Wicked Problems: The Ethics of Action for Peace, Rights, and Justice

The ethics of changemaking and peacebuilding are complex and require a strong sense of ethical obligations. Wicked Problems argues that the field of peacebuilding and conflict transformation needs a stronger and more practical understanding of its ethical responsibilities, such as avoiding false binaries between domestic and international issues, and viewing violence and conflict as equivalents. It also highlights the importance of strategic nonviolence and the potential harm of do no harm approaches. The book includes contributions from scholars, practitioner, and activists and covers a range of topics related to social change work.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 14 October 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

The ethics of changemaking and peacebuilding are fundamental principles that guide the work of individuals and organizations seeking to create positive social and political change. These ethics are rooted in the belief that every person deserves to live with dignity, to experience well-being, and to minimize suffering. However, the practical application of these ethics is often complex and challenging, as practitioners face dilemmas that require them to make difficult choices and trade-offs.

One of the central dilemmas in changemaking and peacebuilding is the question of whose good counts. Practitioners often find themselves in situations where they must prioritize the needs and interests of different groups and individuals, often with competing claims and values. This can lead to ethical dilemmas, such as whether to prioritize the needs of a particular community over the interests of a larger political or economic power.

Another ethical dilemma in changemaking and peacebuilding is the question of how to act in situations where dire circumstances may demand some form of response. Practitioners may be faced with the choice between responding to violence or conflict with violence or nonviolence. This can be particularly challenging in situations where violence is used as a tool of oppression or control, as nonviolent responses may be perceived as weakness or surrender.

Wicked Problems, a book edited by scholars and practitioner-researchers in the field of peacebuilding and conflict transformation, argues that the field needs a stronger and more practical sense of its ethical obligations. The book challenges the false binaries between domestic and international issues, between violence and conflict, and between strategic nonviolence and do no harm approaches. It holds strategic nonviolence up to critical scrutiny and shows that do no harm approaches may in fact do harm.

The contributors to Wicked Problems include scholars, scholar practitioners in the field, and activists on the streets. The chapters cover a wide range of topics, including the role of violence in conflict, conflict and violence prevention and resolution, humanitarianism, community organizing and racial justice, social movements, human rights advocacy, transitional justice, political reconciliation, and peace education and pedagogy.

Drawing on the lived experiences and expertise of activists, educators, and researchers, Wicked Problems equips readers to ask and answer difficult questions about the ethics of changemaking and peacebuilding. The book provides a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the challenges and complexities of these fields, and offers practical insights and strategies for navigating the ethical dilemmas that practitioners face.

In conclusion, the ethics of changemaking and peacebuilding are essential principles that guide the work of individuals and organizations seeking to create positive social and political change. However, the practical application of these ethics is often complex and challenging, as practitioners face dilemmas that require them to make difficult choices and trade-offs. Wicked Problems provides a valuable contribution to the field by challenging the false binaries and providing a stronger and more practical sense of ethical obligations. By drawing on the lived experiences and expertise of activists, educators, and researchers, the book equips readers to ask and answer difficult questions about the ethics of changemaking and peacebuilding and offers practical insights and strategies for navigating the ethical dilemmas that practitioners face.

Weight: 450g
Dimension: 153 x 235 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197632826