Paul Wehr

In the following viewpoint, Paul Wehr maintains that in the past private citizens have played an important role intervening in violent confrontations. The armed forces are ineffective at interventions, he asserts, because they frequently practice violence, and the peace they negotiate is often the result of coercion rather than persuasion. Wehr argues that with appropriate training in conflict resolution, citizen intervenors can reduce violence in the world’s conflicts. Wehr is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Colorado in Boulder and the author of The Persistent Activist.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Wehr, what movements were behind the expansion of citizen intervention during the 1980s?
2. What are some global forces that may discourage citizen intervention, according to the author?
3. What examples does the...