A Reflective Practitioner’s 40-Year Wilderness Journey Between Judaism and Conflict Resolution

Self-reflection is a major mechanism of learning from experience and an indispensable ingredient of self-development. In this chapter, it is shown how spiritual peacemakers, capitalizing on prosocial elements of their identity and tradition and constantly engaging in critical self-reflection, may be able to identify potential inadequacies of existing conflict resolution paradigms, understand deeper the dysfunctional realities of enemy systems, explore new possibilities and develop innovative meaning perspectives that could help conflict societies break the cycle of violence. It is demonstrated in this study, through an exploration of the case of a Jewish peacemaker and conflict resolution professor, that self-reflection is fundamental  to adequately conceptualizing alternative ways of reaching out across enemy lines, developing respectful and trustful partnerships, and working towards incremental positive change of problematic systems of relations. Marc Gopin’s evolution as a peacemaker is rooted in Jewish identity and tradition; more specifically, his practice has been a product of a dialectic process that combines insights from his identity as a scholar of conflict resolution and his identity as a Jewish scholar. Every positive interpersonal virtue presented by teachers from his childhood has become in his adulthood a tactic of positive peacebuilding and citizen diplomacy. The work in the field is sometimes conscious and sometimes unconscious attempt to embrace the positive, prosocial elements of his cultural reservoir, but at the same time challenges the problematic  and conflict generating aspects of his own community’s narrative and behavior. Practice becomes an embrace but also a defiance of society’s norms, through the years he that he longed to meet those who he feared the most. Painful as it was to question established views and beliefs, this `dance` of listening to the `other` and communicating back and forth over enemy boundaries, allows perhaps for a deeper understanding of people’s needs, suffering, and hopes. The dual role as a conflict resolution expert and a clerical figure, has also enabled him to create partnerships across communal lines in the Middle East and, often, fill the voids of failed diplomacy and intractable positions of enemy groups. The above points are illustrated in this chapter through a discussion of his evolution as a spiritual peacemaker and an exploration of the partnership he has built with a Syrian attorney and activist, Hind Kabawat. Their work, the methodological specifics of which are discussed in this study, has managed to demonstrate to both elite actors and civil society that a different, positive relationship between Americans and Syrians is possible.

In a world where conflict is never ending, this thoughtful compilation fosters a new appreciation of the art of peacemaking as it is understood and practiced in a variety of contemporary settings.

Whenever we seek to understand others, build healthy relationships, soothe discord, right wrongs, or nurture respect, we are making peace. Whatever the situation, peacemaking is about learning—learning the other; learning the issue; learning the future; learning to co-create a new, shared reality. The more we know about how peace is made, the better equipped we are to help peace prevail.

Peacemaking: From Practice to Theory is about seeing, knowing, and learning peacemaking as it exists in the real world. Built on the premise that peacemaking is among the most elemental of human experiences, this seminal work emphasizes the importance of practice and lived experiences in understanding the process and learning what works to nurture peace.

To appropriately reflect the diversity of peacemaking practices, challenges, and innovations, these two volumes bring together many authors and viewpoints. The first volume consists of two sections: "Peacemaking in Practice" and "Towards an Inclusive Peacemaking;" the second of two additional sections: "New Directions in Peacemaking" and "Interpreting Peacemaking." As the title states, the work moves peacemaking beyond mere theory, showcasing peacemaking efforts produced, recorded, recognized, and understood by a variety of individuals and institutions. In doing so, it refocuses the study of peacemaking and guides readers to a systematic understanding and appreciation of the practices of peacemakers around the globe.

Features
• Contributions from an international, interdisciplinary team of 48 experts who bring together insights from peace and conflict resolution studies, anthropology, sociology, law, cultural studies, and political science
• First-person narratives detailing the experiences of prominent peacemakers
• Offers access to an ongoing, Internet-based, practice-to-theory project
• An extensive bibliography of resources about peacemaking and related fields

Highlights
• Recognizes and promotes peacemaking as an empirical, shared human experience
• Proposes a practice-to-theory movement for facilitating peacemaking, linking academic research with practice across disciplines
• Draws on insights from multiple religious and philosophical traditions
• Enriches the reader's understanding of the evolving international system