We typically define and talk about wars using the language of politics, but what happens when you bring in a doctor's perspective on conflict? Can war be diagnosed like an illness? Can health professionals participate in its mitigation and prevention? The contributors to Peace through Health: How Health Professionals Can Work for a Less Violent World engage with these ground-breaking ideas and describe tools that can further peace once war is understood as a public health problem.\\The idea of working for peace through the health sector has sparked many innovative programs, described here by over 30 experts familiar with the theory and practice of Peace through Health. They cover topics such as prevention and therapy, program evaluations, medical ethics, activism, medical journals, human rights, and the uses of epidemiology. Those considering careers in medicine and other health and humanitarian disciplines as well as those concerned about the growing presence of militarized violence in the world will value the book's many insights.

Contents -- Overview of Contents -- Part I: Basic Concepts in Peace through Health -- Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. History of Peace through Health -- Chapter 3. Setting the Role of the Health Sector in Context: Multi-track Peacework -- Chapter 4. Mechanisms of Peace through Health -- Part II: War and its Impact on Human Health -- Chapter 5. The Health effects of War. -- Chapter 6. Future Wars -- Part III: Values and Ethics in Peace through Health -- Chapter 7: What Values Underlie our Actions? -- Chapter 8. Human Rights -- Chapter 9. Medical Ethics -- Chapter 10. Respect for Culture -- Chapter 11. Speaking Truth to Power: Acting on Values, Ethics and Rights in South Africa -- Part IV: Preparing to Act on Peace through Health -- Chapter 12. Analysing a Peace through Health Problem -- Chapter 13. Tools for Peace through Health Work: -- 13a. Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment. -- 13b. Do No Harm. -- 13c. The Health and Peacebuilding Filter and Companion Manual -- Chapter 14. Dealing with Conflict -- Chapter15. Epidemiology as a Tool for Interdisciplinary Peace and Health Studies -- Part V: Case Studies -- Introduction to Case Studies -- Chapter 16. Primary Prevention. -- 16a. Preventing War by Weapons Limitation -- 16b. Opposing Gun Violence in the USA -- 16c. Health Professional as Activist. -- 16d. Acting on Human rights in Nepal -- 16e. Peace Education as Primary Prevention -- Chapter 17. Secondary Prevention. -- 17a. Humanitarian Ceasefires -- 17b. The Role of Medical Journals -- 17c. Healing Across the Divides: American Medical Peacebuilding in the Middle East -- 17d. A Model for Improving Mental Health in Palestine - An Alternative View on Peace and Health? -- 17e. The Iraq Body Count Project - A Citizen Initiative in Response to Government Indifference and Inaction -- 17f. Doctor as Witness: Opposing Economic Sanctions on Iraq (1990-2003) -- Chapter 18: Tertiary Prevention -- 18a. Psychosocial Healing -- 18b Community Based Rehabilitation -- 18c Butterfly Garden - Healing War-Affected Children in Sri Lanka -- 18d. The World Health Organization: Health as a Bridge for Peace -- Part VI: Evaluation -- Chapter 19. Evaluation of the Peace Component of Peace through Health Work -- Part VII: Expanding the Bounds of Peace through Health -- Chapter 20. Expanding the Bounds of Medical Peace Practice -- Chapter 21. Social Injustice and the Responsibility of Healthcare Workers: Observation, Assessment, Action -- Chapter 22. Living in Harmony with the Earth and with Each Other -- Part VIII: Special Topics -- Chapter 23. A Role for Emergency Humanitarian Aid Organizations in Peace -- Chapter 24 Students and Peace through Health: Education, Projects and Theory -- Chapter 25. Technology and Activism -- Chapter 26. Educating Health Professionals in Peace -- Conclusion -- Chapter 27. Looking Ahead