Pax Ethnica

Where and How Diversity Succeeds

by Karl E. Meyer and Shareen Blair Brysac

This surprising, inspirational tour of five societies—where people of diverse ethnicities, races, and religions live together in peace—offers a blueprint for tolerance

In a world replete with stories of sectarian violence, we are often left wondering: Are there places where people of different ethnicities, especially with significant Muslim minorities, live in peace? If so, why haven’t we heard more about them, and what explains their success?

To answer these questions, Karl Meyer and Shareen Brysac undertook a two-year exploration of oases of civility, places notable for minimal violence, rising life-expectancy, high literacy, and pragmatic compromises on cultural rights. They explored the Indian state of Kerala, the Russian republic of Tatarstan, the city of Marseille in France, the city of Flensburg, Germany, and the borough of Queens, New York. Through scores of interviews, they document ways and means that have proven successful in defusing ethnic tensions. This pathbreaking book elegantly blends political history, sociology, anthropology, and journalism, to provide big ideas for peace.

• Pax Ethnica Blog on Pulizter Center for Crisis Reporting
• The authors in NPR television appearance
• The authors in C-SPAN television appearance