Peaceful Thoughts
Reading of people who desire an end to war is great. Yet, the request for peace requires two additional components. The first is unconditional calls for peace from all sides. The second is that, an overwhelming portion of the population makes the call. First, the peacemaking minority needs to strengthen its understanding of conflict resolution, strengthen its resolve to adhere to necessary protocols, and build its ranks. Only then will we be able to build bridges of peace.
One question we each need to answer for ourselves is, “Do we want long-term peace, or do we desire for our enemies to simply stop shooting at us?” War, and the resulting bloodshed, is no different from fever. It is only a symptom of an underlying problem. Any physician will tell you that to cure a disease one must use the symptoms to identify the source of the disease, rather than treat the symptoms. Providing an anti-pyretic will treat the fever, but the microorganisms continue to damage the body. As peacemakers, we must seek to rid the body of our population from the microorganisms that cause symptoms of intolerance, hate, violence, and war.
Only love can cure the cause of this disease. If one wishes to cure a bacterial infection, one must use anti-bacterial treatments. If one desires to treat for a virus, one must use anti-viral medications or vaccinations. If one desires to treat intolerance, one must educate the population about the similarities of all cultures. If one wants to end hate, forgiveness must be demonstrated. Non-violence counters violence. Yet, to cure the body, the treatment must take place one cell at a time.
It seems the key is for individuals to organize and take peace actions to the communities they wish to change. Declarations and petitions only identify that a portion of the population wishes for change. Change will not occur until a majority of the population commands change. Peace protests possess a paradoxical effect, because they demonstrate a resistance to the desire of the majority. Thus, they are met with opposition. However, research demonstrates that activities aimed at creating multicultural interaction, through common interests, has a significant and positive effect on reducing intolerance, and creating respect. It is wide-scale community-based activities, like the reading groups used by IFLAC (International Forum for Literature and Culture), that will build the foundations for bridges of peace.
What actions can you organize that will bring conflicting cultures together through common interests? Are you willing to love enough to do it?
One question we each need to answer for ourselves is, “Do we want long-term peace, or do we desire for our enemies to simply stop shooting at us?” War, and the resulting bloodshed, is no different from fever. It is only a symptom of an underlying problem. Any physician will tell you that to cure a disease one must use the symptoms to identify the source of the disease, rather than treat the symptoms. Providing an anti-pyretic will treat the fever, but the microorganisms continue to damage the body. As peacemakers, we must seek to rid the body of our population from the microorganisms that cause symptoms of intolerance, hate, violence, and war.
Only love can cure the cause of this disease. If one wishes to cure a bacterial infection, one must use anti-bacterial treatments. If one desires to treat for a virus, one must use anti-viral medications or vaccinations. If one desires to treat intolerance, one must educate the population about the similarities of all cultures. If one wants to end hate, forgiveness must be demonstrated. Non-violence counters violence. Yet, to cure the body, the treatment must take place one cell at a time.
It seems the key is for individuals to organize and take peace actions to the communities they wish to change. Declarations and petitions only identify that a portion of the population wishes for change. Change will not occur until a majority of the population commands change. Peace protests possess a paradoxical effect, because they demonstrate a resistance to the desire of the majority. Thus, they are met with opposition. However, research demonstrates that activities aimed at creating multicultural interaction, through common interests, has a significant and positive effect on reducing intolerance, and creating respect. It is wide-scale community-based activities, like the reading groups used by IFLAC (International Forum for Literature and Culture), that will build the foundations for bridges of peace.
What actions can you organize that will bring conflicting cultures together through common interests? Are you willing to love enough to do it?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ben-Zion Weiss on
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Thank you Kevin, at last I hear a voice of peace in relation to the Israel-Palestine situation.
As the great peace activist A. J. Muste said: 'There is no way to peace, peace is the way'. How can war ever bring peace?
I hear a lot of pain and anger in the comments I read on this issue, and it's understandable because I too feel pain and horror at the image of dead children laid out and the suffering of the mothers and fathers. I too feel anger at the men who feel the need to express their masculinity through acts of violence. I too am sad when I see young men die or be mutilated in acts of war.
As a man, I found I needed to spend many years to find non-violent ways of dealing with conflicts and develop conflict resolution skills, as well as deal with the inner violence in me. This path led me to the kind of work you describe as multicultural interaction, through creative processes. It led me to run creative workshops in transfroming cross cultural conflicts into intercultural communication. It led me to the Dances of Universal Peace. It led me to the practice of meditation, especially in places of natural beauty.
I began to run workshops where I got people to listen to each other's stories cross-culturally and where possible using drama to bring the stories to life. This was the subject of my doctoral research in social ecology and as you say, it proved to reduce intolerance, especially when working with Aboriginal and Pacific Islander youth in Australia. Also when teaching Australian English to recent arrival migrant and refugee youth to Australia, we explored Aboriginal culture and the natural world beyond the city. Young people responded to these processes very positively.
To begin the process of peace making we need to hear each others stories deeply and with love. We need to hear the pain we may have caused to the other, however unwittingly it may have been. We also need to listen to the land and the pain we are causing the land, through our lack of ecological awareness. Some Aboriginal people in Australia call this Dadirri, or deep listening, in one of their many languages. These are ways of healing and ways of peace!
Sadly, in acts of war, it seems easier to try and kill the other, than to listen to their story. These are the questions I feel we need to answer: Why is it easier to kill than to listen? Why is it easier to kill the land than to listen to it? Does that mean it's easier for us humans to hate than to love? How can we teach love?
In peace, Ben -
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Permalink Reply by clu on
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dear friend: i believe demonstrations and sign petitions and charity asks are useful in some ways.They are like
first aids in this terrible situation.That children that lays in a hospital corner and that mother that already birth a
newborn in so miserably conditions and so many other innocents that are waiting for the last chance to survive
this horror deserve our effort to recruit immediate help!!!
I recognize to big different peace actions : one is like first aid,that is what we are trying to do now,that the madness of war
burst out;and the other is the peace action we should do in theoretical peace time.About this last one i mean Education,
i mean develop campaigns for peace educations.Don't forget my friend that the government is like working hard in
theopposite side,developing i think "brainwashing" in the peaceful people.Many israelian don't
want children to die,but theysupport with their silent ,the government terrible mistake,in the shadow they hope all
this darkness ends at once and forall,with all their hart! I agree about the " multicultural interactions" and " the
positive effect on reducing intolerance" about going ondemonstrations and making petitions,because we show
another opinion,different that the majority opinion.This is just what democracy is about! multiple opinions must
enrich!!!
Finally i must add that i agree with Ben-Zion Weiss in all what he says and resume that support any sane action
may help revert this sickness ,and this include something so simple like :friendship ,the welding broke that can
join,even in hot war times...if we try! -
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Thank you Clu, I also agree with you about the need for first aid, that's a beautiful way to look at the situation, In peace, Ben
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