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Gutlove, Paula and Gordon Thompson (2004). "Psychosocial Healing and Post-Conflict Social Reconstruction in the Former Yugoslavia."  Medicine, Conflict & Survival , Vol. 20, Number 2.   London:   Taylor & Francis Ltd. 2004. Reprinted with Permission (16 pages).

This article, published in Medicine, Conflict & Survival, builds on experience in the former Yugoslavia to describe a model for psychosocial Healing.   Post-conflict reconstruction encompasses social, physical and political reconstruction.   Social reconstruction entails rebuilding the human interactions that allow a society to function.   This involves the healing of psychological and social wounds of individuals and society.   Psychosocial healing is a process to promote psychological and social health of individuals, families and community groups.   The Medical Network for Social Reconstruction in the Former Yugoslavia has pioneered a broad range of psychosocial healing programs including community-integration programs, development of volunteer action, and training of professional and lay people to take part in psychosocial healing.   These programs have demonstrated that psychosocial healing can be an effective way to heal post-conflict societal trauma and rebuild a society with a vastly improved quality of life.

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Saner, Kerry and Palwasha Kakar (January 2004). Health and Social Reconstruction in Afghanistan:   A Report of Assessment Interviews Conducted in Kabul, Afghanistan.   Cambridge, Massachusetts:   Institute for Resource and Security Studies.   (4 pages).

This report summarizes three assessment interviews with health-related   NGOs conducted in Kabul, Afghanistan by IRSS.   The purpose of the assessment was to gather information concerning the continuing health and security needs in the country, and how social reconstruction and peace building can be integrated with delivery of health care, as a contribution to meeting high-priority needs. This assessment followed up a paper produced by IRSS, making a recommendation for "Social Reconstruction in Afghanistan Through the Lens of Health and Human Security."

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View photo slideshow of this assessment visit to Kabul.

 

Gutlove, Paula and Gordon Thompson, Editors (May 2003). Psychosocial Healing: A Guide for Practitioners. Based on programs of the Medical Network for Social Reconstruction in the former Yugoslavia. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (126 pages).  

This complete guide for practitioners describes the use of trauma healing and related psychological and social-support activities as contributors to the development of a stable, peaceful and functional society in a post-conflict environment.   It provides the context for psychosocial healing in relation to stress and trauma, and describes in detail a variety of methods and tools for implementing psychosocial healing, including a community-based process and establishing a facilitated integrated-action Network.  

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Thompson, Gordon, Paula Gutlove and Jacob Hale Russell (May 2003). Social Reconstruction in Afghanistan Through the Lens of Health and Human Security. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (28 pages).

This paper, a version of which was subsequently published in the book, Beyond Reconstruction in Afghanistan: Lessons from Development Experience, describes a strategy for applying human-security principles to social reconstruction in Afghanistan by working through the health sector.   Experience in the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere shows that health and social-reconstruction programs can be integrated to their mutual benefit.   After 23 years of violent conflict, the rebuilding of Afghanistan faces severe challenges.   Physical and social infrastructures are debilitated, the economy barely functions, the population's health and nutritional status is among the lowest anywhere, and internal security is lacking.   Also, Afghanistan poses a potential threat to richer countries as an exporter of drugs and terrorism.   This combination of factors makes the concept of human security especially applicable to Afghanistan's reconstruction.

The paper reviews current conditions in Afghanistan, with particular emphasis on problems facing the health sector.   It then discusses the reconstruction strategies used by domestic and foreign actors, particularly in the health and internal-security sectors.   Next, human security and its application are described.   The paper then reviews experience elsewhere in integrating health programs and social-reconstruction programs.   This leads to a discussion of opportunities in Afghanistan for integrating health and social reconstruction using a human-security approach.   Finally, an organic, adaptive strategy for pursuing these opportunities is articulated.

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Gutlove, Paula and Gordon Thompson (26 April 2003). "Human Security:   Expanding the Scope of Public Health." Medicine, Conflict & Survival , 2003. Vol. 19-1, pp. 17-34, published by Frank Cass, London.   Reprinted with permission. (13 pages).

