The philosophy of Gandhi tells us that we need to look within ourselves and this inner reflection will result in a spiritual transformation. When people are at peace with themselves, a process is initiated that leads to peace with other people; the process eventually will lead to a political transformation of society. Gandhi tells us we must transform ourselves first before we can transform society at large. Personal transformation begins with loving yourself. By loving yourself, you can then love other people.

This paper examines the concepts of Gandhi and others who teach us how to be effective peacebuilders. Looking at the premise of personal transformation as the basis for peacemaking, we overlay the teachings of many peacemakers on multiple levels. Beginning with an examination of the individual level, we move to the family level, followed by community, systemic and international levels.

The notion of conflict as 'transformation' better describes peacemaking than earlier characterizations of managing, controlling or eliminating conflict. "Social conflict is a phenomenon of human creation, lodged naturally in relationships. It is a phenomenon that transforms events, the relationships in which conflict occurs, and indeed its very creators" (Lederach, 1995, p. 17). Conflict is an opportunity for creative change. The goal of conflict resolution should not be to find a solution as quickly as possible. Conflict presents people with a chance to improve relationships and communication patterns. A transformative approach to resolving conflict expresses a relational world view instead of the individualist world view expressed through problem solving or conflict management approaches (Bush & Folger, 1994). The relational worldview supports the notion, stated by Galtung (1990) that humans and all life forms should enjoy closeness.

Tibetan Buddhism also emphasizes kindness and generosity to all creatures. Their philosophy has an emphasis on non-violence and on the essential goodness and interdependence of every being in the world. Buddhists maintain a cheerfulness and optimism not withstanding the ability to recognize pain and disaster. They reject the concept of the evilness in humans in favor of ignorance that leads to "unskillful" behavior (Curle, 1990).

Nonviolence and pacifism are important concepts in Gandhian philosophy (Gopin, 1997) just as they are central tenants in Buddhism. The three poisons of the Buddhist tradition are ignorance of the reality of our nature; craving or greed for what we feel will compensate for the consequent loss of happiness and stability; and hatred or fear of whatever interferes with that compensation. It is these three poisons that interact to cause most of our personal miseries; these elements that prevent one from experiencing personal peace can be extended to the institutional level leading to what Galtung (1990) defines as structural violence (Curle, 1990).

Applying the concepts of personal transformation to the peacemaking strategy of mediation, Bush and Folger have suggested that the transformative approach generates two important effects… empowerment and recognition. Recognition means evoking empathy and acknowledgement for the situation and problems of others (Bush & Folger, 1994). We will build upon these ideas of transformative opportunities as we look at the various levels of conflict starting with the individual.

Individual Level

Personal transformation must precede a societal transformation. The theory presumes that as one person transforms her worldview and perceives herself as connected and interdependent with all other living creatures, her transformation will reverberate out onto all she meets and there will be a raised consciousness. As more and more people begin their personal transformation process, an amplification effect will raise awareness in others. It is clear that those who wish to practice peacemaking - be it mediation or other types of conflict intervention - must pursue what Gopin (1997) calls a transformation of character through reflection and ethical improvement of one's behavior.

This process calls for a change in perception that requires introspection and understanding of one's belief system. "If we are inwardly turbulent and ill-at-ease, we cannot not work for peace or be actively involved with people who are behaving in an unpeaceful way. If our own existence is disordered and impoverished we cannot help other people change their lives for the better. We cannot educate others if our own human potential has not sufficiently been led out" (Curle, 1990, p. 17.)

What are some tools and methods for bringing about this personal transformation? Gopin (1997) speaks of interiority, which refers to the central importance of inner life, including prayer, meditation, and experience of divine love. Methods of transformation in Tibetan Buddhism include yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. By practicing these techniques, "the wisdom of the philosophy enables a change in one's perception of reality and a transformation of one's nature" (Curle, 1990 p. 15).

