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Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite
At the Heart of Conflict: Talking Resolution, edited by Cheryl Robson, is a compelling collection of twenty first-person interviews with international and local figures engaged in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Through voices ranging from former UN officials and diplomats to grassroots activists, the book offers a multifaceted view of how peace is pursued in some of the world’s most challenging environments. The foreword by Oliver P. Richmond situates the work as both a historical reflection on the “liberal peace” era and a call to rethink peacemaking in today’s fragmented, multipolar world. The introduction by Helen Kezie-Nwoha outlines contemporary conflict trends, noting the growing number of protracted, unresolved disputes, the decline in negotiated peace agreements, and the increasing influence of global challenges such as climate change, migration, economic inequality, and technological disruption. It also highlights the underrepresentation of women and youth in formal peace processes, despite their crucial contributions at the community level.
Cheryl Robson’s interviews include Victor Ângelo’s accounts of mediating in Zimbabwe and leading missions in Sierra Leone reveal the delicate balance between impartiality, local ownership, and international support. Gershon Baskin’s experiences in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations show how informal channels can complement formal diplomacy. Other contributors, such as Sandra Melone and Caroline Brooks, discuss using media to shift public narratives, empowering civil society, and confronting the disinformation that undermines trust in peace efforts. At the Heart of Conflict is a timely exploration of what it takes to address the root causes of conflict in a rapidly changing world, urging future efforts to be more inclusive, adaptable, and grounded in the lived realities of affected communities.