This article, published in Medicine, Conflict & Survival, discusses human security as an evolving principle for organizing humanitarian endeavours in the tradition of public health. Human security places the welfare of people at the core of programmes and policies, is community oriented and preventive, and recognizes the mutual vulnerability of all people and the growing global interdependence that mark the current era. Health is a crucial domain of human security, providing a context within which to build partnerships across disciplines, sectors and agencies. These principles have been demonstrated in field programmes in which health-care delivery featuring multi-sectoral co-operation across conflict lines has been used to enhance human security. Such programmes can be a model for collaborative action, and can create the sustainable community infrastructure that is essential for human security.

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Thompson, Gordon and Paula Gutlove (September 2002). Health, Human Security, and Social Justice. Cambridge, Massachusetts:   Institute for Resource and Security Studies.   (26 pages).

This paper begins with a general discussion of human security, a social justice organizing principle that places the welfare of people at the core of programmes and policies. The paper then focuses on the role of health and social justice as major, mutually-reinforcing pillars of human security.   Health can be a unifying dimension for human security because it provides a context within which to build an array of partnerships and a unique opportunity for deeper understanding and implementation of human security.   Health-related programmes can provide an important neutral platform to address fundamental obstacles to peace because health is universally valued.   They can be a model for collaborative action and can create the sustainable community infrastructure that is essential for social justice and human security.  The potential benefits of pursuing health and social justice within a human-security framework are illustrated by experience with two practical endeavours in the Balkans and in the North Caucasus.   Finally, the paper outlines a strategy for capturing such benefits on a global scale.

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Gutlove, Paula (April 2002). Cairo Consultation on Health and Human Security. Cambridge, Massachusetts:   Institute for Resource and Security Studies.   (11 pages, 3 appendices).

This report summarizes a landmark consultation organized by WHO to address issues of health and human security that took place in Cairo, 15-17 April 2002. This consultation was the first interagency forum to address the connection between health and a concept that is receiving increasing attention -- human security.   The consultation provided a working model of the multidisciplinary, comprehensive nature of the human security approach. The three-day meeting brought together 50 participants, including representatives from a range of UN agencies, from states in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and from other regions including Western Europe and North America.  

 

The consultation was organized into four phases to pursue the following objectives:   First, it provided a foundation for understanding the concept of human security.   Second, it explored the relationship between health and human security.   Third, it examined health and human security concerns in the region. Fourth, participants worked together to develop recommendations for action, utilizing a health and human security approach, in the region and elsewhere.   These recommendations were discussed and some were endorsed.   The report is divided into sections reflecting the four phases of the consultation.

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Thompson, Gordon (September 2001). Medical Network for Social Reconstruction in the Former Yugoslavia: A Survey of Participants’ Views on the Network’s Goals and Achievements. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (13 pages, 3 appendices).
This report surveys the views of selected participants in the activities of the Medical Network for Social Reconstruction in the Former Yugoslavia, regarding the Network's goals and achievements in the past (especially 1997-2001) and its goals for the future (especially 2001-2003). Participants' views were obtained through interviews conducted during an international conference held by the Network at Neum, Bosnia, during the period 15-18 June 2001, on the theme "Children and Youth in Post-War Situations".   The information provided by this survey can help to guide the future development of the Network.   Specifically, it will help participants to learn from the experience of the Network, and to incorporate that learning into the planning of future Network activities.   The Major conclusions find a is strong consensus about many of the Network's goals, but there are also differences of opinion that should be discussed.   In addition, the Network's future structure is a high-priority issue for discussion and it would benefit from the routine use of structured learning.

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Gutlove, Paula (September 2001). Children and Youth in Post-War Situations: Report on an International Conference and Training Workshops, Neum, Bosnia, 15-18 June 2001. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (12 pages,   6 appendices).

This report gives an overview and highlights of a conference of the Medical Network for Social Reconstruction in the Former Yugoslavia (the Network). The report begins with a description of the Network, a community of health-care professionals from all parts of the former Yugoslavia working toward the reconciliation of existing conflicts and the prevention of further conflicts in the region through rebuilding structures for public health care and creating bridges for community reconstruction. A summary and evaluation of the conference follows. Appendices include: lists of participants in the conference and the contact group meeting; the conference program itinerary; the introduction to keynote speaker Svetlana Broz’s book Good People in a Time of Evil; an exercise in project development and proposal writing used in one of the training workshops; and responses to the conference evaluation form.

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Gutlove, Paula (September 2000). The Medical Network as a Bridge to Health and Peace: Report on an International Conference and Training Workshops 4-7 May 2000, Gracanica, Bosnia. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (7 pages).

