How do you make peace a part of your life?

 In Action Alert, Peace Action West News

My parents instilled the value of peace in me early in my life. As a kid I watched my mother organize to bring an end to the Vietnam War. Forty years later I am a foster parent to a wonderful boy from northern Vietnam.

At Peace Action West, peace is our mission. And for many of us, it’s part of our way of life. This holiday season, I want to hear from you, the Peace Action West community, about how you make peace a part of your life.

Is it in the way you relate to your love ones? (Or perhaps even your not-so-loved ones)? Or do you connect with peace through nature? Please share in the comments how you make peace a part of your life, and read what others have shared.

Peace is a basic human right, and it’s worth standing up for. So thank you for standing with us when peace most needed a voice. And from all of us at Peace Action West, we wish you a happy and peaceful holiday season and New Year.

FlameofPeace

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Showing 69 comments
  • Gene Peters
    Reply

    Every day I say the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, which begins:

    “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”

    Every email, every letter, and every note I write I end with “Peace!”

    Besides keeping my mind centered on peace, I hope and believe it affects the recipient in a positive, peaceful way.

    Peace!

  • Patricia Krommer CSJ
    Reply

    Peace is an integral part of my life. I believe that each person is loved by God and his innate dignity. The diversity of human personalities is both challenging and delightful. I love nature, and my concern for the health of nature focuses on the environment and the protection of the planet. I oppose war. War violates human lives, and the environment. I pray for peace, but I work for it, too.

    • Ann Clegg
      Reply

      If all of us would make peace an integral part of our lives, there would be no need for wars. Life is much richer when we reach out to different races and cultures. I also wish that peace would be taught in every classroom, starting with kindergarten on the chiildern’s level.

  • Russ French
    Reply

    Your devotion to peace should be known more widely. Someone should make an effective slogan that touches people on the insanity and injustice of war. (I think of the UNCF slogan, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”) As a Christian, I keep Jesus before me throughout the day, remembering that He was called the Prince of Peace centuries before He was even born. For me, that shows just how important peace among us in the human family is regarded by our God. May the peace of this season be only part of the peace we witness to throughout the year.

  • dhfabian
    Reply

    The first step is to understand the difference between being a passive peacekeeper, and being an active peacemaker. The second step is to examine the things that work against peace, not just in foreign nations, but especially right here at home, in our neighborhoods. For example, in the US, the greatest obstruction to peace is a combination of our extreme economic disparities and a culture that celebrates greed, encouraging people to “get tough” on the weakest, poorest, least able to fight back. Without taking these initial steps, any hopes of achieving peace here or in our relationship with the world are futile.

    • Julie Sebenoler
      Reply

      I talk to family and friends about the waste of war. What have we gained from either the Iraq or Afghanistan wars? Nothing except a lot of lost lives. We must always negotiate diplomatically and continue with that and never go to war with any country.

  • Stuart
    Reply

    Among the things that I do to make peace a part of my life are to have created a cable TV program the purpose of which is to try to create more peace, kindness, and human harmony and well-being in our world, It is called “World Harmony: Can It Happen?” The I phrased the title as a question is to help people to think about the topic. I have hosted to date about 150 live programs in this series.

    Also I am a member of the Tucson Peace Center and served two terms as its president.

    Moreover, I strive to keep in mind: kindness and how to make our world a better place for people in which to live.

    And in addition, I am a vegetarian as I don’t want an animal to suffer and die so that I might eat it and I am against hunting (as it is certainly not a sport for the animal hunted) and against inhumane treatment of animals in general.

  • FORRESTHOPPING
    Reply

    I am in no position to personally do anything about US wars, other than protest, but I have an ironclad attitude about the people around me. There is a homeless man in my neighborhood who has been beaten up by the neighbors. One time I saw him in the alley at night in the rain and went out and gave him a blanket and an umbrella. We became friends. I never asked him to stay in my house because he is crazy and I cant trust him that way, but I have always given him money and sandwiches whenever he comes to the door. Sometimes he sleeps in my van. Not long ago he came into a bit of money and brought me some chocolates and a cologne. You start by respecting people and treating them decently, no matter who they are.

