UNIT 2: Introduction to Peace Studies

Guiding Questions: Why is having a global perspective on peace and social justice issues vital to me and Taiwan?

(Unit 2 ppt)

I.  History and Investigation: Asking the Right Questions

1. What is peace?

2.  When were times during history that humans have had long lasting peace? What were the conditions to make it so?

3. When during history have humans had war, conflict?

4. Do you think human conflict and war is avoidable? Why or why not?

5. How can I as an individual have power to make the world more just and peaceful?

A. READ: What is Peace? By R.J. Rummel

Vocabulary:

1. supreme-（等級、水準或重要性）最高（的），至高無上（的）

the supreme commander of the armed forces 武裝部隊最高統帥

the Supreme Court  最高法院

2. Pacifists 反戰主義者，和平主義者；綏靖主義者

The pacifist movement is gaining increasing support among young people.

和平主義運動正獲得越來越多年輕人的支持。

3. harmony協調；和諧，一致

racial harmony (= good feelings between different races) 種族和諧

domestic harmony (= good feelings in the family or home) 家庭和睦

Imagine a society in which everyone lived together in (perfect) harmony.  設想一下有這樣一個社會，所有人都和睦地生活在一起。

We must ensure that tourism develops in harmony with the environment.  我們必須確保旅遊業與環境和諧發展。

4. endowed with天生具備，生來具有（某種特性或品質）

Some lucky people are endowed with both brains and beauty.  一些幸運之人生來就智慧和美貌並存。

Sardinia is generously endowed with prehistoric sites.  撒丁島上有很多史前遺址。

What Is Peace?* For Mercy has a human heart, Pity a human face, And Love, the human form divine, And Peace, the human dress. ---- William Blake: "The Divine Image" Songs of Innocence Peace has always been among humanity's highest values (價值觀)--for some, supreme. Yet, we agree little on what is peace. Perhaps the most popular (Western) view is as an absence of war. Pacifists have adopted this interpretation, for to them all violence is bad Peace, however, is also seen as harmony and tranquility. It is viewed as peace of mind or serenity, especially in the East. It is defined as a state of law or civil government, a state of justice (公正) or goodness, a balance or equilibrium of Powers. Such meanings of peace function at different levels. Peace may be opposed to or an opposite of antagonistic (對抗，對立, 敵對) conflict, violence, or war. It may refer to an internal state (of mind or of nations) or to external relations. Or it may be narrow in conception, referring to specific relations in a particular situation (like a peace treaty和平條約), or overarching, covering a whole society (as in a world peace). Peace may be a dichotomy (it exists or it does not) or continuous, passive or active, empirical or abstract, descriptive or normative, or positive or negative. The problem is, of course, that peace derives its meaning and qualities within a theory or framework. Christian, Hindu, or Buddhist will see peace differently, as will pacifist or internationalist. Socialist, fascist, and libertarian have different perspectives, as do power or idealistic theorists of international relations. In this diversity of meanings, peace is no different from such concepts as justice, freedom, equality, power, conflict, class, and, indeed, any other concept. All concepts are defined within a theory --what I have called elsewhere a perspective. Through a perspective peace is endowed with meaning by being linked to other concepts within a particular perception of reality; and by its relationship to ideas or assumptions about violence, history, divine grace, justice. Peace is thereby locked into a descriptive or explanatory view of our reality and each other. Finally, peace as a social contract is active, not passive. It is created through negotiation, adjustment, resolution, decisions. It comprises predictions (expectations) about the future. It is manifested through cooperative interaction. Its existence depends on congruence with the balance of powers. It is a phase in the dynamics of the conflict helix. By contrast, peace as the absence of violence or war is passive. True, it may be generated by negotiation and resolution. But the resulting peace is inactive, inert. It is a social void-something to build a wall around to protect and maintain. Any condition or structure or lack thereof constitutes such a peace as long as there is no social violence-even a desert without human life.

                                          Embracing Otherness, Embracing Myself

II. Otherness: The Process of Dehumanization

A. Read this article, “Time to Eliminate Otherness” by student Guneet Kaur Chawla. It is about a recent shooting of 3 Muslim students at an American University. The shooting was covered by newspapers all over the world, but their late coverage was condemned. Would the incident have received faster and more extensive media coverage if the victims had been non-Muslims and the perpetrator had been Muslim? The Twitter hashtag #ChapelHillShooting appeared over 900,000 times and trended in the United States, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and several other countries. The hashtag #MuslimLivesMatter was used over 100,000 times.

