Suicide through a Peacebuilding Lens

This book, as the first exploration of suicide in Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), illustrates the scarcity of suicide research in the discipline and argues that the leading cause of violent death worldwide is a multifaceted phenomenon that needs to be fully comprehended as a significant and often preventable form of world-wide violence. The author supplies a theoretical framework for assessing suicide as medical or instrumental, posits interdisciplinary complementarity and offers future lines of inquiry that challenge established notions of prevention. The book presents a PACS meta-theory termed ‘encounter theory’ and supplies a suicidal peacebuilding platform via relationship. This book questions why more PACS scholars aren’t turning their attention to suicide when more people die by suicide than ethnic, religious or ‘terroristic’ violence combined.

“In her new book, Suicide through a peacebuilding lens, Katerina Standish opens wide a conversation about a subject that has been taboo across cultures and disciplines. Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) as a new discipline prides itself in addressing the world through different lenses; however, PACS scholarly journals and books are only beginning to look at mental health as a crucial aspect of strong, inclusive communities. This book opens the doors and windows on a subject that is painful and important to all citizens of the world. With her meticulous research and strong, clear voice, Standish candidly begins a global conversation that is imperative to true peace. This book will be a “must read” for all peace scholars and it is an encouraging, eye-opening resource for practitioners and scholars across disciplines interested in community health in general and mental health in particular.” (Dr. Maureen P. Flaherty, Associate Professor Peace & Conflict Studies, Acting Director, Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies, University of Manitoba, Canada)

“Suicide Through a Peacebuilding Lens transcends the ‘traditional’ explorations in the field of Peace and Conflict Studies. In an original move, carefully argued and empirically grounded, Standish shows us how an exploration of suicide through a peacebuilding lens does not merely address another lacuna in the field. Rather, she offers many unique insights into how Peace and Conflict Studies may enrich—as well as be enriched by—paying attention to the stunning realization that the leading cause of violent death worldwide is suicide. Standish displays an excellent command of the complex material that she uses to develop her analysis and presents an excellent balance between theoretical analysis on the one hand, and practical implications, on the other.” (Dr. Michalinos Zembylas, Professor of Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies, The Open University of Cyprus. co-author of Psychologized Language in Education: Denaturalizing a Regime of Truth, Cyprus)

“Suicide through a Peacebuilding Lens is a path-breaking book that starts a necessary conversation about suicide in the field of peace and conflict studies. Dr. Katerina Standish examines perspectives on suicide across disciplines, throughout the world, and through history. She makes important interdisciplinary linkages to show where insights and skills from peacebuilding can be useful toward strengthening and scaling up established approaches to suicide prevention. This well-researched and accessibly written book brings suicide into a more mainstream discussion so that as peacebuilders and as a society, we can better understand and respond to the prevalence of suicide throughout the world.” (Dr. Jessica Senehi, Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice Studies, University of Manitoba, Canada)

“This book is the first comprehensive exploration of suicidal violence from a PACS perspective. It is original, insightful and a call to action. In this accomplished scholarship, Katerina Standish has written a must-read primer for anyone seeking to understand suicide (from any field) and the unique opportunity to peacebuild suicide via relationship. This book is not solely a thoughtful exploration of suicidal violence, it is a rationale and means for recognizing and eradicating suicidal violence, one person at a time. As Standish says: suicide is a global and pressing issue and there is not a moment to lose.” (Professor Sean Byrne, Foundational Director and Director of the PACS Graduate Program at the Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice Studies, University of Manitoba, Canada)

“While scholars of Peace Education and Peace and Conflict Studies seek to understand how various forms of violence - direct, cultural, and structural - operate and manifest in our communities and societies at large, Katerina Standish deftly illustrates how self-harm and self-violence is an equally, if not more pressing, global phenomenon, one that has been largely ignored by theorists in these fields. Suicide through a Peacebuilding Lens is a must read for those truly concerned with the eradication of violence, and is a ground-breaking and welcome account of the necessary role of peacebuilding in the understanding and prevention of suicide.” (Dr. Maria Hantzopoulos, Professor of Education, Vassar College, USA)