This report describes an international conference and associated training workshops held in Gracanica, Bosnia, in May 2000. The seminar and training workshops were organized by the Medical Network for Social Reconstruction in the Former Yugoslavia, whose history and purpose are described in Section II. Section III provides an overview of the Gracanica conference. The conference had four distinct but interrelated activities, which are described in Section IV. These four activities were: demonstration of existing grass roots programs; professional training; Medical Network program planning and organizational development; and international promotion of concepts of social reconstruction. Section V discusses the impact of the meeting, and Section VI provides some broad conclusions.

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Gutlove, Paula (June 2000). "Health as a Bridge to Peace: The Role of Health Professionals in Conflict Management and Community Reconciliation." Violence and Health: Proceedings of the WHO Global Symposium, 12-15 October 1999 Kobe, Japan: Kobe World Health Organization. Reprinted with Permission (12 pages).

Involvement of professionals from different sides of a conflict in the delivery of health care can be a model for collaborative action, and can create the long-term community involvement that is essential for sustainable peace. This paper looks at the Health Bridges for Peace project (HBP), an initiative launched by the Institute for Resource and Security Studies (IRSS) in 1996 to help health care professionals realize their potential to heal violence-ravaged individuals and communities. The project utilizes a shared concern, namely the restoration of public health, as a vehicle to convene, engage, and train health care professionals in conflict management and community reconciliation techniques. IRSS initiated the first HBP field program in the former Yugoslavia in 1997 and the second HBP field program in the North Caucasus in November 1998. Both field programs have enjoyed the support of WHO and other international agencies.

HBP has provided new hope and possibilities to many indigenous health professionals, providing them with new opportunities, a new vision, and a new role in their community and in the world. By working and training together, health professionals are giving their communities a symbol of hope and a reason to believe that the promise of their shared future can shine brightly enough to start healing the painful memories of their shared past. Growing global interest in the use of health as a bridge to peace poses an exciting challenge which WHO is uniquely placed to meet.

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Gutlove, Paula (June 2000). Application of the Peace through Health Approach in the North Caucasus: Report of an Inter-Agency Consultation, Moscow, 4-5 April 2000. Copenhagen, Denmark: World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe. (23 pages).

This report describes an informal, inter-agency “Peace through Health” consultation convened by WHO and IRSS on 4-5 April 2000. Hosted by the Russian Red Cross in Moscow, the consultation brought together representatives of a variety of organizations concerned with health-related humanitarian assistance in the North Caucasus. Participants explored how humanitarian assistance programs can provide health benefits to target populations while also facilitating and promoting peace building, social reconstruction and, in the longer term, the development of democratic, stable society. At the organizational level, the consultation was intended to help the relevant agencies to coordinate their activities and utilize the Peace through Health (PTH) approach in the North Caucasus. This approach utilizes a shared concern for public health as an opportunity to deliver health care while engaging in social reconstruction and community reconciliation programs.

This report includes an overview of related PTH initiatives by WHO and IRSS in the Balkans, relevant initiatives shared by the consultation participants, and twelve basic “PTH Principles for Action” that could usefully be applied to health-related humanitarian assistance in the North Caucasus. Participants agreed that an Inter-agency Task Force should be formed to follow up this consultation. The report includes a description of the primary functions of the proposed Task Force.

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Gutlove, Paula (May 2000). Health as a Bridge to Peace: Briefing Manual. Cambridge, MA: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (42 pages).

This manual was developed for the Medical Network for Social Reconstruction in former Yugoslavia. It provides background and support materials for understanding and developing a "health bridge for peace" (also called a "peace through health") strategic approach. It contains information about the theory and practice of using health care delivery as a bridge for peace. In addition, it contains practical tools for building a health bridge project. These tools would best be used with a trained facilitator.

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Gutlove, Paula (March 2000). Health as a Bridge to Peace: Briefing Manual. Copenhagen, Denmark: World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe. (41 pages).

This manual was developed for international agencies providing humanitarian assistance in the North Caucasus. It provides background and support materials for understanding and developing a "health bridge for peace" (also called a "peace through health") strategic approach. It contains information about the theory and practice of using health care delivery as a bridge for peace. In addition, it contains practical tools for building a health bridge project. These tools would best be used with a trained facilitator.

