At the Heart of Conflict - Talking Resolution

A ground-breaking new book that dares to bridge thedivide between peacemakers and military strategists.

As the world reels from an unprecedented surge in destructive wars andinternational crises, a new and critically important book challengesconventional wisdom and asks: Can peace be built by dialogue alone, or isthere a role for those who wield military force? With 20 unflinchingfirst-person accounts, the book uniquely gives voice to both sides of the"conflict resolution debate" from seasoned UN negotiators and grassrootspeacebuilders to intelligence experts and military veterans.

Interviewees include:

Victor Angelo;  Gershon Baskin; Nurcan Baysal; Saskia Binet; Caroline Brooks; Latif Fayaz; Paulo Goncalves; Maria Hadjipavlou; John Holmes; Corey Levine;  Simon Mann;  Patrick McGrann; Sandra Melone; Julie Norman; Jehan Perera; Tony Schiena; Simon Smith; Anjan Sundaram; Emily Winterbotham; Heela Yoon

“At the Heart of Conflict: Talking Resolution isa profoundly hopeful book. In these pages, we hear directly from practitionerswho have not only witnessed conflict but have actively worked to transform it.Their voices bring a rare depth and texture to our understanding of mediationand peacebuilding — grappling with the political conditions on the ground andreflecting on how those moments fit into larger historical arcs. These accountsoffer more than technical and political insight — they remind us that inthe midst of violence and fragility, there are always individuals buildingbridges, nurturing resilience, and creating space for hope." - Dr Christine Cheng, War Studies, King's CollegeLondon 

HELEN KEZIE-NWOHA (Introduction) Helen is a feminist scholar, peace-builder, and human rights advocate with over two decades of experience advancing gender equality in conflict and post-conflict settings. She is the Founder and Lead Researcher at Researchers Without Borders and former Executive Director of the Women's Inter-national Peace Centre. Her work spans Africa and beyond, providing strategic policy advice to regional institutions such as the African Union, particularly on the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Helen currently serves as the Chair of the Gender is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC) at the African Union and is a member of FEMWISE, the African Network of Women Mediators. She holds a Ph.D. in Women and Gender Studies from Makerere University and has published extensively on feminist peacebuilding, political participation, and transitional justice. Through her leadership and scholarship, she has influenced national and regional policies that centre women's voices in peace processes and governance.

OLIVER P RICHMOND (Foreword) Professor Oliver Richmond is a renowned scholar in International Relations, Peace, and Conflict Studies. He is the founder of the MA in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Manchester, where he also teaches core modules in the Department of Politics. Recognized for his significant contributions to the field, he received the 2019 Eminent Scholar Award from the International Studies Association. With extensive fieldwork experience in conflict zones, he has worked closely with international organizations, including the UN, and civil society groups.
Richmond's publications include The Grand Design: Peace in the 21st Century (Oxford University Press, 2022) and Peace in International Relations (Routledge, 2020, 2nd ed.). He has led several global research projects, including the AHRC-funded The Art of Peace and the Blockages to Peace projects. He also serves as a Visiting Professor at several prestigious universities, and co-edits key academic journals.

CHERYL ROBSON (Editor) Cheryl created the award-winning publishing company Aurora Metro Books in 1980, which was a finalist for Small Press of the Year in 2025, British Book Awards.
As an editor Cheryl has edited over 100 books winning many awards including a Special Jury Prize for Peace, for The Arab-Israeli Cookbook - Recipes by Robins Soans and Claudia Roden. Cheryl was a finalist for the ITV National Diversity Awards in 2019 and 2022.
An award-winning playwright, she has also had writing published in The Guardian, the Chicago Tribune, Culture Trip, Riviera News and more. As a producer/director, her feature documentary film Rock 'n' Roll Island, won several awards at film festivals and was broadcast on BBC4 in 2020, garnering a Sunday Times Critics' Choice and Radio Times Pick of the Week.
Cheryl is perhaps best-known for her successful 5-year campaign with sister charity (aurorametro.org.uk) to erect a full-size bronze statue of Virginia Woolf which was unveiled in November 2022 on Richmond riverside and has proven a popular attraction. She co-owns the independent bookshop Books on the Rise in Richmond, which offers weekly literary, music and arts events and hosts Feminist Book Fortnight. booksontherise.com
For more see cherylrobson.net

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