November 6, 2020
Hello ,
Can we as a people move from charting paths to the White House to forging paths for peace?
There is no easy way for Americans to heal and make peace when we are so divided. But there are some avenues we could try.
To inspire myself today, I researched peacemakers around the world and throughout history. The lists are very, very long! We have many examples to learn from.
Here's a random list, some famous, some names you have probably never heard, some that might surprise you. Many in situations much worse than ours today.
This tiny sample shows varied ways to overcome fear and hostility. As humans on this earth we can search for what we share in common and work to bridge the divide. We can each choose a our own path to peace.
Due to lack of time and focus this week, some of this newsletter is copied and pasted from other sources, to which I have included links.
Peace Through Sports
Kenyan, Tegla Loroupe has been called the fastest woman in the world.
She held the marathon world record from 1998 to 2001 and remains the world record holder over 20, 25 and 30 km and is a triple world champion in the half marathon.
Tegla uses her fame in the running world to work for peace in the volatile regions of Northern Kenya and the surrounding area, Southern Sudan, Northeastern Uganda, Somalia and Ethiopia.
Tegla believes sports are boundless. "At sporting events people open up. This is a unique thing! Sports connect people worldwide: regardless of race, religion, tribes or gender. To experience the power with which sports can create peace...is indescribable."
three main initiatives to work for peace. Conflict mitigation programs such as a rehabilitation program for young fights how have laid down the weapons. Secondly the foundation works for peace through education, operating a program for orphans and vulnerable girls. And finally, there is the Sports and Training Centre that supports refugees with athletic talent.
Info from: https://www.ispo.com/en/people/tegla-loroupe-why-sports-can-create-peace
Peace Built from Below
Betty Williams grew up during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, raised by a Protestant father and Catholic mother.
In 1976, Betty, a housewife and secretary, saw three children killed in a volley of gunfire in Belfast. Witnessing the tragedy set her life in a direction that would win her the Nobel Peace Prize.
As a young woman she'd joined an anti-violence movement in Belfast, but after the bloody events of that day she threw herself full force into grass-roots efforts to stem religious violence.
She and the dead children's aunt, Mairead Corrigan,
together founded an organization called the Community of Peace People. They brought Catholics and Protestants together in small groups to build rapport and understanding. The hoped former opponents making peace on the ground might set in motion a larger peaceful resolution.
Betty Williams was a co-recipient with Mairead Corrigan of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for her work as a co-founder of Community of Peace People.
Info from: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1976/williams/facts/
Peace Through Rejecting "Good" and "Evil" Labels
During the bitter Kosovo war of the late 1990s, Father Sava Janjic became a tireless and innovated advocate for reconciliation
By day, he was on the ground helping the Serbian members of his church and their Albanian neighbors. By night, he sought to even-handedly publicize the story of the conflict. And when the opportunity arose, he strove to energize the international community for the cause of peace.
As the international community became involved, Father Sava became increasingly alarmed at the one-sided depiction of the conflict. Rejecting the “good versus evil” portrayal by the international press, he presented a more complex picture—a war of mutual atrocities in which religion and ethnicity were exploited for the self-interest of leaders from both sides.
Today, Fr. Sava continues his work for peace using the power of communication technology, engaging in Facebook updates and Tweets, commenting on cultural and religious issues in Kosovo and around the world.
Info from: https://tanenbaum.org/peacemakers-in-action-network/meet-the-peacemakers/father-sava-janjic/
Peace Through Self-enquiry
The Greek Philosopher Socrates is known for his teaching method where people cooperated in argumentative dialogue.
The Socratic method encourages people to honestly question their preconceptions.
His focus on the power and integrity of independent thought laid the bedrock of Western Philosophic thought.
His humility concerning knowledge “As for me, all I know is that I know nothing,” ( Republic, 354c) aligns with Eastern masters as well.
Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh, poet and peace activist was nominated for the Nobel Prize by Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1967. "In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change....For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them.”
Peace Through Educating Children in Religious Tolerance
Abuna Elias Chacour spent seven years as
But many years before he was assigned this honorable post, he opened a school in the village of Ibillin where children would learn together no matter their religion or ethnicity.
The school started with 80 students in 1982 and today more than 4000 Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Druze students live and go to class together. Kindergarteners through university congregate near a mural showing a Christian cross, a Jewish star and an Islamic crescent.
The students don't just take about peace, they act. After a suicide bombing in Haifa, they donated blood with no regard to ethnicity or religion. Father Chacour has encountered resistance from the Israeli government and suspicion from Palestinians, but he remains committed to teaching tolerance.
More info: https://tanenbaum.org/peacemakers-in-action-network/meet-the-peacemakers/abuna-elias-chacour/
Peace Through Letting Go of Power
Russian and Soviet Head of State 1988-1991Mikhail Gorbachev came to power with a determination to reform the Soviet Union. Gorbachev worked to reduce the number of nuclear arms and helped end the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Perhaps more remarkable for a Communist politician, Gorbachev allowed Eastern European countries to break away from Soviet rule and become democratic states. He relinquished power to help make the world a more peaceful place.
Later telling a reporter, “You know, I could still be there now, in the Kremlin. If I was motivated solely by personal power I might still be possessing it… If I had simply done nothing, changed almost nothing in the Soviet Union as it then was, just sat there and carried on like those before, who knows…”
Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.
More info: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/theaccidentalheroof1989
Peace Through Truth and Reconciliation
During South Africa’s turbulent transformation to end apartheid and implement democracy, Tutu was a powerful force for encouraging inter-racial harmony. He encouraged fellow South Africans to transcend racial differences and see themselves as one nation.
He believes truth telling and forgiveness are necessary parts of the process of healing. And healing is necessary for peace.
“There are different kinds of justice. Retributive justice is largely Western. The African understanding is far more restorative – not so much to punish as to redress or restore a balance that has been knocked askew.”
Bishop Tutu was named head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which investigated allegations of human rights abuses during South Africa's apartheid era.
More info: https://www.biographyonline.net/spiritual/desmond-tutu.html
Let me know your ideas. Do any of these sound workable to you? Is there some small step you can take toward peace? I want to say that I am committed to self-inquiry, to questioning my preconceptions and to being a good listener. But I don't know if this is true. I know these qualities have really helped my marriage. Can I expand beyond the people I love? That is the question.
Sources
https://www.ispo.com/en/people/tegla-loroupe-why-sports-can-create-peace
https://tanenbaum.org/peacemakers-in-action-network/meet-the-peacemakers/father-sava-janjic/
https://tanenbaum.org/peacemakers-in-action-network/meet-the-peacemakers/abuna-elias-chacour/
https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/theaccidentalheroof1989
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1976/williams/facts/
https://www.biographyonline.net/spiritual/desmond-tutu.html
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