 

Gutlove, Paula (1999). "Health Bridges for Peace: Integrating Health Care with Conflict Prevention and Community Reconciliation." Peaceworks: Training to Promote Conflict Management, Volume 29. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace. (6 pages)

This article focuses on the Health Bridges for Peace project launched by IRSS in 1996. The project uses a shared concern, namely the restoration of public health, as a vehicle to convene, engage, and train health care professionals in conflict management and community reconciliation techniques. Also, after training the professionals, the project helps them design and implement intercommunal activities that integrate community reconciliation and conflict prevention strategies into health care delivery. The project's first field program has taken the form of the Medical Network for Social Reconstruction, which connects all parts of the former Yugoslavia.

The article also describes the Health Bridges strategy, which deliberately integrates conflict management with other humanitarian efforts in an "integrated action" program. Through integrated action, conflicting parties are brought together to work on a humanitarian or development program that involves superordinate goals, and are provided with significant, concrete incentives for cooperation. At the same time, the humanitarian program receives the benefit of conflict management training expertise. Essential principles for integrating health initiatives with community reconciliation in a systematic and sustainable manner, as has been done in the former Yugoslavia, are also included in the article.

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Gutlove, Paula (1999). Conflict, Conflict Management, and Trauma Recovery: Briefing Manual for Workshop Participants. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (46 pages).

This manual was prepared for training workshops organized by the Medical Network for Social Reconstruction in the Former Yugoslavia in Ohrid, Macedonia, 27-30 May 1999, as a part of a larger trauma recovery training program. The manual covers basic concepts of conflict management processes, trauma recovery, conflict transformation, expanding the concept of healing, and community reconstruction and reconciliation, including articles by Vamik D. Volkan, Barrett Hart, and Paula Gutlove. The manual also addresses dialogue, active listening, problem solving, and consensus building skills.

 

 

Gutlove, Paula (December 1999). The Medical Network: Training to Bridge Health and Peace: Report on a Meeting and Training Workshops, Toplice, Slovenia, 24-27 September 1999. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (10 pages).

This report describes a meeting and associated training workshops that were held in Toplice, Slovenia, in September 1999. The program was hosted by the Slovene Philanthropy in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The meeting and training workshops were organized by the Medical Network for Social Reconstruction in the former Yugoslavia, whose history and purpose are described in Section II. Section III provides an overview of the Toplice program, which served a dual purpose. First, the meeting was an organizational meeting of the Medical Network. Second, the training workshops were led by members of the Medical Network, and the workshop participants were also members of the Medical Network. All meeting participants participated as both trainers and/or participants in the training workshops. Section IV gives a summary of the training workshops. Section V provides an overview of the Network organizational meeting.

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Gutlove, Paula (December 1999). The Dialogue-Action Process: An Analysis of the Dialogue Process IRSS Has Used in Its Work with Groups in Former Yugoslavia and the Caucasus. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (32 pages).

This paper begins with a description of the dialogue-action process as defined and used by IRSS. Examples from IRSS field experience in the former Yugoslavia and in the Caucasus are sprinkled liberally throughout the text in an effort to bring to life the situations in which the dialogue-action process has been used and the results it has wrought. In particular, we explore what dialogue experience of this type can teach us about how human beings heal, individually and as a social unit, from traumatic events, and how the human need for relationship is manifest in the dialogue process. Furthermore, the paper provides an opportunity to discuss the social utility of dialogue-action and how it can be sustained through the deliberate integration of facilitated dialogue with essential social functions.

This paper was written at the request of Harold Saunders, director of International Affairs at the Kettering Foundation and author of A Public Peace Process: Sustained Dialogue to Transform Racial and Ethical Conflicts. This seminal book analyzes and describes the use of sustained dialogue to transform conflictual relationships. In response to Saunder’s request that we respond to his book, this paper explores the field experience of IRSS with dialogue processes.

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Gutlove, Paula and foreword by Joseph V. Montville (November1999). Public Participation and Democracy Building in Slovakia. Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies.

This is a report on a program managed by Paula Gutlove through the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. The Program on Public Participation and Democracy Building in Slovakia was designed as a catalyst for citizen leaders to mobilize their talent, intelligence, and experience to build a sense of shared community and an empowered civil society. It was executed over the period December 1995 through September 1999 in three Slovak cities: Banska Stiavnica; Lucenec; and Dunajska Streda. These three cities reflect a range of ethnic, political, geographic and socioeconomic characteristics. In each city, a Leadership Council was selected and granted a generous budget to spend on projects for their community. At the end of the program period, members of the Leadership Councils of the three sites were brought together to exchange experiences and build cooperative projects. This program has created a unique bridge, linking diverse areas and communities in Slovakia, on which to build future civic activities.

