“Doing peace means bringing about the conditions that support human and planetary flourishing. To do peace is to be creative, imaginative, and collaborative. Peace represents the best of us. It is the manifestation of human excellence.”
How do you do peace?
Lisa Ellen Silvestri is the author of two books and numerous essays on war, peace, and public life. Her most recent book, Peace by Peace, is an uplifting and personal exploration of peace as an artful, mischievous, and life-giving civic practice.
Dr. Silvestri’s precise and perceptive commentary has appeared in several popular outlets including The Washington Post and The New York Times. She has spoken at The 92nd Street Y and The South by Southwest Festival. Her scholarship appears in journals like New Media & Society, Memory Studies, Visual Communication Quarterly, The International Journal of Cultural Studies, and Rhetoric and Public Affairs. She teaches at The Pennsylvania State University.
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Dr. Silvestri’s scholarship addresses a host of issues and topics. Check out the “Explore” tab to view her range.
Eight stories about extraordinary action carried out by ordinary people
When you want to effect positive change against structural and systemic problems, where do you begin? In Peace by Peace Lisa Silvestri uses interview-based storytelling to explore the catalytic moments that led ordinary people to address social, political, and economic issues in their communities ranging from the West Bank to West Baltimore. The source of their audacity is practical wisdom, an Ancient Greek virtue that Silvestri revives for twenty-first century application.
In the face of challenges like environmental exploitation, global conflict, and ongoing fights for social justice, Peace by Peace offers deeply informed insight into how we can move past debilitating cynicism to create actionable change.
Early Praise for Peace by Peace
“I love everything about this truly engaging, hopeful, and powerful monograph. I like that it is so different, timely, and feels compelling in terms of the need for HOPE right now.”
“What a great project -- we need more books like these, especially in challenging times like, well, the entire 21st century really. I can't wait for this book to be finished so I can devour it.”
“I think we could all use this book right now.”