  • Keith J. Milligan
    Reply

    I find peace in many ways. A quiet dinner with my sweetheart at home; playing my guitar and singing; a long hot bath with a glass of wine and a good book; playing with my 6 yr. old grandson also brings me peace and joy. Peace is there for the choosing. Choose PEACE!

  • eddieo
    Reply

    I sign almost every email I send with either the word “peace” or “much love and peace.” As well, as I ride my bike to work, I mediate on “may my colleagues be happy, may my colleagues be healthy, may my colleagues be peaceful.”

    I not purchase items fro companies that I know manufacture weapons, or goods made in countries waging illegal wars whenever possible.

    I do my best to live with respect for all beings and to use minimal resources.
    I do not support right-wing politicians.

  • Ann Clegg
    Reply

    I think we should all work for peace. I have made friends from other countries and have learned a lot from doing so. I also believe listening to all kinds of groups and individuals , whether I believe their way or not. It is important to me to try to understand others

  • Luis
    Reply

    By standing up for justice wherever there is injustice. Because there is no peace where their is injustice.

  • Ronn Rosen
    Reply

    peace is serenity, calm and freedom frum the tyrannys of war,ignorant intolerance[including religious] and the feeling of wonder and humour

  • Lee Miller
    Reply

    Peace means not killing and destroying. I had to grow older and hopefully wiser to learn what that means. If we want peace we need to share the world’s resources, but what we have is more and more competition for dwindling land, water, oil and everything else that makes our civilization work. Peace means supporting fewer humans in conflict. The way out for humanity lies in family planning and birth limitation. Hence as a person of peaceful persuasion I advocate for all organizations that work to reduce pregnancies and population growth. I fear we are too late to realize a peaceful outcome to the population explosion, but we can try to be agents of change for the better, whether it be too late or not.

    • Person
      Reply

      You are on the right track! ALL problems are caused/exacerbated by overpopulation!

  • George Athans
    Reply

    By advocating a really serious reduction in the military budget at every chance I get to whoever will listen. If we, as a nation, stop funding these wars for profit, guess what, our country will no longer wage them. We will also need to seriously reduce the budget of the C.I. A.

  • Ann Clarke Greenwood
    Reply

    Peace comes from within. I strive to stayrecepptive to the peace all around me….in nature, in art, in the smiles of children, in the generosity of others……wherever I can. I also try to respond to others peacefully…..by smiling when I meet a strangers eyes, by not silently cursing the person who cuts me off in traffic, by stepping aside for someone in a hurry, or by offering help to those who might need it, whether friends or strangers. I am not a Christian but I do believe in doing unto others as I would have them do unto me. I also believe in the snowball effect created by the positive energy we radiate as we go about our daily lives.

  • lonevet2008
    Reply

    I work for Justice and Peace. I do not believe you can have Peace without Justice.

  • Ned Nerdin
    Reply

    Live your life from a center of peace. Be peace in all that you do. This is a quote from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was a General in the army before he was president:
    “I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments.
    Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it.”

    • Rational>Skeptical
      Reply

      Ned, “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960
      If you want to know what he means google the military vets of the Disclosure Project. happy hunting!

  • Cynthia Cannady
    Reply

    Peace on earth does not come from within. Sounds lovely but its not true. The victims of our clone strikes or our bombings in Libya or Iraq or Afghanistan will not feel better if I am kind in my daily life in Los Angeles. Peace CAN come from our activism against military intervention, the regime change mentality that accompanies it, the human rights pretexts that justify it, and the financial corruption that benefits from it. I also agree with what George Athans wrote above about the role of the military budget in waging wars. Yesterday I wrote to President Obama about stopping our regime change crusade in Syria. My hope is that Peace Action will broaden its vision in 2013 and speak out early and often against our new interventions, Libya and Syria style.

