American academic John Paul Lederach, a peacebuilding 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.
'This is a remarkable book, a book full of hope about situations that seem hopeless.' Parker J Palmer, author