 

Gutlove, Paula (September 1999). The Medical Network as a Bridge to Health and Peace: Report on an International Seminar and Training Workshops, 27-30 May 1999, Ohrid, Macedonia. Graz, Austria: OMEGA Health Care Center and Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (23 pages).

This report describes an international seminar and associated training workshops held in Ohrid, Macedonia, in May 1999. These events were organized by the Medical Network for Social Reconstruction in the Former Yugoslavia, whose history and purpose are described in Section II. Section III provides an interview of the Ohrid program, which served a dual purpose. First, the international seminar was the annual meeting of the Medical Network. Second, training workshops were staffed by members of the Medical Network. Workshop participants were health care professionals from Macedonia and Kosovo. Section IV gives a summary of the training workshops. Section V gives a summary of the international seminar. This report has four appendices. Appendices A through C are included in the report. Appendix D is a briefing manual for workshop participants, by Paula Gutlove, entitled "Conflict, Conflict Management, and Trauma Recovery." It is available as a separate document.

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Thompson, Gordon and Paula Gutlove (March 1999). A Strategy for Conflict Management: Integrated Action in Theory and Practice. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (18 pages).

"Integrated action" is a strategy for spreading and strengthening conflict management, particularly within societies undergoing transition. Conflict management includes processes that promote dialogue, cooperation, problem-solving and reconciliation, with the objective of preventing the escalation of conflict and promoting its de-escalation. Integrated action seeks to integrate conflict management with existing societal functions (e.g., health care, education), providing an effective, sustainable way to incorporate conflict management practices into a society. Implementing the strategy will demand decades of work, building networks of social actors, training them in conflict management theory and practice, and developing liaisons between the networks and a wide range of non-government, government and inter-governmental organizations.

This working paper discusses the theoretical basis for a strategic approach employing integrated action, a potential application of this strategic approach in the CIS, and two applications of the approach where the authors have direct experience, namely in the former Yugoslavia and the North Caucasus, in building "Health Bridges for Peace."

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Gutlove, Paula (December 1998). Health as a Bridge for Peace in the North Caucasus: A Workshop for Health Professionals in Pyatigorsk, Russia, 29 October - 2 November 1998. Copenhagen, Denmark: World Health Organization and Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (22 pages).

This workshop briefing manual was developed for a particular group of health professionals based upon previous IRSS Health Bridge for Peace and conflict management training workshops. The manual begins with basic concepts of health as a bridge to peace and conflict management. The manual then covers dialogue, active listening, problem solving, and consensus building skills. An overview of related medical efforts elsewhere is also included, as well as checklists for a Health Bridge for Peace action plan and for organizing future meetings.

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Gutlove, Paula (November 1998). Reconciliation, Social Reconstruction and Conflict Prevention: The Role of Health Professionals, Report on an International Conference of the Medical Network for Social Reconstruction in the Former Yugoslavia, 23-26 April 1998, Sarajevo. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (74 pages).

This report describes an international conference that was held in Sarajevo in April 1998. The conference was organized by the Medical Network for Social Reconstruction in the former Yugoslavia, whose history and purpose are described in Section II. Section III provides an overview of the conference, and Section IV give a more detailed description of the various sessions at the conference. This report has seven appendices, including lists of conference participants and contact group members, the conference program, the mission statement of the Medical Network, texts of plenary presentations, and the text of a workshop presentation by Paula Gutlove entitled "Community Reconstruction and Reconciliation: Past, Present and Future."

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Gutlove, Paula (March 1998). What Can a Network of Health Care Providers Do for Reconciliation, Social Reconstruction, and Conflict Prevention?: Report on a Meeting of the Network's Contact Group, 21-23 November 1997, Bled, Slovenia. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (34 pages).

In April 1997, over 60 health care providers from all parts of the former Yugoslavia convened in Graz, Austria. This meeting was hosted by the OMEGA Health Care Center in Graz. At this conference the Medical Network for Social Reconstruction in the Former Yugoslavia was established as a "loose network of health care providers to reconcile existing conflicts and prevent root causes of new conflicts in the former Yugoslavia." The goals of the Network are to promote dialogue, cooperation, personal contacts, practical solutions and the renewal of relationships in the region.