  • Mary Patee
    Reply

    I publically tell others I’m for peace… Started it after 2011..9-11 when our United Methodist’s Peace and Justice group joined hands with others in Denver to surround the Olorado Muslim’s Mosque. We wrote a peace grant and held a Market Place for 15 churches, a tabernacle, & the mosque. Also, ran a Peace Camp at church for kids. I choose the word Peace for my car’s tag. Now I’m concentrating on activities which bring all people’s political conviction together on projects which we can all agree. Now if I could just bring cooperation & peace for my far flung family after the bruising campagins. That’s going to take some time…

  • caroline
    Reply

    I attend war protests in my area, although sometimes is seems for naught. I inform my Congresspeople regularly to stop funding for more wars, reduce military budget. Wars are fought for the profit of corporations and the Military Industrial Complex, and we need, and I do remind people of that fact when I can that that is the case. Personally, I try to have peaceful relationships with people I come into contact with daily, and I try to imagine that if someone is being rude, maybe it is because they are having their own difficulties in life and leave them with a smile and a thank you.

  • Peacepilotman
    Reply

    World peace is impossible without spiritual alignment.. Maintaining peace by armed forces is not peace. Invading the sovereign airspace of nations and killing innocents will never bring peace only hatred and conflict. I work for constitutional recognition of rights for all people everywhere equal to what we Americans claim as a god-given attribute.

  • Laura Bernstein
    Reply

    I approach peace as both a contemplative practice and an active commitment in the world. On the contemplative side, I facilitate a meditation group that helps its members (including me) to stay calm and centered in agitating situations. We use the teachings of Eknath Easwaran, a marvelous meditation master who developed an interfaith 8 point program of spiritual disciplines for this purpose. It’s powerful and transformative.
    On the action side, I serve on the Board of a not-for-profit called Hands of Peace, which brings Israeli and Palestinian teenagers together each summer (alongside American teens) for dialogue, leadership, friendship and peace-building endeavor. This enables the teens to see one another as human beings, as something much larger than “the enemy” and truly transforms their awareness in positive ways.

  • Liz Amsden
    Reply

    Smile, look them in the eye and wish everyone I meet, especially street people, a good day. This is something easy to do if you think consciously and is often passed along spreading a feeling of positive good far beyond your immediate life.

  • Rational>Skeptical
    Reply

    I advocate for the open dissemination of Zero point energy technologies from the whistleblowers of the UFO Disclosure Project. These Veterans advocate peace as lobbyists to declassify Energy systems developed in secret that (in a complete and total way) replace fossil fuels. Guess what virtually limitless energy means for you? Guess what virtually free energy means for oil companies. Now, go be citizens and inform yourself about the centrality of this as an issue, and why this information has so long been denied.

    • Sally Savin
      Reply

      The first e-mail I opened today was from Peace West. All the comments resonated kindly with my spirit & your comment struck me, as sound, clear & worth knowing more about. If there is a way, you can expound upon your information, I would be very interested. If there is a link I could follow up on, that would be great. I will research UFO Disclosure Project & see what I can find. Thanks for all information. Peace be with you & all through mind, body & actions.

  • tedrey
    Reply

    When I was 19 years old, my father’s ketch Phoenix was tied up in Ala Wai Yacht Harbor in Honolulu. Next to us was another yacht named the Golden Rule, bound to protest the nuclear testing in the Pacific. The Golden Rule sailed and the crew was arrested; we followed them in the Phoenix and were also stopped by the U.S. Coast Guard. But out of that, and the struggles of many others, came the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Greenpeace, and many other steps towards peace and sanity. The Golden Rule, long under water, has now been raised and repaired. It is being readied for more cruises in the search for a peaceful world. Now I am 74; this evening I volunteered to sail on part of those voyages in that never-ending quest.

    See: http://vfpgoldenruleproject.org/goldenrule.htm

    Ted Reynolds

  • Kamila Harkavy
    Reply

    Kindness to myself and others in all situations; compassion too.
    Mindfulness wrt impulses to behave with aggression.

