Whatisacultureofpeace?Andwhyisitnecessarytopromoteone?Promotingacultureofsomethingistomakeitcommonplaceinone’slife.Whatweaimtodowhilepromotingthecultureofpeaceistocreateanenvironmentthatmakespeacethestandardoption,thego-tosolution.Unfortunatelyforus,theworldweliveintodaychoosesviolenceastheeasiestwaytogetwhattheywant.Thatdoesnotmeangoodpeoplewhopreferpeacedon’texist,itisjustthatwehavegrownsonumbovertheyearswedon’treallyflinchuntilsomethinghappenstous,andsometimesnoteventhen.Especiallyoverthelastyearandahalf,wehearbadnewseverydayandatthispointwejustacceptit.BeitthecurrentsituationinAfghanistanwhereAmericawithdrawingitstroopshadledtothesufferingofmanywho,inadesperateattempttofleeendeduplosingtheirlivestoacrimethatmayhavehappenedinyourcity,violenceseemstohaveitsgraspallovertheworld.Thetruthis,violencehasbeenaroundjustaslongashumanityhasbeen.Wheredoesviolencecomefrom?Itcomesfromus,fromwithin.Fromwithinindividualswhomakeupoursociety.Thisisexactlywhyitisevenmorecrucialtoestablishandpromoteacultureofpeace.Weoftengrowuptomanifestandspreadtheideologieswehave,andtheideologieswehaveorwehavebuiltaswehavegrowncomefromtheopinionswehaveinternalisedofthosearoundus.Whenweareyoung,mostofouropinionsasbasedonthoseofourparents,teachersorotherrelativesthatwelookuptoortrust,becauseweassumetheyknowbetter.Wedon’treallyquestionthemthen,andbythetimewehavegrownup,wehavelivedwiththeseideologiesforsolong,andhavegrownsocomfortablewiththem,thatwedon’treallyquestionormodifythem.Thisiswhycreatingacultureofpeacemakeswayforgenerationsandgenerationofcitizensthatbelieveandstandforpeace.Sohowdowedevelopsuchacultureofpeace?Howdowemaketheideaofpeacesoprevalentthatthemoralcompassofeachindividualdoesnotletthemdirecttheiractionstosomethingthatdoesnotbringforthpeace?Howdowemakeeachindividualquestioniftheirdecisionsandactionsarefurtheringpeaceorconflict,andthenhowtoweconvincethemtoactpeacefully?Herearesomeideas,forastart:1.Weneedtodevelopanunderstandingofthemindsetthatcoercesanindividualtopromoteconflictandviolenceagainstanothergroup.Thefirststepistounderstandtherootoftheproblem,thebeginningthatsetsoffasequenceofincitedviolencethatdoesnothelpanyone,andonlycausespainandsuffering.Regardlessofwhichdoctrineyoubelievein-whetherhumansareinherently‘good’ornot-takingthedecisiontogodownthepathofviolencewouldnotcomeeasilyornaturallytoanyone.Andifitdoes,thereisprobablyagoodamountofcontextandeventscontributingtoit.Weneedtofigureoutwhatthesecontextsandcircumstancesarethatleadapersonto-Believethatanoutgroup(agrouptheydonotperceiveastheirs,agroupthattheyhave‘othered’)threatenstheirwell-beingHarbourasenseofuncertaintyregardingthesafetyandsecurityoftheirgroupandbyextensiontheirownsafetyandthatoftheirdearandlovedones.Holdontothebeliefthattheirgroupisinsomewaysuperiortoothers.Oncewehavefiguredouttheanswerstothesequestions,wecanalsofigureoutthesolutionstowhatincitesviolence.Wecanassurethepeoplewhoarelikelytoinciteviolenceonthesegrounds,thatthegrouptheyperceiveasathreatisnotactuallyconducivetotheirwell-being,andthattheycanco-existinharmony.Wecanalsoassureeveryoneinvolvedthattheirsafetyisdependentontheveryfactthatneitherofthemincitesviolence,asnomatterwhostartstherewillberetaliation,jeopardizingeveryone’ssafety.Wecanmakethemunderstandeveryoneiscreatedequal.2.WealsoneedtodevelopourunderstandingofthestrongemotionsthatunderlieandgivemomentumtoviolenceandconflictAsidealasitwouldbetohavehumansguidetheiractionsbasedonrationalthoughts,weareonlyhumans.Andamajorityof,ifnotall,humanactionsareguidedbyemotions.Angerisprobablythemostrudimentaryofhumanemotionsthatleadtoaction.Intermsofevolution,itworkedinourfavourinthebeginning.Angerasanemotiontriggeredoursympatheticnervoussystem,preppingustodefendourselvesagainstthedangerswemighthavefacedatthatdayandage.Inacivilsociety,onethatweareaimingtowards,suchinstinctualactionsdomoreharmthangood.Hence,weneedtostudyHowandwhydoestheemotionofangeraboutapasteventthatwasperceivedtobeprovokingand/orapreemptivefearofeventsthatcantakeplaceinthefuturecaninstilandencourageanaggressiveattitudetowardsothers?Howtodiffusethesituationwhenthefeelingsofangerandfearmanifestintoviolentactions,andhowtopreventthesefeelingsfromtranslatingintoanintentiontoharmothers?Havinganunderstandingoftheabovecanalsocreateabasetoworkonhowwecancoachtheseemotionstowardsamorepositiveoutcomei.einsteadofviolence,maybeworkingharderforthegrowthofyourowncommunityisabetteroutputoftheirenergy.3.Weneedtopayattentiontothewaymedia,inanyform,influencesthetrendofviolence.Thewordsusedinmostofthejournalisticpiecespeopleconsumeallovertheworldhavethepowertoinfluenceyouropinion,andsubsequently,thewayyouactonthoseopinions.Thereisareasonjournalismiscalledthefourthpillarofdemocracy.Therearealotofethicalboundariesandrulestojournalism,butunfortunatelyintherecentpastjournalismtoohasturnedintoabusinessthatsellssensationalism.Thisiswhywealsoneedtomonitorthelanguageandchannelsofcommunicationthatmediauses,andwhethertheyareusedtosupportconflictandviolence.Exampleofsuch:Somereportsandjournalisticpiecesmightbewritteninsuchawaythatdevaluesthelivesofsomeofthosewhoareinvolvedinacertainincidenttoreducethemoralconcernthatthepublic(thecorethatpowersdemocracyandinfluencesthewaylawsareenactedinmanyplaces)shouldfeelforthem.AnexamplewouldbehowAmericanmedialabelsanyconflictinitiatedbyapersonofcolourasanactofterrorism,yeteveryactofviolencebyacaucasianisattributedtodisturbedmentalhealth.Weneedtobeawarethattheremaybeattemptstoswaythepublicbeliefinwaystoexcuseviolenceagainstagroupanddisplayaggressioninamorallypositiveframebyprovidingjustification.4.Weneedtorealisethatsocialinequalitiesareamajorcausethatcontributestopeopleinstigatingconflictandviolence.Socialinequalitiesareunjust,thisisnotnewstoanyone.Andanenvironmentwhereyougrowupwiththefeelingof“lessthan”andhavetofacehardshipsthatthosewhohavemorethanyoudonot,itisboundtoplantseedsofmisery.Thisispreciselywhatleadstothefeelingsofthreatandcompetitivenesstowardsthosewhowedonotperceiveasoneofus.Howcanwehelp?Byattuningourselvestotheconditions,bothsocialandphysical,thatundermineindividualandcollectivewell-being.Conditionssuchaspovertyanddiscriminationinvadeeveryfacetofanindividual’slife,naturallycausingthemtoreinforcetheirideathatviolenceistheonlymeanstoattaintheirgoal.Empathyhelpsusunderstandtheircircumstancesandurgesusintoaction.Wecanadvocateforequalitiesinhumanrights,equalityinopportunities,healthcareforall,andsafetyandsecurityforeveryone.Thisiswhatwouldbeagoodsteptowardsuprootingviolencefromoursociety.5.Wehavetoexplorebeyondasurfacelevelunderstandingofanothergrouptohaveatrueunderstandingoftheiridentityandconcerns.Itisveryeasyforustotakethingsatfacevalueandbecomfortablewiththeknowledgethatwealreadyhave.Butthatneverhelpsusmoveforwardinthedirectionofgrowth