When Blood and Bones Cry Out: Journeys Through the Soundscape of Healing and Reconciliation

by John Paul Lederach, Angela Jill Lederach

How do people heal and reconcile after violent experiences that defy words? American academic John Paul Lederach, a peace-building pioneer, has teamed up with his daughter, Angela Jill Lederach, to address social healing and reconciliation through metaphors, music and unforgettable stories of suffering and hope. The Lederachs challenge the traditional notion that healing and reconciliation are best understood as linear processes, instead using approaches that explore healing as circular, dynamic and ongoing in the midst of continuing violence. The powerful cases they present include a mass women's protest movement in Liberia that forces leaders to keep negotiating until a peace agreement is signed; elders in Somalia who walk between warring clans for many years to promote a meaningful dialogue; former child soldiers who run drum workshops and grow gardens in refugee camps; and victims of rape in Sierra Leone who give poetic voice to their pain. The Lederachs illustrate the healing power of sound and vibration through tales of Tibetan singing bowls, Van Morrison's transcendent lyrics and their own personal journeys. When Blood and Bones Cry Out is a groundbreaking exploration of social healing in traumatised communities.

Genres: Nonfiction, Leadership

270 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2010

About the author

Dr. John Paul Lederach is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking work in the fields of peacebuilding and conflict transformation. He is widely known for the development of culturally based approaches to conflict transformation; the design and implementation of integrative, strategic approaches to peacebuilding; and for carving a robust integration of the arts and social change. Over the course of his career, Lederach has garnered extensive experience working with non-governmental organizations, community-based initiatives impacted by cycles of violence, and national peace process design. He has worked extensively as a practitioner in conciliation processes in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast and Central Asia.

Lederach is the author or editor of 30 books and manuals (translated into a dozen languages), and numerous academic articles and monographs on peace education, conflict transformation, international peacebuilding, and conciliation training. He has developed training materials and manuals available in Spanish on peace education, conflict transformation, and mediation, now used widely throughout Latin America.

Lederach received his bachelor’s degree in history and peace studies from Bethel College and his doctorate of philosophy degree in sociology, with a concentration on social conflict, from the University of Colorado. He currently serves as Senior Fellow for Humanity United and Professor Emeritus of International Peacebuilding at the Joan B. Kroc Institute of International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame.

Reviews

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a hard read. Once you're through the overly academic portions, you will find compelling stories of resilience and hope. You will also learn about the non linear nature of healing, of hurt and reconciliation.

[Jon Parker]

John Paul Lederach spoke on APM's show "On Being: with Krista Tippet" .

Radio show 12 Jan 2012. Listened to on Sunday 15 Jan 2012 WYPR at 7-8AM