The Frontlines of Peace Quotes

“a project is successful when, for instance, a former child soldier like Luca starts speaking in the future tense, or when his mother Justine sees him wanting to "hold a pencil instead of a gun.”
― Severine Autesserre, The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World

“We need to ask, not assume. Follow, not lead. Support, not rule. And once we learn these principles, we can apply them to all conflict-resolution initiatives—even ones in our own backyard.”
― Severine Autesserre, The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World

“Contrary to what most politicians and interveners preach, outside experts, national leaders, and top-down approaches are not the only means to reestablishing peace. Bottom-up initiatives can also make a difference, and ordinary people have the capacity to address some of the deeper roots of their country’s problems.”
― Severine Autesserre, The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World

“...to end violence from war—and address lesser conflicts at home—we have to fundamentally change the way we view and build peace.”
― Severine Autesserre, The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World

“Remember that change happens slowly and progress must be continuously preserved... The process is just as important as the outcome--sometimes even more so. And when things get rough, remember how much of a difference a committed individual can make.”
― Severine Autesserre, The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World

“The most effective paths to peace include understanding and making the most of local belief systems, promoting an active culture of nonviolence, relying on grassroots associations, and strengthening community bonds.”
― Severine Autesserre, The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World

“[Right] when it's at its hardest, right when you want to give up most, that's when your commitment to the long term is most important. Because unlike you, the people you want to help can't just leave.”
― Severine Autesserre, The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World

“Everywhere that there is violence, there are also ordinary yet extraordinary people fighting it....They are people who understand the ins and outs of violence in their village or neighborhood--and find ways to confront it.”
― Severine Autesserre, The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World

“It's daughters playing soccer with the children of the rival group, sons marrying outsiders, aunts trading with longstanding enemies, and individuals of all backgrounds sharing a market, hospital, school, or art center with the people they've been told to hate. In their day-to-day lives, ordinary people often engage in actions that observers view as banal and unimportant, when in fact these everyday acts help establish relationships that can prevent local outbreaks of violence and, at times, serve as the basis to deal with conflict.”
― Severine Autesserre, The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World

“Model interveners often challenge the enduring stereotypes about local people. They point to authorities who have the expertise, competence, motivation, and work ethic essential to peacebuilding, and to ordinary citizens who are intelligent, selfless, and trustworthy. They emphasize that host populations have far more relevant knowledge, contacts, and means to resolve their own predicaments than interveners usually believe.”
― Severine Autesserre, The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World

“Not all good things come together, and we can't have it all tomorrow. Remarkable interveners understand that building peace sometimes requires baby steps, and they look to local people as a guide for which foot to start on.”
― Severine Autesserre, The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World

“Many domestic activists focus their efforts on top-down changes such as national elections and state policies--and despair when they fail to reach their goals....Bottom-up activism can help address the racial, ethnic, religious, and political issues that divide not just places like Congo or Colombia, but also the societies of non-war countries.”
― Severine Autesserre, The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World