Bush and Folger (1994) suggest that the experience of moving through a conflict can be an opportunity for personal growth. In the transformative orientation, a conflict is first and foremost a potential occasion for growth in two dimensions of human morality. The first dimension is strengthening the self through realizing and strengthening one's inherent human capacity for dealing with difficulties of all kinds by engaging in conscious and deliberate reflection, choice and action. The second dimension involves reaching beyond the self to relate to others. This occurs through realizing and strengthening one's inherent human capacity for experiencing and expressing concern and consideration for others, especially others whose situations is different. (P. 81)

Family Level

What often happens in divorce and family conflict, as with any broken relationship, is that the parties feel they are no longer connected to one another. They fail to see that by hurting each other, they are hurting themselves. (Curle, 1990). Taking it one step further, the continued conflict of the parents is particularly injurious to the children. Protracted parental conflict, often leading to the alienation of one parent, invites serious long-term psychological consequences for the children. Galtung (1990) speaks of "alienation" and explains it to be desocialization away from one's culture and resocialization into another; a kind of brainwashing. In parental alienation situations, which are common in divorce mediation, children are led away from the culture of tow loving parents and convinced to reject one parent. The mediator can exacerbate the situation if the emphasis is on problem solving without exploring the deep emotional and psychological issues (Vestal, 1997).

Using the modality of mediation in family conflict, Lois Gold (1993) encourages mediators to help clients maintain their perspective, recognize the love that once existed between them is carried on by the children, and focus on healing the relationship, if not the marriage. She asks divorcing couples questions such as "How do you want the divorce process to honor what was good in your marriage?" "How do you see yourselves healing the family?" What is the most healing way you know to handle this parenting dispute?" "How can you bring harmony into the transition between households?" It is apparent from her style of intervention that Gold has internalized a healing paradigm which she transposes onto the mediation framework (Gold, 1993).

Personal awareness is the key to personal transformation. Lederach (1995) believes that in protracted conflicts, "this transformation involves grief and trauma work, as well as dealing with deep feelings of anger, fear and bitterness that accompany accumulated personal and family loss." (p. 19-20) Peacemakers intervening in family conflicts must embrace the challenge of personal transformation to be able to reach out and help the parties to a higher level of understanding and recognition.

Systems Level

According to Lederach (1995), peacemaking must involve a system transformation to increase justice and equality in our world. It must seek to change oppressive systems, encourage the fair and equitable sharing of resources and promotion of nonviolence between people. Galtung (1990) points out that in the situation he calls structural violence, the exploited ones are left in a permanent state of misery. He extends the concept to nature. Ecological balance means the opposite of ecological degradation, breakdown, pollution and toxification. At the moment of this writing, wildfires are raging across the state of Florida, a symptom of neglect and lack of concern for the long-term consequences of self-gratifying habits that harm the balance of nature.

For Gandhi, the physical system, meaning his body, was a vehicle for purification and internal cleansing. He used religious fasting and dietary restrictions to help develop self restraint of the senses, which was critical to his conception of self restraint in violent situations (Galtung, 1990).

Community Level

Peacemakers work for peace on multiple levels. First they must discover and heal the roots of unpeacefulness within themselves; the blindness, the ego-driven cravings, the biases and guilts. Without this effort, they can never hope to have any real effect on others. Along with this period of inner reflection, they must also work on the external level, against the institutions that stimulate divisiveness and repression. Institutions can only be influenced by the people who are involved with them (Lederach, 1995). Curle (1990) says that "our contact with these institutions is inextricably linked to our contact with, our awareness of, our own nature." (p. 24)

Writing from a religious perspective, Gopin (1997) suggests that strategies for communal conflict can draw from theologies that are designed to create co-existence in spiritual communities. One such community might be the Essene community, which was a Jewish sect that practiced and taught non-violence and forgiveness of others. Another example would be Plum Village, a commune in France founded by Vietnamese monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. During the Vietnam war, Thich Nhat Hanh was chairman of the Vietnamese Buddhist Peace Delegation and was nominated by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize.

International Level

When referring to peaceful relationships at the individual level, we look at the psychological, sociological and emotional aspects of a peaceful relationship. At the international level, the context of a peaceful relationship relates to structures that are political, economic and military (Curle, 1990). What happens in the context of war is that we displace our guilt onto the enemy. One of the dominant emotions of embattled leaders is suspicion. It takes little to change their perception from one of cautious uncertainty to paranoia. This often leads to actions that appear to justify their suspicions. Leaders tend to identify self inseparably with a national or group identity. "War engenders a mental environment of desperation in which fear, resentment, jealousy and rage predominate " (Curle, 1990, p. 33).

