Gil Fronsdal provides an overview of the role that mindfulness meditation plays in learning to free the mind from stress and suffering in this article: Mindfulness Meditation as a Buddhist Practice.
In the midst of violence and uncertainty, we can wonder what role meditation can play in finding peace in our own hearts, and helping bring peace to the world. Andrew Olendzki talks about the connection in this article, based on a teaching given by the Buddha: Removing the Thorn.