“Suicide through a peacebuilding lens is a convincing and empathetic inquiry into a topic that has been almost completely ignored in Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) literature – the problem of suicide. Even though PACS scholars have busied themselves with exploring conflict, terrorism or homicide, it turns out rates of suicide are significantly higher than all forms of violent and preventable death across the globe. This surprising fact illustrates the great need for a book such as this. This book will be of great interest to students in multiple disciplines, scholars, policy-makers and a wide variety of practitioners.” (Dr. Chuck Thiessen, Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, UK)

“Suicide Through a Peacebuilding Lens is a comprehensive, thorough, informative, highly readable, and thought provoking multidimensional exploration of a very personal and interpersonal issue that multiple professions have grappled to decipher. Dr. Standish highlights the complexity helping us blend a wealth of knowledge while illuminating new possibilities. By bringing a peacebuilding voice and emphasizing the centrality of relationship, our attention and our vision are shifted. The transformative potential of interconnection is emphasized under the introduction of encounter theory. The possibilities of peacebuilding relationships expand our thinking about addressing, minimizing, and preventing the violence of suicide.” (Professor Cathryne Schmitz, Emeritus Social Work, University of North Carolina Greensboro, USA)

“Katerina Standish’s book Suicide Through A Peacebuilding Lens provides a very insightful  exploration into the phenomenon of suicide from within the perspective of peacebuilding. Her book deeply informs our understanding of suicide and, given that the leading cause of violent death in the world is suicide and that the core problematic of peace and conflict studies is violence in all its forms, it uncovers a very important neglected area of study in the field: suicide. Standish’s book makes a very significant contribution to both the study of suicide and peacebuilding. It should be widely read.” (Dr. Dale T. Snauwaert, Professor of Educational Theory and the Social Foundations, The University of Toledo, Founding Editor of In Factis Pax: Journal of Peace Education and Social Justice, USA)

“Dr. Katerina Standish has written an exhaustive treatise on suicide that makes an important and extraordinary contribution to the field of Peace and Conflict Studies. In our sphere we are so often focused on the interpersonal and international that we forget that the greatest threat from violence is actually the intrapersonal - that which the self-experiences with itself. This volume promises to ignite an important discussion in the field and should lead to a greater exploration of how peacebuilders can help to combat this most pervasive form of direct violence.” (Dr. Heather Kertyzia, Head of Peace and Conflict Studies Department at University for Peace, Costa Rica)

“Many of our hearts have been wrenched by the isolation and pain that accompanies proximity to suicide. I was shocked to learn from this book that globally, suicide is the number one killer of human life. Nestled in the deeply compassionate, candid, and comprehensive scholarship that characterizes Katerina Standish, this important book provides information about suicide while exploring the explanations offered by six traditional academic disciplines. True to herself, Standish responds with hope for meaningful transformation of our approaches to suicide by engaging the lens of peacebuilding to help guide our understandings, responses, and the shared experiences that surround suicide.” (Dr. Laura E. Reimer, Research Associate, The Arthur V. Mauro Institute for Peace and Justice, University of Manitoba, Canada)

“Standish offers a multi-faceted exploration of instrumental and medical suicide, tracing how it is perceived across disciplinary lines. The peacebuilding lens adds the imperative to be attentive to those who are vulnerable to suicide, using analogical strategies to negative and positive peace to prevent it from happening. At the heart of these strategies are encounters leading to relationships. Given the correlation of suicide with personal challenges associated with mental ill-health along with the reality of trauma, including PTSD, in the wake of violent conflict, this book could enable peacebuilders to not only prevent suicide in their own “worlds” but to devise more effective strategies for holistic healing in post violent conflict context.” (Vern Neufeld Redekop, Professor Emeritus of Conflict Studies, Saint Paul University, Canada) 

Katerina Standish is Deputy Director and Senior Lecturer at the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Otago, in New Zealand.