Jorgen Johansen (Peace Activist Trainer and Researcher with expertise in the conflicts in
Colombia India Congo Cameron China Palestine Israel Indonesia and other areas) writes
on this book:The international peace movement changed its strategy in the early nineties. From
mainly working in their own countries members moved into the war zones in large numbers. This
had been done earlier but not on such a large scale. The new context rendered most of their
experiences out of date. Many tried and some failed. It was obviously not enough to be armed
with good intentions. What was functioning well outside US Embassies or in their home
constituencies could not be copied on the battlefields. In order to learn from these new types
of intervention and improve organisation for coming campaigns it is crucial to soberly
evaluate newly gained experience. Barbara Müller has studied the Balkan Peace Team and its work
in Croatia Serbia and Kosovo. The present book presents a critical and thorough evaluation of
this important project. In a true Gandhian tradition the author takes the reader on a tour
through thisexperiment with the truth. This is far from being a list of ovations for the
volunteers who spent years in the Balkans doing their best. The most useful parts of the
present book are the detailed descriptions of the complexity and difficulties facing such
projects. Organised by a number of peace organisations from different backgrounds and cultures
and run by a similar diversity of people each in their own particular field it should not come
as a surprise to anyone to realise that the difficulties were numerous. And to work in a war
zone obviously adds to the list of challenges. All in all the Balkan Peace Team did a great
job and it deserves the recognition found in this detailed documentation and critical
examination. No organisation should venture to plan such a project without first reading this
important book. Neither should any volunteers be sent to a conflict area without having this
book on their obligatory assignments list.
