Multidimensional Peacebuilding: Local Actors in the Philippine Context is a work that, for once, gives a voice to grassroots peace-builders—long neglected—who know about the problems of local peace-building because they have lived them during the past decades in devastated societies such as Mindanao, Nepal, East Timor, and Burma.
— Christopher Mitchell, George Mason University
Wendy Kroeker’s book on local peacebuilding in the Philippines is significant and timely. Translating national peace accords to the local level needs the engagement of local peacebuilders and their practical wisdom, stories, experiences, knowledge, and everyday practices—or what Emily Stanton describes as ‘phronetic forms of knowledge’—that are critical for building a sustainable peace and social change in societies transitioning out of violence. Kroeker’s research illuminates how local everyday peacebuilders facilitate the agency, resilience, and resistance of local communities to dominant discourses and powerful actors. Their stories help to heal and inspire local people to act to change their socioeconomic and political milieu. This wide-ranging discussion is a major contribution to critical and emancipatory peacebuilding.
— Sean Byrne, University of Manitoba
Through in-depth interviews and ethnographic fieldwork, Wendy Kroeker portrays the compelling narratives of peacebuilders in the Philippines. From Tinikling, a Filipino hip-hop dance, to what she calls bamboo-style peacebuilding, Kroeker demonstrates how peacebuilding is not only contextual and local, but also requires a complex assortment of skills, commitment, and adaptability in order to rehabilitate war-torn contexts like the Philippines. Her book, Multidimensional Peacebuilding, provides important insight into the roles, beliefs, and lives of Filipino peacebuilders and should be required reading for anyone hoping to work, study, or enter that context.
— Pamina Firchow, Brandeis University
Multidimensional Peacebuilding provides a comprehensive account of the dynamic and multi-faceted nature of peacebuilding, brought to life by several passionate and committed peacebuilders from Mindanao, Philippines. Grounded in the complex nature of conflicts affecting Mindanao, this book demonstrates a thorough articulation and analysis by turning peacebuilding narratives into catalysts not only for academic and professional conversations, but also for social transformation. Kroeker shows us how Mindanaoan peacebuilders’ assets, which are culture-bound and context-based, contribute to the peacebuilding process. This is a must-read for everyone, especially government leaders, community development workers, peace and human rights activists, and academic and faith-based communities, as well as individuals who aspire to become peacebuilders and conflict transformation practitioners. This book is powerful, inspiring, and timely.
— Al Fuertes, George Mason University
In this well-written book, based on in-depth interviews with 36 Filipinos engaged in peace work in the island of Mindanao, Wendy Kroeker, a scholar-practitioner with over 20 years of experience in the Philippines, leads us through the intricacies of peacebuilding work in this part of the world. She does so by giving voice to leading figures involved in this process. The narratives of these amazing peacebuilders reveal their profound wisdom and provide incomparable insights into peacebuilding in Mindanao. These leaders are deeply immersed in their context, and the vision of peace that guides their work is attuned to this context. Like bamboo, they are flexible and resilient in the face of challenges; they grow with others and move between them. This is ’bamboo peacebuilding,’ she tells us, an everyday form of peacebuilding, based on local practices. In this inspiring book, Kroeker reminds us that peace and conflict theory cannot be written from a far-away desk; it needs to be grounded in the wealth of knowledge and resources present in a society affected by armed conflict. Multidimensional Peacebuilding: Local Actors in the Philippine Context is a gift. It teaches about humility, respect and resilience, and is a must-read for scholars and practitioners involved in peacebuilding in Mindanao.
— Cécile Mouly, FLACSO Ecuador