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Suicide through a Peacebuilding Lens pp 241–283Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Peacebuilding Suicide

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Abstract

This final chapter reiterates the case for suicide research in the interdisciplinary field of PACS and offers an original meta-theory of peace praxis termed Encounter Theory. The chapter then suggests a theoretical and empirical way to incorporate suicidal violence into our work via the Encounter Theory of relationship. While there are seven forms of suicide identified in this work (see Chapters 4 and 5) overwhelmingly, by an immense margin, the majority of global suicides can be characterized as medical and categorized as forms of mental illness. This book recognizes three domains of suicide prevention which can inhibit, decrease or eradicate the violence of self-killing including: (1) societal approaches: awareness raising, gatekeeper training and means restriction; (2) psycho-medical approaches: medication and therapy; and (3) the interpersonal approach of relationship. This chapter explores the four facets of relationship (connection, reciprocity, interconnection and friendship) and posits a potential method to peacebuild suicide related to mental illness. 1 This work concludes with an echo of the Seville Statement of 1986 entreating people from all life paths and disciplines to bring violence to light wherever it is found.

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  1. National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Katerina Standish

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Standish, K. (2020). Peacebuilding Suicide. In: Suicide through a Peacebuilding Lens . Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9737-0_9

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