Reviews

In her previous book, Peaceland, Séverine Autesserre wrote an instant classic, diagnosing the ills of contemporary peacebuilding. The Frontlines of Peace she goes farther and offers solutions. She argues that peace initiatives have to come from the bottom up. Outsiders can have a meaningful impact, but only by stepping back, offering technical support and letting locals lead. But she does not shy away from the barriers that exist to such a simple solution.
Autesserre writes from authority, from many years working for a variety of prominent peace NGOs in Congo, Afghanistan, Kosovo and elsewhere, and from well over a decade of academic study drawing on hundreds of interviews. The Frontlines of Peace is not a typical academic book: it's written to have a general impact, and so it's highly accessible and zeros in on a cast of inspiring characters.  

In times that feel increasingly divided, Séverine Autesserre’s The Frontlines of Peace is full of hope. Her work will both motivate and provide you with the tools to build peace in your own community and beyond, built upon insight from years of firsthand experience and careful research.
Autesserre shares breathtaking stories of triumph and heartbreak with love and empathy for every person and place you meet in this book. She is deeply honest with the reader, letting you into her world, so that you are right with her on the ground in conflict zones and in the gatherings of elite peacebuilders.
What makes this story unique is that Autesserre doesn’t focus on the wrong. Instead, she focuses on where peacebuilding has been successful and explains how these processes can be repeated. Her lessons are for everyone, not only those in the peacebuilding industry, but any reader looking to build peace in their own neighborhood. I believe the subtitle is perfectly apt; Autesserre’s ideas really have the power to change the world.