In this book 92 people share their personal discoveries resulting from an encounter with Initiatives of Change or its predecessor Moral Re-Armament. ‘Remarkable stories,’ writes Rajmohan Gandhi in the foreword, ‘revealing the hope-giving things that happen when human beings obey nudges from an inner director, an inner source of wisdom-cum-strength.’

The Man Who Built Peace captures the life and peace-making legacy of a man you may never have heard of – and who changed the world. Following a personal experience of transformation, Frank Buchman set out to pass on that experience to the world and helped shape the course of history. He was a revolutionary thinker and leader whose trust-building, reconciliation and peace efforts greatly influenced the 20th century. His vision and legacy are a powerful answer to the growing mistrust, injustice and extremism facing the world today.

Changemakers, published by IofC-UK, shares stories both of personal change and of tackling global issues. Merel Rumping shares her story of how she is transforming the lives of amputees in Colombia. Sergio Lopez Figuero set up Humming in Harmony to help others with mental health issues through music. Marian Partington had the courage to forgive her sister's murderers.

In this issue we hear from Onjali Rauf whose aunt’s murder motivated her to create a charity that trains ordinary people to spot signs of abuse. Meanwhile Amy Peake and Pravin Nakim have been working tirelessly to educate women on menstrual hygiene. Amy is creating solutions to provide cheap hygienic pads in refugee camps while Pravin is removing the stigma attached to periods in India. Jonty Herman draws on his experience visiting refugee camps in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

‘Making history is not the monopoly of the rich and powerful,’ asserts the author Jens Jonathan Wilhelmsen. His new book draws on a lifetime working for change.

This is a book of historical research. Frank N D Buchman (1878-1961), leader of the Oxford Group from around 1921, initiator of Moral Re-Armament 1938 was an American with distant Swiss-German roots. Buchman had a deep love for Germany. The period covered here, roughly 1920-1950, begins with a defeated Germany suffering economic collapse and widespread hardship following World War I. It covers the 12 years of Nazi power which promised rebirth but brought tyranny, genocide and national destruction. It ends as a democratic Federal Republic and a reconciled Western Europe are about to take shape.

Michael Henderson reviews Anne Hamlin’s book about her mother, Beverly Almond. In 1941, after the United States was attacked, Beverly sought adventure and went to Washington DC, wanting to do something for the war effort. An uncle in military intelligence asked if she would like to come and work at the Pentagon. He spoke to the colonel in charge of the special branch of Military Intelligence and vouched for her. Thus Beverly began a life which nobody knew about until long after the war was over.

In this issue Ann Edwards set out to make her local community sustainable. Teresa and Laurin Hodge are drawing on their strong mother-and-daughter bond, and Teresa’s experience of serving a prison term, to help released prisoners reintegrate in society. These are just two examples of the women changemakers in this issue. As Nelson Mandela said: ‘It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.’

When Richard was asked if he would like to write his story for this series of booklets, he demurred. He didn’t feel he had enough to tell. But I think it is a classic tale of how an ordinary chap can do extraordinary things – if he’s prepared to be guided by God – resulting in recognition by the Queen for ‘services to the community’.