Overcoming Evil: Genocide, Violent Conflict, and Terrorism

by Ervin Staub

Overcoming Evil describes the origins or influences leading to genocide, violent conflict and terrorism. It identifies principles and practices of prevention, and of reconciliation between groups after violence, or before violence thereby to prevent violence. It uses both past cases such as the Holocaust, and contemporary ones such as Rwanda, the Congo, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, contemporary terrorism, and the relations between the Dutch and Muslim minorities, which also has relevance to other European countries, as examples. The book draws on the author's previous work on all these issues, as well as on research in genocide studies, the study of conflict and of terrorism, and psychological research on group relations. It also describes the work of the author and his associates in real world settings, such as promoting reconciliation in Rwanda, Burundi and the Congo. The book considers what needs to be done to prevent impending or stop ongoing violence. It emphasizes
early prevention, when violence generating conditions are present and a psychological and social evolution toward violence has begun, but not yet immediate danger of intense violence. The book considers the role of difficult social or life conditions, repression, culture, the institutions or structure of society, the psychology of individuals and groups, and the behavior of witnesses or bystanders within and outside societies. It emphasizes psychological processes, such as differentiation between us and them and devaluation of the "other," past victimization and psychological woundedness, the power of ideas and people's commitment to destructive ideologies. It considers humanizing the other, healing from past victimization, the creation of constructive ideologies and groups and how these help people develop cultures and institutions that make violence less likely. The book asks what needs to be accomplished to prevent violence, how it can be done, and who can do it. It aims to promote
knowledge, understanding, and "active bystandership" by leaders and government officials, members of the media and citizens to prevent violence and create harmonious societies.

Genres: Sociology

600 pages, Hardcover

First published December 10, 2010

About the author

Dr. Ervin Staub is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Fellow of both the American Psychological Society and the American Psychological Association, where he served as President of the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict and Violence. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1965, after which he taught at Harvard University until 1973. Since then, he has published and edited numerous books and articles focusing on morality, pro-social behavior, genocide, peace and violence. His book, The Roots of Evil , inspired a three part television series of the same name shown on BBC television in England, and the Discovery Channel in the US. He credits his assisted escape from the Nazis in his native Hungary at the age of 6 with having "inspired me to dedicate my life to figuring out how to get people to respond to those who need help."

Reviews

[Juneight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book with many real life examples and first-hand solutions to stop mass violence. A must read and source of reference for those who devoted their lives to reverse evil to good!