Peace as Nonviolence: Topics in African Peace Studies (Copy)
Peace as Nonviolence: Topics in African Peace Studies is an edited volume (2024) that deepens the scholarly exploration of nonviolence and peace education across Africa. Edited by Egon Spiegel (University of Vechta, Germany), George Mutalemwa (St. Augustine University of Tanzania), Cheng Liu (Nanjing University, China), and Lester R. Kurtz (George Mason University, USA), the book is part of the Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development series. It aims to advance the UN-inspired peace discourse by strengthening university-led peace studies programs, serving students, educators, and civil society peace actors across the continent.
Spanning 27 chapters, the book covers themes such as Pan‑African peace research, decolonial approaches to nonviolence, ecological peace policy, and peace education responding to violent conflict in Nigeria. The volume includes rich insights into peace dynamics in various African contexts—post‑apartheid South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, and more—offering both theoretical and practical perspectives.
Highlighting a female author’s contribution, the chapter “Ogoni Women’s Peace, Nonviolence and Feminist Resistance” by Domale Dube Keys explores how Ogoni women in Nigeria actively engaged in nonviolent resistance against environmental degradation and militarization through the Federation of Ogoni Women’s Association (FOWA). Drawing on interviews and participant observations, the chapter illustrates how women’s grassroots efforts helped redefine peace and feminist strategies in their community.
In sum, Peace as Nonviolence underscores the importance of education, cultural practices, gender equity, and locally-rooted knowledge in Africa’s peacebuilding processes. The editors and contributors collectively argue for peace approaches that are grounded in African epistemologies and institutional frameworks, rather than externally imposed models—demonstrating that sustainable peace emerges from within diverse African communities.