Understanding Peace

Do you sometimes argue with your partner, friends or family members?
Do you worry about world conflicts?
Are you interested in peace, but are not sure exactly what it is?

Many people think that ‘peace’ means simply ‘not fighting’, but peace is a lot more than this. In a situation of extended conflict, fighting might feel like the only answer. To do something other than fight is to transcend the so-called ‘cycle of violence’. This takes courage, and in many ways is more difficult than just staying in the conflict, though of course, it will probably be more rewarding in the long term.

As a graduate of Peace Studies, I have studied many different approaches to peace. In International Relations (IR) theory, ‘peace’ is generally seen as something which should be imposed from the outside. This is the case with ‘Peacekeeping’, such as missions from the UN. Such activity is important in emergency situations, and can help to defuse situations and save many lives. But imposing peace from the outside will never create sustainable, lasting peace because sustainable, lasting peace has to come from the people themselves.
Following this idea, Peace Studies focuses not on a ‘top-down’ approach but from ‘bottom-up’ or ‘grassroots’ approaches, which come from initiatives created by the people who live n the place affected by the conflict. This is not always easy, as it usually involves talking to people who have hurt you or your family, or whose tribe or race have done something to hurt people from your tribe or race.

John Paul Lederach, in his book The Moral Imagination, has many stories of people involved in conflict situations who decide to transcend cycles of violence and create a new paradigm of peace together.
This approach is very useful not only in situations of actual physical conflict, but in any kind of conflict you may find yourself in, whether with a colleague, family member or neighbour. As Mohandas Gandhi said, “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”

If you are interested in learning more about peace and how learning about peace approaches can help you in your life, please book a class with me.