Book review: the fog of peace: the human face of conflict resolution by Gabrielle Rifkind and Giandomenico Picco

Institutions do not decide whom to destroy or to kill, whether to make peace or war; those decisions are the responsibility of individuals. This book argues that the most important aspect of conflict resolution is for antagonists to understand their opponents as individuals, their ambitions, their pains, the resentments that condition their thinking and the traumas they do not fully themselves grasp. The originality of this 14 chapter book lies in the combination of theory and practice in its emphasis on the human element, writes Caroline Varin. It will appeal to IR students and those interested in the intricacies of peace processes.