Clearly leaders are instrumental in war and peace. However there are always multiple causes; and conflict is the product of "countless strands of circumstances." (Curle, 1990, p. 85) Nevertheless, efforts at peacemaking and encouragement of personal transformation must be directed at world leaders. In his essay on the Tools for Transformation, Adam Curle (1990) offers ways to approach leaders, which stand upon values of integrity, mutual recognition, and patient listening.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Building peace upon a foundation of personal transformation may provide a starting place for the search for a peace culture suggested by Galtung (1990). Using Buddhist precepts, peacemakers would help disputing parties understand that there is not such thing as an evil person; only those who use "unskillful means." They would encourage parties to understand the value of the relational over the individualist worldview.

Curle (1990) points out that the Vietnamese word for "I" is "your servant". There are many teachings on many levels of this simple interpretation of the subjective. First, "I" as the "peacemaker" am your servant. As a peacemaker and servant, I will tirelessly listen to you and understand you… and I will do the same for the other party as well. Second "I" as a "disputant" am at your service to mend the conflict. Thirdly "I" as a member of a family, community, system, and world am at the service of the family, community and world. It is this attitude of service that is a hallmark of personal transformation away from ego and individualist to connectedness and a relational worldview.

Peacemakers must realize that perceptions are distorted in situations of stress and anger. Curle (1990) affirms that by being inwardly still and as receptive as possible, the peacemaker can enable the "storm of emotion, common when people are under great stress to blow itself out." (p.49). Gold (1993) suggests that four elements of presence can increase our effectiveness as mediators: 1) being centered; 2) being connected to one' s governing values and beliefs and highest purpose; 3) making contact with the humanity of the clients; and 4) being congruent.

Learning to be centered and connected to one's highest principles and values requires introspection and personal transformation. Curle (1990)) asserts that our civilization is too loud to encourage accurate hearing. He finds Africans and Native Americans to be more generous with their attention and better able to listen than the dominant western culture. He states that many tribes consider listening an art which is taught to children. Listening is very important because it is a way to "reach the part of the other person that is really able to make peace, outwardly as well as inwardly." (Curle, 1990, p. 50.)

Umbreit (1995) proposes a humanistic model of mediation which he believes will move mediation to a higher plane. Drawing from the concepts of personal transformation, he offers a set of values and beliefs that underlie humanistic mediation. They are: (Umbreit, p. 205)

Belief in the connectedness of all things and our common humanity

Belief in the importance of the mediator's presence and connectedness wit the disputants in facilitating effective conflict resolution.

Belief in the healing power of mediation through a process of the disputants helping each other through the sharing of their feelings

Belief in the desire of most people to live peacefully

Belief in the desire of most people to grow through life experiences

Belief in the capacity of all people to draw upon inner reservoirs of strength to overcome adversity, to grow, and to help others in similar circumstances

Belief in the inherent dignity and self-determination that arise from embracing conflict directly.

Employing these concepts of personal transformation will raise awareness in the peacemaking profession, on all levels. Whether the professional is a mediator or other type of conflict intervenor, it would promote peace to frame the mediation as a holistic, healing process. It is such a healing process that raises awareness about the desirability of transformed relationships (Gold, 1993). The transformative approach to mediation expresses the relational worldview (Bush & Folger, 1994) that supports the "connectedness of all things and our humanity" (Umbreit, 1995).

References

Bush, Robert A. B. & Folger, Joseph P. (1994) The Promise of Mediation. San Francisco: Jossey Bass

Curle, Adam. (1990). Tools for Transformation: A Personal Study. Wallbridge: Hawthorn Press.

Galtung, Johan (1990). Cultural Violence. Journal of Peace Research. 27 (3): 291-305

Gold, Lois. (1993) Influencing Unconscious Influences: The Healing Dimension of Mediation. Mediation Quarterly, 11 (1)

Gopin, Marc. (1997) Religion, Violence and Conflict Resolution. Journal of Peace & Change, 22 (1): 1-31

Lederach, John Paul. (1995) Preparing for Peace. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.

Thich Nhat Hanh (1996) Living Buddha, Living Christ. NY: Simon & Schuster.

Umbreit, Mark. S. (1995) Mediating Interpersonal Conflicts: A Pathway to Peace. West Concord, MN: CPI Publishing.

Vestal, Anita. (1997). Mediation and the Parental Alienation Syndrome: Considerations for an Intervention Model. ( unpublished paper.)