Peace Is Everybody′s Business : A Strategy for Conflict Prevention

Arjun Ray’s book is based on the dialogue around the counterinsurgency doctrine, arguing that the main strategy towards this aim should be preventing people from feeling alienated. The central focus of this strategy, which the author in his capacity as an army man successfully executed in Operation Sadhbhavna, is the people. The author proposes a three-pronged strategy to achieve success―preventing conflict by addressing human security through human development, pursuing a policy of atonement and forgiveness, and eliminating trust deficit between the State and the marginalized―the three pillars of Operation Sadhbhavna. Peace is Everybody′s Business is about conflict prevention, hope and peace for the oppressed and alienated, and the imaginative use of soft-power to win back estranged communities into the social and political mainstream. Past strategies in managing alienated societies have been derived from two extreme ideological positions-imprisoning those who take up arms against the stage, or ultra-liberalism, which is denounced as impractical. The author suggests an alternative strategy to reconcile these two extreme positions-a three-pronged strategy to achieve success by preventing conflict by addressing human security through human development, pursuing a policy of atonement and forgiveness, and eliminating trust deficit between the State and the marginalized. The central focus of this strategy, which the author in his capacity as a General successfully executed in Operation Sadhbhavna, is the people. The author believes that killing is counterproductive and the army must change its role from ′winning wars′ to ′preventing wars′. This study is about conflict prevention, hope and peace for the oppressed and alienated, and the imaginative use of soft-power to win back estranged communities into the social and political mainstream. Past strategies in managing alienated societies have been derived from two extreme ideological positions - imprisoning those who take up arms against the stage, or ultra-liberalism, which is denounced as impractical. The author suggests an alternative strategy to reconcile these two extreme positions The signposts : hope, modernization and non-violence Alienation : poverty, land, culture and politics Muslim alienation and national mainstream Human security Centre of gravity : the people Winning the hearts of alienated societies Culture of silence and critical consciousness Women's empowerment Changing role of the military : preventing wars and not winning wars Re-education of the security forces Media's public interest role? Technology for peace Leading through chaos and uncertainty. Ray's book is based on the dialogue around the counterinsurgency doctrine, proposing a three-pronged strategy to achieve success-preventing conflict by addressing human security through human development, pursuing a policy of atonement and forgiveness, and eliminating trust deficit between the State and the marginalized-the three pillars of Operation Sadhbhavna.