In our analysis, one of the main challenges the field of conflict transformation faced in its early days was the weak relationship between practice, research and theory. However, there have recently been a number of initiatives to address this problem. In addition, there seemed to be a lack of communication and joint learning between fields that all had an important role in the prevention and transformation of violent conflict – namely peace work, development cooperation, humanitarian aid, and human rights work. Along with many colleagues, we shared the belief that the time was ripe for a systematic presentation of the current state-of-the-art in practical, empirical and theoretical knowledge. In addition, this project sought to identify lessons learned and best practices in a way that would engage practitioners and scholars from different fields and disciplines, as well as those working on different levels of political action.

Thus we set the following aims for our endeavour:

• to give practitioners and researchers an overview of the concepts, methods and techniques currently available in the area of civil conflict management, including their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their potential for adaptation
• to give an up-to-date general overview of what methods are most promising in which situations, how to apply these methods, what dilemmas might unfold when using the methods, what strategies there are to deal with these dilemmas, and where to obtain further relevant information
• to analyse the role of the various actors in peacebuilding, including international governmental organisations, national governments, development agencies, non-governmental organisations, and other actors in civil society
• to discuss strategies of coordination and networking between these actors
• to reflect upon lessons learned, best practices, and the challenges of assessing the impact of conflict transformation efforts
• to involve scholars in order to document the state of research in these areas, address open questions and unresolved problems, and give impulses for practical (action) research and reflection, and
• to support and complement existing attempts to define civil conflict transformation and to close the ‘theory gap’ in this field

It is our vision that the Berghof Handbook for Conflict Transformation should be used by practitioners and scholars from different parts of the world and should contribute to better practice in preventing civil war and dealing constructively with ethnopolitical conflict. In order to make this vision a reality, the Handbook provides practitioners and scholar-practitioners with:

• first class analysis (e.g. case studies, conflict transformation/management programmes) from the fields of conflict transformation, development cooperation, humanitarian aid and human rights work
• facilitated practitioner-scholar dialogues: dialogue series, conferences, workshops
• most important lessons learned (i.e. from case studies, programmes, etc.)
• concepts to integrate gender-related and inter-cultural perspectives into programmes
• concepts for internal and external capacity-building activities (e.g. training, organisational development, etc.)
• methodologies and tools for application in the area of conflict-sensitive programme planning, monitoring and evaluation
• information on relevant organisations, experts and literature

The Handbook attempts to address all relevant aspects of conflict management and transformation – concepts and challenges, appropriate action for different conflict phases, processes and structures, interpersonal and inter-group strategies, and so on. In the coming years, we plan to put special emphasis on reconciliation, post-conflict regeneration, and support for peace processes.

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