The idea of this book stemmed from a feeling that the instructional resources, activities, and experiences of a class about nonviolence should be shared with others. The dream of The Peace Class --that people could transform the world to practice peaceful conflict resolution--evolved from observing and absorbing the power of nonviolence through the study of successful peace initiatives and the people who led them.
Students who have only learned confrontational ways to deal with conflict often are amazed that there are more peaceful and effective approaches. Abraham Maslow said, "If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail." The study of nonviolence provides alternative tools to aid in the work of resolving conflict.