ABSTRACT
Peacemaking' first became recognized in criminology through the work of Fuller and Pepinsky and Quinney. Structurally, in all religious and spiritual traditions, peacemaking is seen as facing and coming to terms with others and/or with problems in 'circles'. The circle represents a form of human interaction where no one exercises more power over others than anyone else, and where all participants' concerns are weighed and accommodated equally, as in the process of handling international disputes. Proponents of peacemaking argue that violence among humans and with the habitat they share is like the waste and contamination created by straightening and dredging a meandering, well-fed river. Systematic differences in levels of violence and propensity to make peace can sometimes be seen across political cultures. In sum, the study and practice of peacemaking treats violence in all our relations as an imbalance in who defines the issues and the response.
