What happens when North American Mennonite Christians arrive in Islamic Somalia? The answer, according to Peter Sensenig, is that something new emerges: a peace clan. From the first schools and medical work in the 1950s up to the educational partnerships of the present day, Somalis and Mennonites formed a surprising friendship that defied conventional labels. Peace Clan is the story of two deeply traditional communities as they encounter change. How can Somalis apply the profound peacemaking resources of their culture and faith in a society fragmented by violence? And how can modernizing Mennonites make sense of their peace convictions in the context of civil war and military intervention? In struggling with these questions over the course of six decades, Somalis and Mennonites held a mirror up to one another. The author shows how the common quest to transform enmity brings out the best in both communities, and suggests what a fruitful partnership might look like in the present challenges. Students, academics, and lay readers alike will find on these pages a compelling invitation to join the peace clan.

What happens when North American Mennonite Christians arrive in Islamic Somalia? The answer, according to Peter Sensenig, is that something new emerges: a peace clan. From the first schools and medical work in the 1950s up to the educational partnerships of the present day, Somalis and Mennonites formed a surprising friendship that defied conventional labels. Peace Clan is the story of two deeply traditional communities as they encounter change. How can Somalis apply the profound peacemaking resources of their culture and faith in a society fragmented by violence? And how can modernizing Mennonites make sense of their peace convictions in the context of civil war and military intervention? In struggling with these questions over the course of six decades, Somalis and Mennonites held a mirror up to one another. The author shows how the common quest to transform enmity brings out the best in both communities, and suggests what a fruitful partnership might look like in the present challenges. Students, academics, and lay readers alike will find on these pages a compelling invitation to join the peace clan. ""Peace Clan provides a rare insight into the multifaceted approach to peacebuilding in Somalia over generations of Mennonite-related engagement. Carefully researched, Peter Sensenig provides us with clear descriptions of the processes and on-the-ground experiences embedded in a faith-inspired approach to sustained peace work, and the challenges faced when relationship building across cultures and religions takes seriously an ethic of human dignity and respect. We have few examples of such in-depth, ethnographic explorations of peacebuilding that provide numerous interdisciplinary lenses including theology, ethics, history, and a concern for the practical aspects of transforming conflict in one of the most protracted and difficult terrains of modern-day armed conflict. A wonderful contribution to our wider field."" --John Paul Lederach, Professor of International Peacebuilding, Kroc Insitute; Senior Fellow, Humanity United ""If Black Hawk Down is all you know about the Somali world, you're in for a more exciting picture in this book. If you've questioned traditional Western mission approaches, Peace Clan will move you into welcome missiological territory. And twenty-first-century peacemakers who want to root our work in the gospel of Jesus, while seeking respectful and fruitful relationships with Muslims, can take courage and profit from Peter Sensenig's deftly woven account."" --Nancy R. Heisey, Eastern Mennonite University ""Dr. Peter Sensenig has written an inspiring, thought-provoking, and challenging book on peacebuilding in the warring Somalia. I encourage those in academia as well as those who are engaged in interfaith relations and who strive to cultivate peace in society, whether at the local or the global level, to read the book for further insights on peaceful coexistence amid tension, animosity, and war."" --Rebecca Osiro, Theologian/Pastor, Kenya Mennonite Church Peter M. Sensenig is a Regional Interfaith Consultant for Mennonite Board East Africa. He has taught in Somaliland, Djibouti, and the United States, and currently resides in Zanzibar, Tanzania. He holds a PhD in Theology, Christian Ethics concentration, from Fuller Theological Seminary. He has published and presented in the areas of just peacemaking, Christian ethics, and peacemaking leadership.

In a climate of in-migration, clan and tribal communities have been forced to build sustainable solutions together. Breaking fresh ground by shining a light on sustainability journeys from outside the global mainstream, this book demonstrates how sustainable development occurs in respectful collaboration between equals.

This book is a study of the role of clan networks in Central Asia from the early twentieth century through 2004. Exploring the social, economic, and historical roots of clans, and their political role and political transformation in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, it argues that clans are informal political actors that are critical to understanding politics in this region. The book demonstrates that the Soviet system was far less successful in transforming and controlling Central Asian society, and in its policy of eradicating clan identities, than has often been assumed. In order to understand Central Asian politics and their economies, scholars and policy makers must take into account the powerful role of these informal groups, how they adapt and change over time, and how they may constrain or undermine democratization in this strategic region.

Addresses the importance of Haudenosaunee women in the rebuilding of the Iroquois nation. Indigenous communities around the world are gathering to both reclaim and share their ancestral wisdom. Aware of and drawing from these social movements, A Clan Mother’s Call articulates Haudenosaunee women’s worldview that honors women, clanship, and the earth. Over successive generations, First Nation people around the globe have experienced and survived trauma and colonization. Extensive literature documents these assaults, but few record their resilience. This book fulfills an urgent and unmet need for First Nation women to share their historical and cultural memory as a people. It is a need invoked and proclaimed by Clan Mother, Iakoiane Wakerahkats:teh, of the Mohawk Nation. Utilizing ethnographic methods of participatory observation, interviewing and recording oral history, the book is an important and useful resource for capturing “living” histories. It strengthens the cultural bridge and understanding of the Haudenosaunee people within the United States and Canada.

The Alsatian Bieber/Beaver clan has contributed significantly to the creation and leadership of over sixty educational and Mainline Protestant institutions in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, the Midwest, and beyond - many of which continue to serve their communities, generation after generation. Past publications have mentioned individual Bieber/Beaver ministers and educators, but this is the first effort to compile their stories collectively, from the 1700’s to the present. This work recognizes such leaders’ roles in building and sustaining churches and schools, the community centers of early America. (Received a 2022 Award of Excellence from the North Carolina Society of Historians. Archived by seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and recommended by the Concordia Historical Institute of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.)