Palgrave International Handbook of Peace Studies

In this ground-breaking volume, the social function of 'peace' is explored through the prism of cultural pluralism. Prominent scholars and thinkers from more than thirty different cultures reflect on the notion of peace, and the diversity of their perspectives highlights the different cultural perceptions surrounding the meaning and scope of peace. What we understand as 'peace' is dependent on the context within which it is used. Some cultures have a multitude of notions that translate into English simply as peace, whereas an equivalent to peace in the European sense does not even exist in others. This volume shows that the concept of world peace can only be realised as a plural of 'many peaces'; an understanding of peace cannot be reached without the explicit acceptance of the many different notions of peace. In these turbulent times, there is an urgent need to explore new ways of reflecting on and facilitating the promotion of peace. Although the dominant paradigm is still the dogmatic application of a universal notion of a single peace, this approach is shown to be increasingly ineffectual and inappropriate. This paperback version, with new preface, reveals how adopting a multi-faceted approach to 'peace' could ultimately contribute to a more authentic understanding of peace across the world.