Individuals bring about peace by changing their perceptions

One of the characteristics of our society today is the pervasive fear of violence. Violence and destruction is portrayed in movies, TV and the mass news media; children are encouraged to play war dramas with the toys and clothing produced for children's consumption. Reardon (1989) asserts that our thinking, our language and everyday activities reflect a warrior mentality. Fear has become a constant companion for many Americans, young and old. Boulding (1989) says that the fear and threat of violence affects the thinking and behavior of adults and children. Research has shown that fear produces behavioral rigidity and freezes the imagination.

This paradigm of war needs to be transcended and replaced with a paradigm of peace. Reardon's (1989) suggestion for a peace metaphor is the notion of life-giving… conception, labor, birth, and parenting. Some of the language that we need to use instead of the violence talk are words such as caring, nurturing, love, compassion, trust, acceptance, respect, integration and wholeness. (Reardon, (1989); Sanzen (1991), Quinney (1991).

Equipped with a new world view and language, individuals can begin to practice the paradigm of peace in everyday interactions and relationships. Another requisite is that people must feel empowered to action by their own sense that they want to and can make changes in their lives. Research has shown that people with the same capacities, but with different aspiration levels, will perform according to their aspiration levels not their capacities. (Boulding, 1989)

Reardon (1989) believes the most significant changes that must be made to replace the war and violence perceptions for peaceful ones are the changes that individuals must make within themselves. " The way in which we move toward those inner changes, the way in which we envision and struggle for peace and try to construct that new paradigm, is the most essential means through which we will be enabled to make the larger structural changes required for a peace system." (Reardon, 1989, p. 393)

Awareness of our oneness

A peaceful world will come about when the individuals that make up the world see themselves as integrated not separated. This insight can be brought about through silence and transcendence of the ego self. In other words, we need to spend less time and energy on what we do and more time and energy on who are. Awareness is heightened when people can just "be" rather than always having to "do". Quinney writes, "with the wisdom gained by awareness, there may be no further need to talk and write discursively. One then practices what is realized -- with attention and silence, in charity and humility, in the service of others." (Quinney, 1991, p. 6)

The notion of suffering originates in the idea of separation. Quinney (1991) believes that the reality we humans have created for ourselves is one of separation and suffering. Suffering can end when all humans realize that we are all connected to one another and to other living creatures. From the inner understanding of our own suffering, we are prepared to act in a way of peace. Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of Satyagraha, "truth, force, social action comes out of the informed heart, out of the clear and enlightened mind… If human actions are not rooted in compassion, these actions will not contribute to a peaceful and compassionate world." (Quinney, 1991, p.10) He concludes that the ending of suffering can be attained in the quieting of the mind and opening of the heart, or in being aware.

Envisioning peace

Vision is at the heart of making changes. One needs to have a vision, believe in it and be able to communicate it so that others want to embrace it. Martin Luther King, Jr. understood the power of visioning and was masterful in his letters and speeches in sharing his vision of social justice. Many elements of his vision of brotherhood have markedly improved in today's world over the conditions at the time of his life and death; though there remains a long road to social justice and equality. Imagining peaceful conditions is a powerful tool that could be used with all ages.

Children have a sharp capacity for imaginative imagery. Unfortunately technology is reducing their use of imagination. According to Boulding (1989) young people grow up with fewer and fewer opportunities to exercise their imaginations on their own. The TV screen at home and the computer screen at school determine their reality. Such technological absorption removes them further from the "on-the-ground reality of human life in specific environments." (Boulding, 1989, p.380)

There is a need to cultivate the social imagination in our fearful society that honors technology. We cannot achieve change unless we can envision it, communicate it and rally others to support the changes, according to Reardon (1989). Visioning peace might be encouraged by posing queries such as:

What would ________ look like if everyone treated everyone else with love and acceptance?

What would a traffic jam look like if everyone were at complete peace with it?

What would kids at school say and do if they knew only love, acceptance, friendship and support?

How would conversation be if there were never any put downs, never any jokes to make fun of a person or group, never any swearing or vulgar words or gestures? What would people's faces and bodies look like and what kinds of things would they talk about?

What would it be like at home if husband and wife only showed love, acceptance and support to one another? Would that mean that they had to always go along with the ideas of the other? How would they express disagreement or disapproval with the other's words or behavior if they had only a vocabulary of love, support and acceptance?

How would parents discipline their young children if they knew only loving words and behavior?

What would faculty meetings be like if there were no competition among the staff? If there were only attitudes of cooperation, support, recognition and validation?

Reardon (1989) suggests that social inquiry (authentic inquiry) is a method for peace education. Posing queries such as those above could have the following results:

1. reveal perceptions of obstacles to peace

2. open avenues for exploring the causes of and alternative approaches to transcending the obstacles

3. assess the alternative approaches to transcending the obstacles relying on the most life-enhancing choices

Both Reardon (1989) and Sanzen (1991) agree that promoting peace means letting go of control. Reardon believes we need to focus learning on developing the capacity to care and nurture. " Peace means reducing the power that is based on control, domination, exploitation, hostility and alienation, all of which produce segregation. Peace means increasing people's power to do things with others rather than to others by building trust, acceptance, respect, love, nurture and caring -- all of which integrate rather than separate people." (Sanzen, 1991, p.240) If we want to change the culture to a culture of peace rather than the current culture of war and violence, we must begin with changes within ourselves and from there cultivate new values in the society.

