Relational theory has recently gained prominence in philosophy,
women's and gender studies, and bioethics. Yet it has not made
substantial inroads into many areas of law and policy. Being
Relational seeks to remedy this situation by bringing this
powerful theoretical framework to the field of health law and
policy.

At the heart of relational theory lies the idea that the human self
is fundamentally constituted in terms of its relations to others. For
relational theorists, the self not only lives in relationship with and
to others, but also owes its very existence to such relationships. In
this groundbreaking collection, leading relational theorists explore
the key concepts of autonomy, judgment, equality, justice, memory,
identity, and conscience. In response, health policy and law scholars
analyze how such considerations might be brought to bear on pressing
issues such as reproduction, allocation of scarce resources, Aboriginal
health, mental health, and animal experimentation.

Innovative and self-reflexive, Being Relational makes a
bold contribution to law and policy studies that will appeal to a broad
range of scholars, especially those with an interest in social justice,
and who seek to challenge oppression and understand the complex ways in
which power is created and sustained relationally.

Jocelyn Downie is a professor of law and medicine and
a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy at Dalhousie
University. She is a member of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
and the Royal Society of Canada. Jennifer J. Llewellyn
is an associate professor of law at Dalhousie University, and director
of the Nova Scotia Restorative Justice Community University Research
Alliance.

All over the world the practice of peacebuilding is beset with common dilemmas: peace versus justice, religious versus secular approaches, individual versus structural justice, reconciliation versus retribution, and the harmonization of the sheer multiplicity of practices involved in repairing past harms. Progress towards the resolution of these dilemmas requires far more than reforming institutions and practices but rather clear thinking about the more basic questions: What is justice? And how is it related to the building of peace? The twin concepts of reconciliation and restorative justice, both involving the holistic restoration of right relationship, contain not only a compelling logic of justice but also great promise for resolving peacebuilding's tensions and for constructing and assessing its institutions and practices. This volume furthers this potential by developing not only the core content of these concepts but also their implications for accountability, forgiveness, reparations, traditional practices, human rights, and international law. While the volume's central orientation is theory, it contains much of interest to a wide range of scholars as well as practitioners. It is both interdisciplinary and accessibly written. It situates its analysis in countries as diverse as South Africa, El Salvador, Canada, and East Timor and in the work of institutions and communities such as the United Nations, the Catholic Church, various indigenous communities, and the international law community. It contains essays by leading scholars of restorative justice, international law, transitional justice, political philosophy and theology.