It’s a profound understatement
to say “this has not been an easy time for peace activism.” From the Ukraine
and Iraq to Syria and Gaza, to Ferguson, Missouri, it seems conflict and
violence are ubiquitous. The challenges those of us working for a harmonious, sustainable
and prosperous future face are too numerous to catalog. There is a tendency to
feel overwhelmed and powerless. While understandable, these are responses we
can ill afford.
Conflicts often are complex
and not resolved by simple solutions. There are, however, some approaches that
can, we believe, be generalized. First of all, force and violence rarely, if
ever, provide solutions. They usually exacerbate existing problems and create
new ones as well. On the other hand, inclusive efforts that address the needs
of all stakeholders can yield viable and durable solutions, especially if they
address the conflicts’ root causes.
Those of us who are
advocates, working for ending the Permanent War and building a future based
upon cooperation, need to be in this for the long haul. As we in Peaceworks
have often pointed out, what we are working toward isn’t simply to end a
particular war or conflict, but rather a paradigm shift that renders war
making, itself, obsolete.
Major cultural and power shifts
usually take many decades to achieve. Successful social movements –from those to
abolish slavery and achieve civil rights, to those for women’s suffrage and
equality, to those for labor rights, environmental protection or LGBT rights—have
all been intergenerational. They’ve all had highs and lows; periods of advance
and of retrenchment. Most who founded these movements did not live to see their
goals achieved.
But the long run trend has
generally been toward improvement. As Dr. King put it, “the arc of the moral universe
is long, but it bends toward justice.” And, much like those who’ve gone before
us, we must commit our energies in an ongoing, sustained fashion to this work.
We need to keep this in mind
as we wrestle with the unfolding of a New Cold War, the renewed U.S. bombing in
Iraq, the ongoing conflicts in Israel-Palestine, Syria, and other locations
where our government has intervened. Ditto, as we face injustice, racism,
violence and economic inequality here in the United States.
The space available on this
page does not allow us to address these issues in depth.
What we can do here, is to lay out some principles that might guide our action moving forward:
To learn more about Peaceworks' positions please CLICK HERE.
What we can do here, is to lay out some principles that might guide our action moving forward:
·
First, we respect
the dignity of all of our fellow humans, even those we profoundly disagree
with. And we respect the inherent equality of all, regardless of gender,
orientation, ethnicity, nationality, religion, etc.
·
Second, we seek
not just “peace” in the sense of the absence of violence, but recognize that
peace requires the presence of justice.
·
Third, we also
recognize that we need to be at peace with all of nature. The other species in
the intricate web of life have rights as well.
·
Fourth, as the
feminist movement informs our work, we acknowledge that the personal is
political. We cannot successfully strive to create a just social order, while
not living that way in our own right.
·
Fifth, our work must
be done through means consistent with our ends. We will not achieve a peaceful
future through violence. We will not achieve a participatory, democratic future
by building a top-down movement.
As Gandhi said, we must “be
the change we wish to see in the world.” We, at Peaceworks, urge you to embrace
hope and up the ante, committing to working with us, in a sustained fashion, to
create this brighter future.
To learn more about Peaceworks' positions please CLICK HERE.