Boulding, Elise. (1989) Can peace be imagined? In Fahey, J. & Armstrong, R. (Eds.) A peace reader: Essential readings on war, justice, non-viiolence and world order. NY: Paulist Press. (1992)

Quinney, R. (1991).The way of peace. In Pepinsky, H. & Quinney, R. (Eds.) Criminolgy as peacemaking. Bloomington: Indiana University Press

Reardon, B.(1989) Toward a paradigm of peace. In Fahey, J. & Armstrong, R. (Eds.) A peace reader: Essential readings on war, justice, non-viiolence and world order. NY: Paulist Press. (1992)

Sanzen, P. (1991). The role of education in peacemaking. In Pepinsky, H. & Quinney, R. (Eds.) Criminolgy as peacemaking. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Boulding, Elise. (1989) Can peace be imagined? In Fahey, J. & Armstrong, R. (Eds.) A peace reader: Essential readings on war, justice, non-viiolence and world order. NY: Paulist Press. (1992)

Young people grow up with fewer and fewer opportunities to exercise their imaginations on their own. Their reality is determined by the TV screen at home and the computer screen at school. What this technological absorption does to children is remove them further from the "on-the-ground reality of human life in specific environments." (p.380)

The pervasive fear of violence, a social threat, which affects the thinking and behavior of adults and children alike. It has a given in behvioral science findings that fear produces behavioral rigidity and freezes imagination.

Need to "cultivate the social imagination" in a society that relies on technology and is cramped by fear.

People must feel empowered to action by their own sense of a changed being desired and possible. Research has shown that people wit the same capacities, but with different aspiration levels, will perform according to their aspiration levels not their capacities.

p Incidents in Jonesboro and other southern states (more killings by youths in south than other parts of the country despite urban ghetto images)

Despair can prevent the liberation of imagery or allow only demonic imagery. For those, special workshops on despair and empowerment must preclude imagining what a peaceful environment would look like.

Reardon, B.(1989) Toward a paradigm of peace. In Fahey, J. & Armstrong, R. (Eds.) A peace reader: Essential readings on war, justice, non-viiolence and world order. NY: Paulist Press. (1992)

Our thinking,, our language and our actions reflect a warrior mentality. Replace the current paradigm with metaphors for peace She offers a new metaphor, the notion of conception, labor, birth and parenting to move us from a warring society to a parenting or caring society, in which all adults parent the young and care for the vulnerable.

Calls for a transcending of the war paradigm to enable us to think in terms of a peace system.

Change needs to begin with the individual taming the lion within. Pay attention to and challenge violent thoughts words and actions, substituting instead peaceful language and imagery.

"Among the changes that have to be made for the acheivement of such a shift, the most signaficant ones are within ourselves. The way in which we move toward those inner changes, the way in which we envision and struggle for peace and try to construct that new paradigm, is the most essential means through which we will be enabled to make the larger structural changes required for a peace system." (p. 393)

Our daily interactions and thoughts is the key to changing the paradigm. Change must happen first with ourselves and our perceptions of everyday circumstances and relationships if we are to change our social structure and the patterns of thought.

Personal and political changes are very much inter-related. The feminists say the personal is the political. We cannot achieve change unless we can envision it, communicate it and rally others to support the changes.

Social inquiry (authentic inquiry) is a method for peace education. Pose queries to

4. reveal perceptions of obstacles to peace

5. open avenues for exploring the causes of and alternative approaches to transcending the obstacles

6. assess the alternative approaches to transcending the obstacles relying on the most life-enhancing choices

Focus learning on developing the capacity to care and nurture

We need to become creative participants rather than destructive contollers of life processes.

Learning is personal, inward and interactive. We use our paradigms (world view assumptions and values) to assess and integrate our experiences "Only change in people can change the culture which cultivates the values of the society." (p.402)

Sanzen, P. (1991). The role of education in peacemaking. In Pepinsky, H. & Quinney, R. (Eds.) Criminolgy as peacemaking. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

The focus of education in the criminal justice system should be shifted from the values of control and repression to the values of peace. "Peace means reducing the power that is based on control, domination, exploitation, hostility and alienation, all of which produce segregation. Peace means increasing people's power to do things with others rather than to others by building trust, acceptance, respect, love, nurture and caring -- all of which integrate rather than separate people." (p.240)

Quinney, R. (1991).The way of peace. In Pepinsky, H. & Quinney, R. (Eds.) Criminolgy as peacemaking. Bloomington: Indiana University Press

Quinney makes some observations including:

1. through love and compassion beyond the egocentric self, we can end suffering and live in peace, personally and collectively

2. the ending of suffering can be attained in the quieting of the mind and an opening of the heart, in being aware.

Awareness is attained through silence and transcendence of the ego self. " with the wisdom gained by awareness, there may be no further need to talk and to write discursively. One then practices what is realized -- with attention and silence, in charity and humility, in the service of others." (P.6)

The reality we humans have created for ourselves is one of separation and suffering. Suffering can end when all humans realize that we are all connected to one another and to all other living beings.

From the inner understanding of our own suffering, we are prepared to act in a way of peace. Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of Satyagraha, "truth, force, social action comes out of the informed heart, out of the clear and enlightened mind… If human actions are not rooted in compassion, these actions will not contribute to a peaceful and compassionate world." (p.10)

What would ________ look like if everyone treated everyone else with love and acceptance?

What would a traffic jam look like if everyone were at complete peace with it?

What would kids at school say and do if they knew only love, acceptance, friendship and support?

How would conversation be if there were never any put downs, never any jokes to make fun of a person or group, never any swearing or vulgar words or gestures? What would people's faces and bodies look like and what kinds of things would they talk about?

What would it be like at home if husband and wife only showed love, acceptance and support to one another? Would that mean that they had to always go along with the ideas of the other? How would they express disagreement or disapproval to the other's words or behavior if they had only a vocabulary of love, support and acceptance?

How would parents discipline their young children if they knew only loving words and behavior?

What would faculty meetings be like if there was no competition among the staff? If there were only attitudes of cooperation, support, recognition and validation?