemic shift in peace research and policy. Detailing the structural violence of neoliberal globalization and its framing of approaches to conflict and post-conflict situations, the authors switch focus from elites and their security interests to civil society and social justice movements as the foundation for enduring peacebuilding. This volume effectively redefines the field of peacebuilding as an emancipatory process instead of a legitimation of extant power relations." --Philip McMichael, Professor of Development Sociology, Cornell University “A very timely intervention….tackles the difficult problems associated with the emergence of humanitarian organizations that weaken both the state and social movements, particularly under conditions of structural violence.” --William G. Martin, Professor of Sociology, Binghamton University, author of Making Waves: Worldwide Social Movements, 1760-2005 “This engaging and diverse edited volume contributes to research on social movements, globalization, peace and conflict studies, global civil society and counterhegemonic alternatives. Smith and Verdeja's collection successfully elucidates the peacebuilding forest from the trees.” --Mobilization: The International Quarterly Review of Social Movements Research |
Adam Lupel and Ernesto Verdeja, eds. Responding to Genocide: The Politics of International Action. Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2013.
This collection examines the possibilities and challenge of mobilizing international support to prevent and stop genocide and other mass atrocities. The book’s contributors survey the actors, strategies, and policies that are available to prevent atrocities or to stop them once they have begun, and evaluate risk assessment models, early warning systems, mediation and preventive diplomacy, civil society pressure, and military intervention. The contributors also address the recurring impediments to timely and robust action, including notions of absolute state sovereignty and the absence of political will, which remains the critical ingredient of any effective international response to mass atrocities. Responding to Genocide includes contributions from scholars, diplomats and human rights practitioners, and is a project of the International Peace Institute, New York City.
Foreword: Terje Rød-Larsen, (President, International Peace Institute). 1. Introduction: Responding to Genocide Adam Lupel and Ernesto Verdeja 2. Genocide: Debating Definitions Ernesto Verdeja 3. The Causes of Civil War and Genocide: A Comparison Frances Stewart 4. Detection: The History and Politics of Early Warning Barbara Harff 5. Mediation and Diplomacy in Preventing Genocide I. William Zartman 6. The Role of Transnational Civil Society Iavor Rangelov 7. The Role of Regional Organizations Timothy Murithi 8. The Role of the UN Security Council Colin Keating 9. Politics, the UN, and the Halting of Mass Atrocities Thomas G. Weiss 10. Developing the Political Will to Respond Adam Lupel and Ernesto Verdeja
Read the Introduction here.
The book is available here.
Reviews:
"Combining cutting-edge insights with finely-grained analysis, this book makes an important contribution to our understanding of what needs to be done to rid the world of genocidal violence and the policy practicalities of doing it. [Each] chapter brings a new sharpness to the field that will advance not only the scholarly debate about how best to respond to genocide, but also practical policy. . . . A must-read for old hands and newcomers, academics and practitioners, alike." --Alex Bellamy, Professor of International Security, Griffith University
"A first-rate collection on an extraordinarily important topic. . . . Although dealing with a topic that sometimes generates more passion than reason, the authors offer a sobering but hopeful assessment of the international community's current architecture on genocide response and prevention." --Michael N. Barnett, University Professor of International Affairs and Political Science, George Washington University
"Responding to Genocide is an important contribution to the burgeoning field of genocide (and mass atrocity) prevention. This is social science at its best. It should be read by all policy-makers and scholars interested in preventing genocide." --Perspectives on Politics
"A valuable new book on genocide prevention, bringing together several pioneering scholars from the growing field of genocide studies who speak with knowledge and political sophistication about genuine difficulties of preventing and stopping genocide and other mass atrocity crimes." --International Affairs
This collection examines the possibilities and challenge of mobilizing international support to prevent and stop genocide and other mass atrocities. The book’s contributors survey the actors, strategies, and policies that are available to prevent atrocities or to stop them once they have begun, and evaluate risk assessment models, early warning systems, mediation and preventive diplomacy, civil society pressure, and military intervention. The contributors also address the recurring impediments to timely and robust action, including notions of absolute state sovereignty and the absence of political will, which remains the critical ingredient of any effective international response to mass atrocities. Responding to Genocide includes contributions from scholars, diplomats and human rights practitioners, and is a project of the International Peace Institute, New York City.
Foreword: Terje Rød-Larsen, (President, International Peace Institute). 1. Introduction: Responding to Genocide Adam Lupel and Ernesto Verdeja 2. Genocide: Debating Definitions Ernesto Verdeja 3. The Causes of Civil War and Genocide: A Comparison Frances Stewart 4. Detection: The History and Politics of Early Warning Barbara Harff 5. Mediation and Diplomacy in Preventing Genocide I. William Zartman 6. The Role of Transnational Civil Society Iavor Rangelov 7. The Role of Regional Organizations Timothy Murithi 8. The Role of the UN Security Council Colin Keating 9. Politics, the UN, and the Halting of Mass Atrocities Thomas G. Weiss 10. Developing the Political Will to Respond Adam Lupel and Ernesto Verdeja
Read the Introduction here.
The book is available here.
Reviews:
"Combining cutting-edge insights with finely-grained analysis, this book makes an important contribution to our understanding of what needs to be done to rid the world of genocidal violence and the policy practicalities of doing it. [Each] chapter brings a new sharpness to the field that will advance not only the scholarly debate about how best to respond to genocide, but also practical policy. . . . A must-read for old hands and newcomers, academics and practitioners, alike." --Alex Bellamy, Professor of International Security, Griffith University
"A first-rate collection on an extraordinarily important topic. . . . Although dealing with a topic that sometimes generates more passion than reason, the authors offer a sobering but hopeful assessment of the international community's current architecture on genocide response and prevention." --Michael N. Barnett, University Professor of International Affairs and Political Science, George Washington University
"Responding to Genocide is an important contribution to the burgeoning field of genocide (and mass atrocity) prevention. This is social science at its best. It should be read by all policy-makers and scholars interested in preventing genocide." --Perspectives on Politics
"A valuable new book on genocide prevention, bringing together several pioneering scholars from the growing field of genocide studies who speak with knowledge and political sophistication about genuine difficulties of preventing and stopping genocide and other mass atrocity crimes." --International Affairs