To expedite its work, the Network formed a "Contact Group" to implement the decisions of the Network and to plan future meetings. The Contact Group is designed to have two people from each former Yugoslav Republic, but is flexible to reflect the geo-political realities of the region. The first meeting of the Contact Group was held in Bled, Slovenia, 21-23 November 1997. This meeting was hosted by the Slovene Foundation of Ljubljana. The meeting had three foci: (1) to review the status of health care delivery and social reconstruction in the former Yugoslavia; (2) to discuss the organizational development of the Medical Network, including its mission and program plans; and (3) to plan for the next meeting of the larger Network group. This report describes the discussions, activities, and decisions taken at the Bled meeting.

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Gutlove, Paula (July 1997). "Health Bridges for Peace: Integrating Health Care and Community Reconciliation." Subsequently published in Medicine, Conflict and Survival, Volume 14, January 1998. London: Frank Cass. (23 pages).

This report, subsequently published in Medicine, Conflict & Survival, describes Health Bridges for Peace is a new project that links health care with the prevention and management of inter-communal conflict. The project will work with local health care providers (doctors, nurses, mental health workers and social workers) in conflict-torn areas to develop tailored programmes that integrate the delivery of health care with conflict management and sustainable community reconciliation. It will document these programs as models for peace building in other conflict-torn areas. The project will promote the Health Bridges concept before governments and international organizations.

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Gutlove, Paula and Gordon Thompson (July 1997). "Conflict Management and the OSCE." Subsequently published in OSCE ODIHR Bulletin. Volume 5 (1). Warsaw: OSCE, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. (10 pages).

As violent conflicts have emerged across the OSCE region during the 1990s, governments, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations have searched for ways to restore and maintain peace. The OSCE has been prominent in this search. While some significant actions have been undertaken, there are many other important opportunities which deserve further exploration. This article identifies some of those opportunities. The article begins with an introduction to the field of conflict management and a description of the challenges that must be met if the field is to achieve its full potential. Then, it describes some of the efforts the OSCE has made to promote conflict management, focusing on its efforts to improve cooperation with non-governmental conflict management specialists. Finally, the article suggests some actions by OSCE participating states, to be taken through the OSCE or other channels.

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Gutlove, Paula and Gordon Thompson (1995). "The Potential for Cooperation by the OSCE and Non-Governmental Actors on Conflict Management." Helsinki Monitor, Volume 6(3). Utrecht, The Netherlands: Netherlands Helsinki Committee and Vienna, Austria: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights. Reprinted with Permission (13 pages).

As violent conflicts have emerged across Europe and the former Soviet Union, the search for non-violent means to resolve or manage these conflicts has become ever more important. Such non-violent conflict management activities, which may also be described as preventive diplomacy, include efforts to obtain early warning of conflict and interventions that are intended to prevent, mitigate, transform, or resolve conflicts. Many observers believe that conflict management is an important growth area for the OSCE. Furthermore, it is widely held that conflict management presents a large, unexplored potential for OSCE cooperation with non-governmental organizations. A growing corps of non-governmental actors, both individuals and organizations, is active in a wide range of non-violent conflict management activities across the OSCE region. The article focuses on the potential for cooperation between this corps of professional, non-governmental actor and the OSCE.

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Babbitt, Eileen, Paula Gutlove and Lynn Jones (January 1995). Handbook of Basic Conflict Resolution Skills: Facilitation, Mediation and Consensus Building. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Institute for Resource and Security Studies. (106 pages).

This handbook provides the user with a summary of the most important concepts and lessons taken from basic conflict resolution exercises, and assumes that the user has had the opportunity to work through these or similar exercises. This handbook was developed out of a 1993 skills training workshop convened by the Balkans Peace Project for a group of professionals working with refugees in the former Yugoslavia. Two elements of the training approach are important to note. The first is that the training was experiential in nature. In addition to presenting material in lecture formats, the trainers led the participants through a series of interactive discussions and simulations that were designed to involve the participants actively in the learning process. The second important element is that most of the simulations were drawn from the actual experience of the participants. Even though these exercises were simulations, they were an accurate reflection of the conflicts these professionals face in their work with refugee communities.

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