.Sotounderstandthe‘other’groupi.ehelpsresolveconflictortoensureitdoesnothappeninthefirstplace,wehavetoencouragepeopletounderstandeachother.Thatis,wehavetoencouragepeopletounderstandtheidentityandintentionsoftheothergroupbygoingbeyondtheirpreconceivednotionsandthestereotypes(oftennegative)theyalreadyhold.Howdowedothat?Wehavetoformulatewaysinwhichtheindividuals/groupshavetocometogetherforcollaborativeinteractionwiththegroups/individualstheydonothaveanunderstandingoforhavefalseideasof.Peoplewithdiversebackgrounds,dissimilarvalues,andavarietyofdifferentperspectives.6.Weneedtoencouragepeopletoremembertoadoptacriticalperspectivetowardstheingroup.Peopletendtoautomaticallyassumethebeliefstheirgroupholds,theonestheyhaveinternalisedintotheirownidentity,arevalidatedandjustified.Theactionsofthosewhobelongtotheirgroup,shareapartoftheiridentity,arejustifiedtoo.Thisleadstotheirinstinctualreactionatthepossibilityofaconflicttoattacktheothergroupbecausesurelytheymustbewrong.Weshouldencourage,inawidespreadfashion,apersonalitythatis-Willingtoquestionauthority,thatdoesnotjustblindlyagreebutalsoopposewhentheirowngroup’sactionsandbeliefleadtoconflict,causesomeoneharm,andbewillingtoofferfeedbackandsuggestconstructivewaystoavoidsocialinjusticeandsituationsthatharmpeacefulrelations.7.OfferresourcesthatenableindividualstoacknowledgeandappreciatetheexperiencesofhumanitysharedbypeopleacrossdiversegroupsWecancombatthedevelopmentofthefeelingoftheyare“others”byholdingupthemirror,metaphoricallyspeaking.Thisfeelingof“other”or“theyaredifferentfromus”comesfrombeingunabletounderstandorrelatetothecultureoftheothergroup.Tobridgethisgap,thebestbuildingtoolissharedexperiences.Weareallhumansafterall,andthereareexperiencesthatallhumansgothrough,therearesomeexperiencesthatbringustogetherashumans,regardlessofage,gender,race,ethnicity,nationality,sexualorientation,languageetc…Highlightingthesesimilaritiesmayhelpdevelopasenseof“same”withthe“other”.Wecanencourage-Enlargetheperspectivetothesharedexperienceasahuman,steerthefocusawayfromthedifferencesandinsteadfocusonthethingsthatshowthecommonnessinco-existence.Communityorganisationswiththeaimofinclusivity.Wecanestablishorganisations,orfurtherthecauseofthosethatalreadyexist,thataimtowardsinclusivityandpeace.Organisationsthatinspireandencouragemoreinteractionwithpeopleyoumaynotbefamiliarwith,yetwanttounderstandmoreof.Weshouldalsofindwaysto-Supportsuchorganisationsinwhateverwaywecan,beitmonetarydonationsorcommitmentofourtimeandefforts.9.DevelopwaystoinstilasenseofrespectfordifferencesPartofpromotingacultureofpeacealsoentailspromotingaculturethatrespectsandcelebratesthedifferenceswehaveinsteadofresortingtoviolencetodrawupbarriers.Wecanencourageindividualsto-Findoutaboutandputtouseefficientandconstructivewaystoovercomethedifferencestheynoticewithinothersandthemselvesandresolveconflictwhilekeepingthesedifferencesinmind,ensuringnooffence.Practiceempathy,forgivenessandtrytoincorporateactsofkindnessintheirgeneralbehaviourtowardsothers.Allthesewaysarehowweencourageandpromoteacultureofpeace,whichisanurgentneedofthemoment.
What is a culture of peace? And why is it necessary to promote one? Promoting a culture of something is to make it commonplace in one’s life. What we aim to do while promoting the culture of peace is to create an environment that makes peace the standard option, the go-to solution.
