In any war there are always people who, rather than pick up an AK 47, will take the difficult route of active peacemaking. There are individuals in the midst of the violence in Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, even in the DR Congo, who are risking their lives to prevent other people getting killed. This book tells their stories. Featuring sixteen personal testimonies by those who have summed up the courage to transform violence in their lives, Unarmed Heroes is an inspiration as well as a handbook for overcoming conflict. The contributors, drawn from all over the globe, include relatives of those who died in the World Trade Centre attack and the Oklahoma bombing; Israeli, Palestinian and Afghan peace activists; a former IRA bomber and the daughter of one of his victims; a British military commander turned antinuclear campaigner, and many others. Despite their diverse backgrounds, each shares a passion for working actively but peacefully for positive change. Such stories might leave us in awe, doubting our own ability to emulate their brave examples. But this book features an accessible DIY section which shows, step-by-step, how anyone can take constructive steps to change their own lives and learn the skills of resolving conflict. It also includes a comprehensive Resources section. Unarmed Heroes is essential reading: an invaluable tool for the growing global movement of people determined to challenge violent responses to international, regional, local and family conflicts.

Three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Scilla Elworthy, a realist with 40 years' experience at the sharp end of politics and conflict, presents a bold but realistic vision for the future in "Pioneering the Possible." Human beings worldwide are anxious, afraid for their children's futures, dissatisfied by their lives, but unsure what to do. Our global ecosystems and supply chains are under threat and our leaders appear to have failed us. "Pioneering the Possible" addresses these anxieties head-on by envisioning a future that could work for everyone, rich and poor, demonstrating with real-life examples how that future is already emerging. "Pioneering the Possible" tackles the deeply embedded 20th-century values that get in the way of addressing global problems, and shows how these destructive values can be--and are being--reversed.
We know the world is in crisis: we are spoiling our planet at such a rate that soon it may be unable to sustain human life. This crisis is in fact a vast opportunity, because a secure and satisfying future for all of humanity is perfectly possible if we make the right choices. But building such a future will require the leap in consciousness that Einstein indicated when he said, "No problem can be solved from the consciousness that created it." "Pioneering the Possible" investigates what this new consciousness is and takes us to meet the leaders who have learned to apply it. With profiles of individuals who exemplify transformative leadership such as Dr. Desmond Tutu and Aung San Suu Kyi, Dr. Elworthy demonstrates how anyone can develop the magnificent inner power to build their own personal contribution to the future and become a 21st-century pioneer of what's possible. The book then contrasts the value systems that underpin our current decisions with the kind of values that would enable us to make better choices--those that could get us out of the mess we're in. To envision the kind of future that is possibl--a lift-off into "life as it could be"--Elworthy calls on some experienced specialists to look through their telescopes into the future, then brings in the pragmatists who know what to do in their fields, because they've done it, tested it, and made it work. "Pioneering the Possible" ultimately helps you find your unique way to be useful; as Dr. Elworthy says, "to discover your mission and put it into action--instead of worrying on the sidelines--is to find peace of mind and a heart full of love."