Moving Towards Peace in Jerusalem

Abstract

Resolving ethnic conflicts for many people focuses on the agreements political leaders sign. From this perspective, success or failure is judged as a more of less dichotomous dynamic in which agreements are or are not reached. A very different emphasis is found when conflict resolution focuses on people’s daily lives in local contexts and efforts are made to ease the tension and stress of daily existence. Here we can pay attention to what Rothman (1992) has called ‘pieces of peace’ and consider not whether peace has or has not be achieved, but the many steps along the way that are needed for former enemies to live side-by-side without fear.