It’s always the same story told in a different setting. Violence breaks out, foreign nations are scandalized, interveners and million-dollar donors come rushing in, warring parties sign a peace agreement, but within months the situation is back to where it started. Sometimes worse.In The Frontlines of Peace (a book that Oxford University Press will release in early 2021), Séverine Autesserre, a SIWPS member and an award-winning researcher and peacebuilder, opens our eyes to the well-intentioned but systematically flawed peace industry. She sheds light on how typical aid interveners have been getting it wrong, and—more importantly—how a few of them have been getting it right. With examples drawn from across the globe, in a lively and entertaining narrative, Autesserre reveals that peace can grow in the most unlikely circumstances.The Frontlines of Peace tells the stories of the ordinary yet extraordinary individuals and communities that have found effective ways to confront violence. In the past few years, both in today’s major conflict hot spots and in ostensibly peaceful countries, successful examples of peacebuilding have involved innovative grassroots initiatives led by local people. They were at times supported by foreigners, and they often used methods shunned by the international elite. By detailing the concrete, everyday actions that make a difference on the ground, Autesserre challenges prevailing wisdom about war, peacekeeping, and conflict resolution. She shows that we must radically change our approach if we hope to build lasting peace around us—whether we live in Congo, the United States, or elsewhere.
