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Electronic Highways
Conflict resolution and peace studies on the WWW
Whether your interest lies in researching the causes of civil or international conflict, seeking realistic resolutions to such struggles or in becoming an activist for the cause of peace, there are many valuable sites to check out on the Web.
The International Peace Bureau http://www.ipb.org/web/index.php, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is the world's oldest international peace federation. One of its primary missions is to bring together people working for peace from many different sectors, including youth and women's groups, and labor, religious and professional organizations. It seeks to build public awareness and political support for the introduction of peace education into school curricula throughout the world, to educate students on such issues as weapons of mass destruction, conflicts between ethnic groups, the increasing scarcity of valuable natural resources and the division of wealth between "first world" and "third world" nations.
Earlham College is home to the Peace Studies Association http://www.earlham.edu/~psa, an organization for individuals and college and university programs dedicated to the study of peace, conflict, justice and global security. Membership is open to colleges and universities offering undergraduate and graduate programs in these areas, as well as to individuals who teach or do research in relevant areas. Members are actively sought to participate in PSA projects and to serve on committees. Current projects are described on the Web site.
Meanwhile, Berry College is host to the Peace History Society http://www.berry.edu/phs/, an affiliate of the American Historical Association. PHS works to encourage and "coordinate national and international scholarly work to explore and articulate the conditions and causes of peace and war, and to communicate the findings of scholarly work to the public." It has achieved non-governmental organization status at the United Nations. Members include scholars from the disciplines of history, anthropology, economics, sociology, political science and other areas of study. The Web site provides membership information, upcoming conferences, information on scholarship prizes, and other peace-related resources.
The Carter Center http://www.cartercenter.org/, founded by former President Jimmy Carter, describes itself as committed to "Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope." The Web site has information on the center's peace programs and initiatives, health programs, lists of the center's activities by country, upcoming events and ways to support the organization. Employment and internship opportunities also are posted. SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) http://www.sipri.se/ conducts research on issues of international conflict and cooperation, with the goal of contributing to "an understanding of the conditions for peaceful solutions of...conflicts and for a stable peace." Scholars, policy-makers and the public can browse the Web site for descriptions and results of these research activities.
For collections of links to peace and conflict-resolution related Web sites (organizations, educational programs, historical information, calendars and so forth), visit Peace & Conflict: The Home of Peace Studies on the World Wide Web http://csf.colorado.edu/peace/, which also hosts a peace-related discussion group. Or you can visit Norbert's Bookmarks for a Better World: Peace site http://www.betterworldlinks.org/frieden.htm, which lists an interesting assortment of relevant Web sites.
Finally, for the activists out there, consider visiting Greenpeace online http://www.greenpeace.org/homepage/. This organization is dedicated not only to preserving the environment, but also broadly to the principle that "violence cannot resolve conflict." Many volunteer opportunities are listed on the Web site, as are calendars of upcoming events. Peace Action and Peace Action Education Fund http://www.peace-action.org/ is a grassroots organization whose goal is to seek "practical, positive alternatives for peace." Its mission includes world-wide nuclear disarmament, peaceful resolution of conflicts and using natural and economic resources to combat poverty in the U.S. and abroad. The Web site lists job postings and paid internship opportunities, as well as how to become a member. There also are lists of upcoming events and activities on the site.
—Gemma DeVinney and Michelle LaVoie, University Libraries