  • Lesley Woodward
    Reply

    I practice metta meditation. Being at peace within myself is necessary before I can bring peace to others.

  • Ted Lemon
    Reply

    I try to avoid harming others, and to help others when I can. This means that I don’t lose sleep at night dealing with feelings of guilt or regret (at least most of the time!). I sleep far better now than I did before I started this practice.

    The work I do contacting my representatives and working in politics is very disturbing to my mind, and I have to be careful how I approach it. It’s difficult not to get angry when I see so many people abusing their positions of responsibility to take from and harm people who they ought to be helping. The Buddhist practice of seeing the world as a projection of my own mind and my own past negative actions, whether it is true or not, is the best defense I’ve found against this—if the evil I see in the world is of my own making, there is no reason to get angry at the people who do it. If I want to see a better world, I need to make one, and stop worrying about what others do.

    I also find Master Shantideva’s advice very helpful. He points out that when someone beats me with a stick, I don’t get angry at the stick—that would be crazy! But the person who is beating me is in the grasp of strong negative emotions; these emotions are wielding them just as they are wielding the stick. And they are the same emotions that arise when I am being beaten with the stick. So the enemy is not the person in the grasp of those emotions, but the emotions themselves. And since I am having those same emotions, it is not difficult to have compassion for the person beating me. Once I have compassion for that person, I can respond with wisdom, and not with anger.

    Even if I don’t actually succeed at following Master Shantideva’s advice in the moment, the compelling logic of it helps me to deal with my feelings of anger without either suppressing them or acting on them.

  • Concetta Smart
    Reply

    As a teacher, I try to teach peace….in the classroom. As a Christian, I follow the Prince of Peace in living and choosing nonviolent solutions to conflict at home and work…locally and nationally…as a Pax Christi Member we plant the seeds of peace by getting involved with the relevant issues of our times…from immigration reform to restorative justice practices….from activism to stop war to stop mass incarceration…from environmental concerns to nuclear and drone disarmament…we lend our voice and time and bodies…to STAND with the weak, poor, and voiceless.

    • Ann Clegg
      Reply

      It is so refreshing to learn about teachers who practise and teach peace. We hear so much about students who bully other students and that should stop. The way, however is what Ms. Smart is doing.

  • Peter Hawxhurst
    Reply

    I find Peace in being whom I am supposed to BE while sharing with others life’s ambiguities and encouraging each other to attain our Dignity. Peter Hawxhurst

  • David Rothauser
    Reply

    I have been a peace person for many years in my daily and public life. Most of my peace work is through play writing and film making. In 2010 I completed a feature documentary about survivors of Hiroshima-Nagasaki. The film premiered at the UN in 2010 where Secretary General Ban ki-moon requested copies for the Educational Disarmament Dept. Currently I am working with the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom to bring Article 9 of the Japanese constitution as an amendment to our constitution. Article 9 in the Japanese constitution claims that Japan will never again make war. Japan has not made war in 67 years. In all that time not one civilian attacked, killed or lost.

    Why Article 9 in the U.S. Constitution? U.S. occupation forces re-wrote the Japanese constitution in 1946. It is a proven document in action that few people know about. With Article 9 in our constitution, the U.S. and Japan can form an international coalition to support the UN in the abolition of war making as a political-economic tool.

    • Sally Savin
      Reply

      Thank you! I will also do all I can to bring Article 9 to the U.S. Constitution. I will contact the Women’s International League for Peace & freedom.

  • Lynn Shoemaker
    Reply

    Over the last 25 years I have joined several delegations to conflict zones in Latin
    America (also one to Iraq). Always our delegations would bring “peace stories”
    to the people suffering conflicts. They would tell us their peace stories, and we
    would share them back in the US. Always we worked to promote actions for peace.

    Lately, I have come to realize that the biggest foe we have is the whole oil-coal-gas
    complex which has declared war against our planet. I will be an active witness for
    peace in this war too.

