|
|
10 Basic Steps to Create a Culture of Peace
an article by Joey Waugh
It is my opinion as well as many others around the world that peace is a very important part in order to make the Earth a better place to live. According to the great author Ralph Waldo Emerson, "the real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war." However, individuals all over do not know how to create peace and live a peaceful life. After I completed some research on how people all over the world could promote peace, I found a great article written by Susan Skog who outlines the ten ways to bring peace into the world in her article on BeliefNet. Within this article on Peace Education in my article, I would like to allude to Susan’s ten steps to peace and explain them more fully what they mean to me. 
Creating Peace
click on photo to enlarge
The first step is wherever you stand, make it Camp David. This step basically informs us as believers in peace that it is up to us to deliver peace to the world. We cannot afford to stand back and do nothing. It is vital that in everything we do that we set an example of peace for the world to follow.
The second step is to nurture peace within yourself. This step can be particularly hard as in this day in age, almost everyone’s lives are consumed and overwhelmed with stress. It is very important however for us to find peace within ourselves before we try to create peace within the world. Being calm, relaxed, and less stressed creates for a more peaceful environment for yourself. In order to complete this step, some suggestions that I would raise is to exercise, practice deep breathing, spend time outside with fresh air, and over all give yourself time to relax each day.
The third step is to heal a piece of your anger. It is very easy for the human race to become angry at one another and the world. Once you start to feel hostile toward a situation or toward someone else, step away and practice some cooling down techniques.
The forth step is to focus on the positive. It can be hard at times to see the light at the end of the tunnel with family stress, financial burdens, or even other hardships that occur in everyday life. However, in order to achieve peace, it is extremely important to look on the bright side of your life and focus on the positive aspects.
The fifth step is to creatively resolve one conflict. This step is designed to break apart your tasks and create peace with in your life one step at a time so you will be able to lead by an example to the rest of the world in peace. Start with just taking one simple conflict that has gotten between you and creating peace. Then take this conflict and expel it from your life.
The sixth step is to be the bridge. As Susan says in her article, it is far easier to fear and hate others that you do not even know. Instead of employing this senseless hate in your life, eliminate it by being the bridge in your relationship with other people.
The seventh step is to practice self-responsibility. This step is very important as it comes to the sense of taking responsibilities for your past and future mistakes. Not everyone is perfect, but it is essential for us to take accountability for our actions and accept self-responsibly for our rights and wrongs on our journeys for creating peace.
The eighth step is to forgive one person. This is a small task that can lead to an even bigger one. Throughout life, we often get our feelings hurt or toes step on. It is very important in order to achieve peace between others and the world.
The ninth step is to believe in peace. It is in this step that others come to a sense of realization to understand and accept that peace will go a long way if you are willing to be an ambassador in the world for it. If you want to make the world a more peaceful place, it is so important to believe in it.
The tenth and final step is to serve a piece of the world. This step asks us to serve the world for peace. Find a way to give back to the world to reach out to others and make it a better place to live. According to Susan, “serve the world with your peaceful heart, with your peaceful soul. Make it big. Make it so.”
Skog, Susan. "10 Ways to Bring Peace to the World." Beliefnet.com. BeliefNet, Sept. 2008. Web. 06 Oct. 2013.
|
|
DISCUSSION
Question(s) related to this article:
Anger against injustice, Is it necessary for the consciousness development of peace activists?
* * * * *
LATEST READER COMMENT:
As I say in my book review of Lennie Yannielli's memoirs about his :against the Vietnam War, this is an enjoyable book for all CPNN readers. Each reader will find something different in the book, as it is told very honestly with a "down to earth" style.
Personally, I was interested in a particular aspect of the book: to what extent was Lennie's anger against the injustice of the war an important factor in his psychological development as a peace activist?
This interests me especially because I wrote a psychology book some years ago about the stages of consciousness development in peace activists, using autobiographies of great peace activists like Martin Luther King, Eugene Victor Debs, Nelson Mandela, etc. I found that most of them described how their anger mounted against injustice to the point that they had to take their first anti-war action.
In Lennie's book, there are abundant references to the theme of anger as a motivational force for action. Here are some of them.
When he was called to appear before his draft board: "What they got from me was not only my indignation. It was the wrath of my generation."
When he learned that the US had just killed thousands of Vietnamese civilians by "carpet-bombing": " I could feel an extra dose of acid trickling in my stomach."
When looking at a photo of a mother fleeing the flames of war with her babies: "Every time I gaze upon that picture, it gets my juices flowing. It speaks to me. Do something. Write. . ...more.
|
|
by program area
