ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. The book suggests that success and failure in creative conflict engagement should be understood most broadly not as judgment but as a process of learning. It describes the purpose and process of Action Evaluation (AE), developed over the past two decades to systematically inquire into questions of success and failure in conflict resolution. The book aims at improving and deepening the capacity of the field to take on questions of success in nuanced and contextually appropriate ways. It focuses on the epistemology of empiricism at the baseline or definitional stage of Action Evaluation. In this case study, the focus is on the epistemology of critical theory and how the formulation and practices of AE can be transformative in conceptualizing and sustaining new notions of success. Cooperative and non-violent action unfolded were channeled through AE into a massive visioning process for the future.