    Lynn Shoemaker

    • Ann Clegg
      Reply

      It’s interesting that the biggest foe is the whole oil-coal-gas. We want that, but could we not have more windmills? I would add greed and not caring for our neighbors.

  • Francesca
    Reply

    Always smile no matter how you feel when people are assisting you in stores,treat them graciously,make everyone feel important..that is peace

  • Bob Boyce
    Reply

    Every Wednesday from 5-6 P.M. I stand in downtown Lincoln Nebraska with other members of Nebraskans for Peace. I hold a sign which says “END THE WAR.” Some 3,000 cars pass our intersection during that hour, and some 200-300 of the drivers honk in support!

  • Lucky
    Reply

    I want to say the time when I felt peace was when I went to Oakland for the frist time.
    It was cold!
    It was wet!
    I didn’t have a tent!
    But it was there at the place where it was known to us as liberty park that I met the ppl that truly mattered. Where an amazing girl offered me her tent and it was that same girl who gave me a place to sleep after the roit cops came.
    It was in Oakland where I phoned with the peace action west team and was offered Not only a place to stay but a thanksgiving meal with my phoner family. ( I was for awhile a peace action west canvaser from LA)
    That was the frist time that I had a thanksgiving meal around ppl that I care about and loved deeply. I never met them befor that week. I smelled horrible because I didn’t to my clothing in 2 months. I was very thin, I was dirty but they offered me there soda and opened but there home to me.
    Haha I can’t tell you how many times I just went to the restroom and cryed. Thank you peace action west. You gave me peace! Thank you Fran, Becca, Rainwater, and so many others. I have nothing but love for you!
    Live long, live honest, we are the 99’/,

    • Lucky
      Reply

      Sorry about the spelling oops, I ment SOFA not soda-thanks

  • nmcasey
    Reply

    Peace is the consequence of knowing what and why war exists. We are socially structured species that mass murders each other for our entire history on the planet. Resources, population control (politics), access to females and protecting offspring, and power. All species do this. We seem to be the smartest species, but deny we are animals and deny our biological drives that are IDENTICAL to other social predators.

    When we stop denying who we are, as animals, lose the dysfunctional culture based on our biological drives of competition, territoriality, and alpha male domination(GOD)-that is authority that can not be questioned- we will start learning who we are as a species.

    Only by understanding our drives, psychology, and identity dependence on alpha male themes (god, employers, military hierarchy) will be able to plan their avoidance and critically think about choices that are not based on biological drives.

    Humanity, love, and peace are the absence of baser biological drives. Other social predator species show love, courtesy, and kindness, without the tendency for mass murder-war (chimpanzees being the exception) because they can not politicize the group-society to the point wherein the group desires to wipe out the other group-enemy to control territory, resources, populations, and the accompanying power.

    When the power of love and understanding of who we are is greater than the love of power, we will have peace.

  • William White
    Reply

    I’ve lived almost 40 years in the Florida Panhandle, a totally garrison, military community. USAF,Army,Navy,Rangers, Special Forces. A thoroughly red neck, militarized, bible belt community. As a humanist celebrant and peace (retired military) person, I’ve spoken,
    written newspaper Op-Eds monthly, attended demonstrations as a peace promoter.
    , and helped dedicate our UU Fellowship as a “Peace Site”. I can only offer this in summary. Silence implies consent… BILL WHITE

    • Person
      Reply

      what a perfect description of the FL Panhandle…!

      • Lucky
        Reply

        Crap that’s where I’m moving to!

    • Ann Clegg
      Reply

      I wish more retired or present military personnel would do the same thing you are doing. Then maybe more would listen. Peace efforts are cheaper and much more effective than fighting. Thanks for what you are doing.

