Give Peace a Chance

David A. Hamburg is DeWitt Wallace Distinguished Scholar at Weill Cornell Medical College. He is President Emeritus of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, where he served as President from 1982 to 1997. He is the author of Today's Children: Creating a Future for a Generation in Crisis (1992); No More Killing Fields (2002); and Learning to Live Together (2004). Eric Hamburg is writer, director, and producer of the forthcoming documentary Preventing Genocide, and co-producer of the Oscar-nominated film Nixon (1995), Any Given Sunday (1999), and The Last Days of Kennedy and King (1998), a Hermosa Beach Film Festival winner for Best Documentary.

“This book is not so much a plea to end ongoing conflicts but an analysis of how to prevent mass violence before it erupts. It thus offers an elaborate response to the question of what we can do to reduce the chances for violence and increase the chances for peace. This is done in the form of a personal and, at times, intimate conversation with David Hamburg making the book compelling and easy to read for a nonexpert audience, while offering insights for seasoned conflict prevention and peacebuilding practitioners” —Alliance for Peacebuilding “For those new to David Hamburg’s work, Give Peace a Chance can function as either an extended introduction or a condensed version of his lifelong effort to promote peace across the globe. More than that, Give Peace a Chance: Preventing Mass Violence serves as a methodical handbook to help guide the next generation of peacemakers who seek to take up the torch that David Hamburg has worked so hard and for so long to light.” —Foreign Policy Association “David Hamburg has given us fresh insight into preventing violence and preserving peace in this new book—complete with his personal reflections on working with hostage takers and peacemakers alike. Coauthored with son, Eric Hamburg, Give Peace a Chance adds a new voice to the continuing plea for peace.” —Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate “Father and son have teamed up to produce a timely and insightful book on how the global community can prevent mass violence. Their ‘pillars of prevention’ are essential for a more peaceful world, and they themselves are true national treasures.” —Former Senator Sam Nunn, Co-Chairman, Nuclear Threat Initiative “Complete with fascinating research, analysis, and personal vignettes, their work helps clarify principles and policies to better identify and prevent deadly conflict worldwide.” —Senator John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) “David Hamburg has been a champion of human rights and a peacemaker throughout his life. In this new book he explores fresh approaches to conflict resolution … finds in recent events new opportunities for multilateral nuclear disarmament.” —Baroness Shirley Williams, British House of Lords “This lively book … sounds a call to action to prevent violence through such means as education, mediation, and early warning.” —Joshua S. Goldstein, author of Winning the War on War and War and Gender “David Hamburg provided intellectual capital, physical presence, and inspirational leadership, an essential foundation for the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction legislation and the pro-active follow-through of the last two decades.” —Senator Richard G. Lugar (R-Indiana) “Profoundly moving and eloquent….I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking thoughtful, wise insights into the prevention of deadly violence, and inspiration for applying these principles in an increasingly complex and chaotic world." —Melanie Greenberg, President and CEO, Alliance for Peacebuilding

• Chapter 1 Personal Experiences as Pathways to Peace; Part I Pillars of Prevention; Chapter 2 Education for Peace; Chapter 3 Early Warning; Chapter 4 Democracy and Peace; Chapter 5 Development and Peace; Chapter 6 Human Rights and Peace; Chapter 7 Weapons against Peace; Part II Who Can Do What for Peace; Chapter 8 The United States and Other Democracies; Chapter 9 The United Nations; Chapter 10 The European Union and Other Regional Organizations; Chapter 11 North Atlantic Treaty Organization; Chapter 12 Promising Changes in a Decade and a Generation;