The book Psychosocial Perspectives on Peacebuilding offers a template
for those dealing with the aftermath of armed conflict to look at
peacebuilding through a psychosocial lens. This Volume, and the case
studies that are in it, starts from the premise that armed conflict and
the political violence that flows from it, are deeply contextual and
that in dealing with the impact of armed conflict, context matters. The
book argues for a conceptual shift, in which psychosocial practices are
not merely about treating individuals and groups with context and
culturally sensitive methods and approaches: the contributors argue that
such interventions and practices should in themselves shape social
change. This is of critical importance because the psychosocial method
continually highlights how the social context is one of the primary
causes of individual psychological distress. The chapters in this book
describe experiences within very different contexts, including
Guatemala, Jerusalem, Indian Kashmir, Mozambique, Northern Ireland,
South Africa and Sri Lanka. The common thread between the case studies
is that they each show how psychosocial interventions and practices can
influence the peacebuilding environment and foster wider social change.
Psychosocial Perspectives on Peacebuilding is essential reading for
social and peace psychologists, as well as for students and researchers
in the field of conflict and peace studies, and for psychosocial
practitioners and those working in post-conflict areas for NGO's.