Unfortunately for us, the world we live in today chooses violence as the easiest way to get what they want. That does not mean good people who prefer peace don’t exist, it is just that we have grown so numb over the years we don’t really flinch until something happens to us, and sometimes not even then.
Especially over the last year and a half, we hear bad news every day and at this point we just accept it. Be it the current situation in Afghanistan where America withdrawing its troops had led to the suffering of many who, in a desperate attempt to flee ended up losing their lives to a crime that may have happened in your city, violence seems to have its grasp all over the world.
The truth is, violence has been around just as long as humanity has been. Where does violence come from? It comes from us, from within. From within individuals who make up our society. This is exactly why it is even more crucial to establish and promote a culture of peace.
We often grow up to manifest and spread the ideologies we have, and the ideologies we have or we have built as we have grown come from the opinions we have internalised of those around us. When we are young, most of our opinions as based on those of our parents, teachers or other relatives that we look up to or trust, because we assume they know better. We don’t really question them then, and by the time we have grown up, we have lived with these ideologies for so long, and have grown so comfortable with them, that we don’t really question or modify them. This is why creating a culture of peace makes way for generations and generation of citizens that believe and stand for peace.
So how do we develop such a culture of peace? How do we make the idea of peace so prevalent that the moral compass of each individual does not let them direct their actions to something that does not bring forth peace? How do we make each individual question if their decisions and actions are furthering peace or conflict, and then how to we convince them to act peacefully?
Here are some ideas, for a start:
1. We need to develop an understanding of the mindset that coerces an individual to promote conflict and violence against another group.
The first step is to understand the root of the problem, the beginning that sets off a sequence of incited violence that does not help anyone, and only causes pain and suffering. Regardless of which doctrine you believe in - whether humans are inherently ‘good’ or not - taking the decision to go down the path of violence would not come easily or naturally to anyone. And if it does, there is probably a good amount of context and events contributing to it. We need to figure out what these contexts and circumstances are that lead a person to -
- Believe that an outgroup (a group they do not perceive as theirs, a group that they have ‘othered’) threatens their well-being
- Harbour a sense of uncertainty regarding the safety and security of their group and by extension their own safety and that of their dear and loved ones.
- Hold on to the belief that their group is in some way superior to others.
Once we have figured out the answers to these questions, we can also figure out the solutions to what incites violence. We can assure the people who are likely to incite violence on these grounds, that the group they perceive as a threat is not actually conducive to their well-being, and that they can co-exist in harmony. We can also assure everyone involved that their safety is dependent on the very fact that neither of them incites violence, as no matter who starts there will be retaliation, jeopardizing everyone’s safety. We can make them understand everyone is created equal.
2. We also need to develop our understanding of the strong emotions that underlie and give momentum to violence and conflict
As ideal as it would be to have humans guide their actions based on rational thoughts, we are only humans. And a majority of, if not all, human actions are guided by emotions. Anger is probably the most rudimentary of human emotions that lead to action. In terms of evolution, it worked in our favour in the beginning. Anger as an emotion triggered our sympathetic nervous system, prepping us to defend ourselves against the dangers we might have faced at that day and age. In a civil society, one that we are aiming towards, such instinctual actions do more harm than good. Hence, we need to study
- How and why does the emotion of anger about a past event that was perceived to be provoking and/or a preemptive fear of events that can take place in the future can instil and encourage an aggressive attitude towards others?
- How to diffuse the situation when the feelings of anger and fear manifest into violent actions, and how to prevent these feelings from translating into an intention to harm others?
Having an understanding of the above can also create a base to work on how we can coach these emotions towards a more positive outcome i.e instead of violence, maybe working harder for the growth of your own community is a better output of their energy.
3. We need to pay attention to the way media, in any form, influences the trend of violence.
The words used in most of the journalistic pieces people consume all over the world have the power to influence your opinion, and subsequently, the way you act on those opinions. There is a reason journalism is called the fourth pillar of democracy. There are a lot of ethical boundaries and rules to journalism, but unfortunately in the recent past journalism too has turned into a business that sells sensationalism. This is why we also need to monitor the language and channels of communication that media uses, and whether they are used to support conflict and violence. Example of such:
- Some reports and journalistic pieces might be written in such a way that devalues the lives of some of those who are involved in a certain incident to reduce the moral concern that the public (the core that powers democracy and influences the way laws are enacted in many places) should feel for them. An example would be how American media labels any conflict initiated by a person of colour as an act of terrorism, yet every act of violence by a caucasian is attributed to disturbed mental health.
