Part IV: Peacebuilding

The following chapters pay tribute to the peacemakers and peacebuilders who are transforming societies, by empowering others, challenging the status quo, and defending human rights. Each of these chapters, in their own way and from a multiplicity of perspectives, makes a case for leaders and followers to learn to collaborate actively for common good, with the ability to look beyond dividing lines – ethnic, social, or ideological – and with the capacity to find common goals. They show us that leadership can occur in a variety of roles and capacities and that the world needs each of our talents. The ensuing chapters further demonstrate that there is not a single way to engage peace leadership and that striving for building peaceful institutions, organizations, and communities is a collective endeavor not the privilege of a small notable few: a sobering reminder on the interconnectedness and interdependence of our fates, our inextricably shared humanity, in a globalized yet divide world. In a modern world that often prizes, individualism, pride, privilege, and exclusiveness, these authors teach us to not be afraid to turn to the collective and in humbly accepting our shared humanity and responsibility for our common future.