ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces readers to the vision and underlying philosophy of this book – that listening is fundamental to engaging diverse others in meaningful change. This chapter focuses on defining the central term of this book, listening. We begin by acknowledging the many uses (and misuses) of the term and then move to a discussion on how interpersonal forms of listening, with their focus on comprehension and understanding, capture some but not all of the complexities of listening at scale. We end by exploring “how to read this book” with an emphasis on the importance community engagement and peacebuilding scholars place on listening, and yet how this term is also often treated as a catchphrase rather than one deserving of close scrutiny.