We need to be aware that there may be attempts to sway the public belief in ways to excuse violence against a group and display aggression in a morally positive frame by providing justification.
4. We need to realise that social inequalities are a major cause that contributes to people instigating conflict and violence.
Social inequalities are unjust, this is not news to anyone. And an environment where you grow up with the feeling of “less than” and have to face hardships that those who have more than you do not, it is bound to plant seeds of misery. This is precisely what leads to the feelings of threat and competitiveness towards those who we do not perceive as one of us. How can we help?
- By attuning ourselves to the conditions, both social and physical, that undermine individual and collective well-being. Conditions such as poverty and discrimination invade every facet of an individual’s life, naturally causing them to reinforce their idea that violence is the only means to attain their goal. Empathy helps us understand their circumstances and urges us into action.
- We can advocate for equalities in human rights, equality in opportunities, health care for all, and safety and security for everyone.
This is what would be a good step towards uprooting violence from our society.
5. We have to explore beyond a surface level understanding of another group to have a true understanding of their identity and concerns.
It is very easy for us to take things at face value and be comfortable with the knowledge that we already have. But that never helps us move forward in the direction of growth. So to understand the ‘other’ group i.e helps resolve conflict or to ensure it does not happen in the first place, we have to encourage people to understand each other. That is, we have to encourage people to understand the identity and intentions of the other group by going beyond their preconceived notions and the stereotypes (often negative) they already hold. How do we do that?
- We have to formulate ways in which the individuals/groups have to come together for collaborative interaction with the groups/individuals they do not have an understanding of or have false ideas of. People with diverse backgrounds, dissimilar values, and a variety of different perspectives.
6. We need to encourage people to remember to adopt a critical perspective towards the ingroup.
People tend to automatically assume the beliefs their group holds, the ones they have internalised into their own identity, are validated and justified. The actions of those who belong to their group, share a part of their identity, are justified too. This leads to their instinctual reaction at the possibility of a conflict to attack the other group because surely they must be wrong. We should encourage, in a widespread fashion, a personality that is -
- Willing to question authority, that does not just blindly agree but also oppose when their own group’s actions and belief lead to conflict, cause someone harm, and be willing to offer feedback and suggest constructive ways to avoid social injustice and situations that harm peaceful relations.
7. Offer resources that enable individuals to acknowledge and appreciate the experiences of humanity shared by people across diverse groups
We can combat the development of the feeling of they are “others” by holding up the mirror, metaphorically speaking. This feeling of “other” or “they are different from us” comes from being unable to understand or relate to the culture of the other group. To bridge this gap, the best building tool is shared experiences. We are all humans after all, and there are experiences that all humans go through, there are some experiences that bring us together as humans, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, language etc… Highlighting these similarities may help develop a sense of “same” with the “other”. We can encourage-
- Enlarge the perspective to the shared experience as a human, steer the focus away from the differences and instead focus on the things that show the commonness in co-existence.
Community organisations with the aim of inclusivity.
We can establish organisations, or further the cause of those that already exist, that aim towards inclusivity and peace. Organisations that inspire and encourage more interaction with people you may not be familiar with, yet want to understand more of. We should also find ways to-
- Support such organisations in whatever way we can, be it monetary donations or commitment of our time and efforts.
9. Develop ways to instil a sense of respect for differences
Part of promoting a culture of peace also entails promoting a culture that respects and celebrates the differences we have instead of resorting to violence to draw up barriers. We can encourage individuals to -
- Find out about and put to use efficient and constructive ways to overcome the differences they notice within others and themselves and resolve conflict while keeping these differences in mind, ensuring no offence.
- Practice empathy, forgiveness and try to incorporate acts of kindness in their general behaviour towards others.
All these ways are how we encourage and promote a culture of peace, which is an urgent need of the moment.
