The Balkan Peace Team 1994-2001

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 The new context rendered most of their experiences out of date.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 this “experiment 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."