Peacemaking

"Elaine Enns and Ched Myers offer in their new book, Ambassadors of Reconciliation, Vol. II, the metaphor of “full-spectrum” peacemaking. Each of the approaches in this spectrum has an important part to play in creating what my former colleague John Paul Lederach has called “justpeace” – or what the biblical tradition calls shalom: right relationships with one another, our creation and our Creator. To truly work in this direction, however, each of us must recognize our connections and contributions to the whole.

Enns and Myers don’t just bring us together; they also challenge us to go deeper. Building true justice and peace requires that we do more than work at immediate or “presenting” injustices and conflicts. We must also be aware of and address underlying factors that contribute to and shaping conflict, such as inequities of power and privilege and structural injustices. Fortunately, the authors offer analytic tools to help understand these dynamics.