Vocabulary: condemn, extensive, perpetrator, normalize, tolerant, progressive, diverse, faiths, random act of violence, dehumanize, portray, perceive

In a world in which violence has become so normalized, it can be easy to disregard a campus alert message informing students of a shooting in an off-campus neighborhood that killed three individuals. Little did I know that two of the three murdered youth in this shooting would be girls I went to high school with, sat next to in my classes, and one whose wedding picture I had just seen on Facebook a few days ago. I was shocked and heartbroken to learn that Deah Barakat, 23, Yusor Abu-Salha, 21, and Razan Abu-Salha, 19, were shot and killed in their own home in Chapel Hill, N.C. -- only a few miles away from the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I am a student. I am still unable to fully accept what has happened here. I, along with many others, have always described this town and university as tolerant, progressive, and very accepting of diverse backgrounds, faiths, and cultures. And yet, this type of attack still happened. Although the Chapel Hill Police have stated there is a continuing investigation on the motive for this attack, it is difficult for me to believe that this was simply a random act of violence. After the shooting, there has definitely been a heightened sense of fear. Muslim students, as well as other minority students are questioning their safety in this community - something that has always been taken for granted before… Our American culture has been very successful in constructing the idea and image of "otherness." Whether it is through the way the media frames an issue, or the micro-aggressions minorities face daily -- these actions only send the message that some communities are deemed to be not as human as others. Whether intentional or unintentional, perpetuating the idea of "otherness" is extremely dehumanizing to whatever group is being portrayed in this manner. Microaggressions are not physical violence, but it is still a symbolic violence that places an unfair burden on the shoulders of minority groups… And it is through conversations like how minorities are portrayed and perceived by the public can people overcome differences and begin to create understanding… As Americans with lives that are as precious and as sacred as your life and mine, not as the "other." It is how you should see your neighbors when you first meet them, and not just after you see the Facebook photos that circulate after their death.

 1. What is “Otherness?”

2. How does the author say Otherness is constructed?

3. If “Otherness” in America is anyone who is not the white male portrayed heavily in media and mass entertainment, than who falls into the category of Other in America?

