(Washington) – With five volumes now published, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) releases its new and growing "Peacemaker’s Toolkit," a multivolume series of handbooks for people working in conflict zones around the world. Already, even with several more volumes to come, the series is the most definitive compilation of guidance in existence for international mediators.

The field of mediation and peacemaking is one where there is a lack of tactical, "hands-on" information. Current literature is often either highly theoretical or highly anecdotal; USIP’s "Peacemaker’s Toolkit" series is designed to collect and share best practices and lessons learned in a format practical for immediate use by mediators involved in preventing or ending conflicts. The five volumes published to date are:

• Managing a Mediation Process
• Managing Public Information in a Mediation Process
• Integrating Internal Displacement in Peace Process and Agreements
• Debriefing Mediators to Learn from Their Experiences
• Timing Mediation Initiatives

Each paperback is well under 100 pages. Some printed copies are available, but primary distribution is online, where each handbook is available for free download at http://www.usip.org/resources/peacemaker-s-toolkit.

David Smock, vice president for USIP’s Center for Mediation and Conflict Resolution and co-author of the first handbook in the series, said, "Our hope in putting together the 'Peacemaker’s Toolkit' is that by distilling best practices and providing concise yet thorough guidance, these handbooks can be used to fill a real gap in training literature for current and future mediators."

Tara Sonenshine, executive vice president of USIP, said, "The 'Peacemaker’s Toolkit' is a key contribution for the United States Institute of Peace to the field of peacebuilding. With it we hope to strengthen both individuals and the profession, with the goal of preventing and ending wars without the use of violence."

Next year USIP plans to move into a permanent headquarters facility being constructed at 23rd St and Constitution Ave. NW near the National Mall, where practitioners, researchers and the public alike will be able to learn about and make use of resources such as the Peacemaker’s Toolkit.