The Technology of Peace through Peace

Without a good Peace Making model, we Americans, our ally Israel, and the Palestinians, end up doing what we know best: Waging War.

( In 2006, the Peace Corp had only 7,725 men and women world wide. Compare that to the size of our military!)

The six peaceful techniques listed here are a simplified and powerful list of tools that can be used to create a bond of trust and good will among antagonists.

As individuals, and as a nation we Must:

  1. Observe and Monitor what is actually happening on the ground. (Read More)
  2. Involve local nonviolent groups on all sides of the conflict. (Read More)
  3. Talk with every side in the conflict. (Read More)
  4. Acknowledge all Injustices, even when committed by our own forces. (Read More)
  5. Nurture our Spirits. (Read More)
  6. Become an Active Non-Violent Presence in the Midst of the Conflict*. (Read More)

* Step 6 may be the most visible and “dangerous” step, but it is neither more nor less important than the other tools. It if fruitless if practiced on its own.

There is a huge body of literature about the tools of non-violent action. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. studied these tools and employed them to fight terrorism against Negroes in the deep south. (He envisioned these tools becoming part of American Diplomacy.) The American society of Friends has studied these technique for years, as have many organizations around the world, from Bishop Tutu in South Africa to those who overthrew of the Dictatorship of President Marcos in the Philippines.

How does it work?

The extra-ordinary power of Non-Violent action comes from its ability to leverage the inner Moral code of the antagonists. Contrary to the popular myth, even those labeled "terrorists" commit their violent actions from a burning sense of "Moral" outrage. By this we mean that the "terrorist" or the "oppressor" often justifies their actions from a desire to "serve justice" upon those who they believe have morally committed harm or who threaten them in some way. Quite simply, they usually don't see themselves as being "evil", but as being a force of "good" that is punishing "evil".

Non-Violent techniques harness the individual's Moral outrage by showing them the humanity of the "enemy" while convicting them of their own complicity in the violence. These techniques inform both sides of the conflict about the humanity of their opponent and gradually build a dialogue of trust and good will. They are the same techniques practiced during the American Civil Rights Movement by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Waging Peace means:

Breaking the myth that evil can be defeated by our violence, and asserting that there is a way to resolve bitter conflict that is superior to fighting or running away.

Confronting injustice and engaging the moral conscious of the “enemy”, to reach a "win-win rather than a "win-loose outcome.

Actively and Non-Violently Interfering with the machinery of war and oppression while refusing to degrade or dehumanize your opponent.

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From the World Council of Churches Web site, Palestinians are frequently stopped and ordered to kneel, undress or stand with their hands over their heads - a process that can last several hours.