3. Why are minority students afraid in this article?

4. What does “Otherness” in Taiwan look like?

5. How does Otherness influence conflict and social injustice?

III. Interview with a Peacemaker: Read, Angel of Peace Interview

ANGEL OF Peace  An Interview with Louise Diamond, Ph.D.  By Lyda Whiting  Louise Diamond, Ph.D., has spent thirteen years working as a peace builder in areas of the world torn by war and violent conflict. She is the founder of The Peace Company, which offers products and training to help empower people to build a culture of peace. She received her doctorate in Peace Studies from the Union Institute in 1990. Her published works include “The Peace Book: 108 Simple Ways to Create a More Peaceful World” (Conari Press, 2001), and “The Courage for Peace: Daring to Create Harmony in Ourselves and the World” (Conari Press, 2000). Louise Diamond’s joyful spirit and her hope for the future were obvious as she spoke. She demonstrates with her life that one person can make a difference. Lyda: How did you start on your journey as a peace builder? Louise: As a professional human relations consultant, I’d already been working with families, couples, and groups. In my late twenties I had breast cancer twice within one year, and I had a near- death experience in the second surgery. I wasn’t expected to live. I had a great spiritual healing and journey. I realized that I was alive for a reason: I had a purpose, to work for peace. I realized that I was to take what I knew about healthy human systems from working with families and communities, and take it to places of war.  I had to prepare myself — I didn’t know anything about international affairs. I also had to educate myself to be in places of violence. I spent a year desensitizing myself to violence, moving myself from “oh no, it’s too awful, too horrible” to “okay” to being interested and fascinated with violence. When I got to the place where I could see inside myself the thrill of the kill, then I knew I could be in places of war. I knew I could have compassion for soldiers, killers, and torturers. I could see how someone could have been there. This allowed me to open my heart. I got a Ph.D. in peace studies, got on a plane, and went to the Middle East. The preparation has served me well. I’ve worked in many war zones in the world, refuge camps, places where I had to relate to everybody: current and former soldiers, concentration camp guards and inmates, victims of rape. I found children who had been conscripted as child soldiers. There is an amazing amount of suffering. To be present with an open heart is the only way I could be effective. Lyda:  You have worked in Bosnia, Cyprus, Israel, Palestine. How do you work to bring peace to these areas? Louise:  You can’t just sign a peace accord and then have democracy the next day. People let you know what they are ready to do and what they are not ready to do. You can be there for what they are ready for, and not push. People are pretty clear. I was in Bosnia right after the war. We would bring people from different ethnic groups together. This society was very separated. We would invite people to have conversations and do activities together. They participated at the level where they were comfortable. There was one Muslim woman whose sons who had fought on that side. There was a Serb soldier —”ex-soldier” he kept saying. He became in her eyes the prototype Serb soldier — they were relating to each other as prototypes. At one point, this soldier did not participate; he sat quietly to one side. After the activity, he read a poem that he had just written in that moment, about how awful it was to be a soldier, how he was really a poet at heart, and how he hated the war. From that time, he and this woman became inseparable. Three months later, we brought the participants back together. They said, “I’ll never forgot seeing those two arm-in-arm. It was a symbol of our healing.” What we as peace builders do is show up, witness their pain, provide a safe space and caring and the opportunity to be in dialog, to talk about what happened. This is not easy for the people who are victims; it isn’t that simple. But you can at least start down the path, one step at a time. Lyda: These are dangerous places. Were you afraid? Louise: Having had the near-death experience, I had the great opportunity to learn that there is nothing to fear. I’m not afraid of dying, which is a great advantage (laughs). I’ve been in situations that weren’t pleasant or comfortable, and you just have faith. That’s where the spiritual training comes in. You are able to go to your deepest place of inner peace, just go there, be there, move from there, trust what comes from there. It has sustained me, going to that place and radiating that joy. Lyda: Why did you title your book, “The Courage for Peace”? Louise:  It is very easy to ascribe bravery to the battlefield and to ignore the incredible courage it takes to stand for peace. It takes great fortitude, great strength, and great courage, to stand for peace. It is very tough to be with the enemy. You are eating with them, rooming with them. You are betraying your people. It is enormously courageous; these are the unsung heroes in our world. They are willing to change. Most Americans have no idea the kind of work that is going on, people coming together to do this healing work. Name any place in the world that is seeing conflict, and you will find these people. You will never know their names. Some of them are killed for their work. Lyda:  How did you get the idea to found The Peace Company? Louise: It was clear to me after working so many years in the international arena that we were missing a lot of opportunities for peace by thinking peace building is happening “out there.” We are all in the business of peace; every one of us is a peace builder. We have choices throughout our day, whether we are going to work from a place of peace or a place where we are trying to get power, or not see the other as our self. Every moment we have a choice. When you hear an ethnic joke, in that moment you get to decide how to react, you decide “am I a peace builder or not?” It became clear that my work was right here in the United States, to help create a culture of peace. We now have a culture of violence. We glamorize violence. We think of violence as the natural human state, as just how we are. We deplore the excess of violence. But we don’t push ourselves to look at our basic assumptions. Our culture is based on an assumption of separateness instead of realizing that what happens to you affects me. We learned how to change the culture with environmental movement. First, people were educated to realize “This is an important issue; it matters in my life.” Second, people were taught, “And I can do something about it.” Systems change incrementally, one by one by one, and then you reach a critical mass and it shifts. We can make the same shift with violence. Lyda: The Peace Book: 108 Simple Ways to Make a More Peaceful World begins with very personal ways to create peace. Louise: “The Peace Book” is something in people’s hands, saying, “This is what I can do.” We have sent 51,000 copies of the book out into the world, all by word of mouth; we have only just started advertising. People report how wonderful it feels to give the book, to give the gift of peace. Peace grows when you give it away. The purpose of this book is to teach that peace matters, and that you can do something about it. You can do it right here, do it right now. See yourself as a peace builder, and claim, “I am of the tribe that works for peace.” Lyda: The Peace Company is a for-profit company. Why is that? Louise: I wanted to make it practical, to make it profitable, to make it real. Look at the economic structure of our society; it is heavily weighted toward the defense industry and violence. If we want to build a culture for peace, it has to be a viable part of the economy. We need to develop products for sustaining peace. Again, my model is the environmental movement. Now you can buy environment-friendly products and food everywhere; now there is a whole industry, but thirty years ago there was nothing.

Comprehension Questions:

1. According to Louise, what do peace builders do?

2. How did she prepare herself to be a peacemaker?

3. How do people after a war relate to each other in the beginning of the healing process?

4. How does standing for peace require more bravery and courage than fighting as a soldier?

5. How can the culture of violence be changed?

6. Is the Peace Company an NGO? Why or why not?

Introduction to Peace Studies (ESL)