In this important study, Kawser Ahmed listens to the voices of community leaders on the front-lines of social justice work in Winnipeg, Manitoba. These leaders are working with nongovernmental, ethnic-based, and faith-based organizations. In his analysis, Dr. Ahmed explores the intersection among structural factors and grassroots activism in the face of social challenges such as poverty, discrimination, and colonialism. This study is significant for learning both the strengths and obstacles to civil society as an engine of social change, and the complexities that shape various forms of violence and inequality in society, and makes an important contribution to theory-building in peace and conflict studies.

Jessica Senehi, University of Manitoba

Grassroots Approaches to Community-Based Peacebuilding Initiatives: Theory and Praxis on the Front Lines is an inspiring account of the strategies and vision by a group of leaders and a community that have succeeded in addressing prevailing and emerging conflicts and bringing peace. Every citizen and community will benefit from lessons learned about what Winnipeg, Canada did to deal with social, ideological, political and socioeconomic challenges and transform into a cohesive, prosperous place to live.

C. Emdad Haque, University of Manitoba

Kawser Ahmed’s research on the role of local urban peacebuilding and social justice community-based organizations sheds light on their importance in nurturing grassroots empowerment and community engagement in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Dr. Ahmed notes that a vibrant and welcoming local milieu necessitates a strong civil society working in concert with local and federal governments to build peace at all levels. This book is a must read for all students of peace and conflict studies and policymakers striving to make our world a better place and in creating a just peace for all citizens.

Sean Byrne, University of Manitoba

Grassroots Approaches would serve as a great addition to university libraries and to the libraries of centers on social justice, social conflict, peace studies, and similar fields. Ahmed's work is definitively one of the most detailed and complete analyses of a singular urban center, and the conclusions it draws are applicable worldwide to urban areas at all stages of the peace process. . . Any professional scholar seriously interested in the sociological aspects and the 'how-to' of peacebuilding should be sure to acquire a copy of this text.

Peace and Justice Studies