Category Archives: Past Issues

Volume 1, Issue 2 – October 2011

From the Editor’s Desk – Kyrstie Lane After Violence – Kevin Avruch Social Media: The Only Contributing Factor in the Arab Spring? – Joseph Bock Gujarat: Almost Ten Years Since the Genocide – Cedric Prakash Cover Photo – We Are Not Statistics: Messages of Hope in an Era of 21st Century Gang Violence – P.K. read more »

India Column: Hara Kiri in the Indian Tribal Heartland

by Francis Gonsalves As citizens of the world’s largest democracy, Indians are understandably proud of their Constitution that pledges “to secure to all its citizens justice, liberty, equality, and to promote fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation.” However, these Constitutional ideals are but illusions for many read more »

Picks of the Quarter

The conflicts that gain the most attention and media coverage tend to be those that are most sensational and violent. But there are many other conflicts we do not hear about, and those living through them must struggle to make their voices heard. This column seeks to bring attention to serious events, issues, and conflicts read more »

Cover Photo: We Are Not Statistics: Messages of Hope in an Era of 21st Century Gang Violence

by PK McCary At Alisal High School, a young student asked me, “Don’t you know? We’re the gang violence capital of the world!” The high school is in Salinas, California, situated near the area where much of the gang violence in the city occurs. I was reminded of the saying that in order to teach, read more »

Gujarat: Almost Ten Years Since the Genocide

by Cedric Prakash On Sept. 13 of this year, the US Department of State released its International Religious Freedom Report (July to December 2010) in which the communal riots of 2002 in Gujarat, India once again feature very prominently. Here are some excerpts from the Report: “There was continued concern about the Gujarat government’s failure read more »

Social Media: The Only Contributing Factor in the Arab Spring?

by Joseph Bock The world is enamored with the political transformations taking place in Tunisia and Egypt. What has happened there is inspirational to all who are interested in the promotion of democracy through non-violence, though the struggles ahead are bound to be difficult. There is fascination with the role played by social media in read more »

After Violence

by Kevin Avruch Whatever the underlying causes, many serious social conflicts are characterized by violence, and once violence has occurred everything changes. All of our responses and remedies to conflict, including development, become more difficult to implement when the conflict has left in its wake victims and victimizers, traumatized individuals and collectivities. Violence produces profound read more »

From the Editor’s Desk

by Kyrstie Lane Conflict and violence, though often spoken in the same breath, are not synonymous. Violence is what occurs when we do not have the structures, skills, or capacities to efficiently and effectively manage conflict or change. Nonviolent conflict is certainly possible, but also more difficult, and too many of our conflicts today move read more »

Volume 2, Issue 1 – January 2012

Table of Contents From the Editor’s Desk – Kyrstie Lane, Managing Editor Pedagogy of Conflict: Neutrality – Pushpa Iyer, Director The Future of the Nepali Peace Process – Jitman Basnet Reflections on the Importance of Unarmed Civilian Protection – Katherine Hughes-Fraitekh Empire’s Prisoners – Anita Seth Cover Photo: Portrait of Dago – Adele Negro India read more »

From the Editor’s Desk

by Kyrstie Lane, Managing Editor Human rights is something everyone likes to talk about, yet few actually pursue with dedication and resolve. It is easy to proclaim support for human rights, but do we really know what they mean? How can we define these rights, and how can we tell when they have been violated? read more »