10/25/2024
When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail!
My distinguished colleague, Dr. Ian McIntosh of the Indiana University Indianapolis and I have put together a small but invaluable publication on the 10 Tenets of Peace Literacy. We will share these tenets one by one with explanation over the next few weeks. You may want to do the same. In these troubled times, we need a vocabulary for dealing constructively with conflict. Let’s put away the hammers!
The 10 Tenets of Peace Literacy.
Dr. George W. Wolfe, Professor Emeritus, former Director, Ball State University Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, author of The Spiritual Power of Nonviolence: Interfaith Understanding for a Future without WarIn collaboration withDr. Ian McIntosh, Director of International Partnerships, Indiana University of Indianapolis, author of Pilgrimage: Walking to Peace, Walking for ChangeAre you peace literate?Over the past several years,
I have been invited to speak at many interfaith conferences and community carry-in dinners where people gather for the purpose of seeking and celebrating peaceful relations within their communities. From these gatherings, what I have noticed is that the general population has a very naive understanding of the concept of peace. Their understanding goes little further than “love thy neighbor as thyself” and what is popularly known as the golden rule.
To address this deficiency in peace education that we find in social groups and among politicians, we have devised a list of ten important tenets that establish criterion for a person being considered “peace literate.”
Both the authors are available for follow-up peace literacy presentations and panel discussions, which can take place online or in-person. We will be sharing a brief explanation of these tenets every few days for the next three to four weeks. We recommend that you share these tenets on your social media pages and encourage others to do the same.
Anyone interested in organizing follow-up meetings can contact the authors at the following email addresses.
George Wolfe – geogewolfe30@gmail,com
Ian McIntosh –[email protected]
The 10 Tenets of Peace Literacy.
(1) Knowing the difference between physical violence, psychological violence and structural violence and that the root cause of physical violence are most often found in psychological and structural violence.
(2) Knowing the difference between negative peace and positive peace.
(3) Knowing the difference between peace building and peace making.
(4) Knowing the difference between conflict resolution and conflict reconciliation.
(5) Understanding that nonviolence is not passive acceptance, but rather, a means of fighting injustice without causing physical harm.
(6) Understand the meaning the Sanskrit term “Satyagraha” and its application as a nonviolent strategy to expose injustice.
(7) Understanding the psychological concept of “narcissistic injury.”
(8) Knowing the difference between a zero sum game and a non-zero sum game.
(9) Understanding the differences when comparing mediation, arbitration and litigation.
(10) Applying the practice of “Tapasya” (contemplative and transformational thinking).