  • Layla
    Reply

    Edward Lorenz was a mathematician and meteorologist at MIT who through research found that the tiniest influence on one part of a system can have a huge effect on another part.He called it the Butterfly effect because a butterfly flapping it’s wings in South America could change the weather in another country.
    Thru meditation I have transformed my anger and aggression into love, compassion and peace. By meditating often I create that butterfly effect and it helps nullify anger and aggression and creates a peaceful environment around me. Every human thought influences events on this planet, we need to practice making our thoughts full of love and compassion for our Mother Earth/Gaia.Treat all beings with that love and compassion.

    • Sally Savin
      Reply

      Thank you! I live with this concept & other aspects,such as walking meditation, where I consciously kiss the earth in silence, being aware that each thought, action & choice can & will effect the world. I go to a Buddhist Monastery often, where even the children sit in silence & peace, as we walk the paths of Nature’s beauty. This Monastery is very active in World Peace & Humanitarian actions that assist us all. It is run by the teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, a refrugee from Viet Nam

  • Greg Barnett
    Reply

    I have trained myself to never react with anger to anything any driver does on the road. If they cut me off, tailgate, don’t use a turn signal, run a stop sign, or if I have to dogde them while walking in a crosswalk, I merely work to avoid a collision and then go on my way calmly and peacefully. This makes a peaceful state of mind available for the subsequent activities of me and the other drivers.

  • reality
    Reply

    Good International Women’s, and Refugee, Days, happy holidays, and thanx All; all praises be, and blessings…. There are a couple things that support a real direction of peace as a path of study, for me and the universe. Of course the universe itself, and, only after, the greatest achievements of humanity, for e.g., deductive logic, insight, experience, growth, actuation, perception, consciousness, awareness, heart, soul, spirit, power, evolution, et al. Although, the way, and one’s path, must be discerned through discerning and dispelling the illusions that are the bricks that make up the delusional constructs that are the walls of our personal mental cells, hells; living studies like personal recapitulation of one’s entire past, journaling, poetry writing, etc., help- yet, not being mis-directed by mindfkng is also very important. For, few things are actually ‘a matter of semantics’, and, to quote the Rolling Stones, ‘you can’t always get what you want…, but, if you try someti…, you just might fi…, you get what you…(weed)’; “as ye sow, so shall ye reap” is central. The thought process of cause and effect comes to mind. Pythagoras and Kepler, Shakespeare, after him, relates that, if the mind’s eye were keen, dusted, and/or clouds removed from our sight, everything would appear as it is, infinite; to loosely paraphrase. As well, Carl Jung relates that 80 % of all human action, activity, thoughts, emotions are compensatory; part of our reactions to our pasts. Yes, of course, having, like any other human preoccupation, has a hold on us, could be an obsession, addiction, etc.. Though, I feel it’s far more interesting to discern on the facts that there is no such thing as having, and not no such thing as having, at once; it being a delusional construct of the human mind. More to the point, “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely”; is this not the, supposedly, almost ultimate “having it like that”? Also, with the extreme purported power to destroy the life on earth, 10 thousand times over, with nuclear annihilation, and our seeing the increasingly more fragile existence of all of nature, as time passes, can we not readily discern that, not only don’t we have it like that, rather, there’s no such thing? Sure, it’s fair to say everything is relative, although, that being an intellectualism, the real question would more likely be, what does that mean to you; what would you, or does one, project that means and why? Especially since that intellectualism is like telling someone the sky is blue, a discerning mind, listening, would surely ask why you’re sky bluing them; for, it’s probably a re-direction from the actual reasons for the communication- kind of like talking about the weather. Although, there’s a deeper level of analysis, the ‘use’ of the word comes from the word relation, which is an illusion, for, there’s no such thing as separation, another illusion; ergo, no-thing is not in relation- therefore, the ‘use’ of the word relation is a projection of a person’s subjective perception, and, not at all real, universally. That, alone, is responsible for a good % of all the world’s problems. There are signs, meanings, dimension of perceptions, paradigm analysis, and a few real role models in the world, at 16, I logically disproved determinism, and since it was, and is, the basis for almost all religions, et al, I chose to study only the real aspects of everything, also, in relation to all, for true knowledge is experiential, et al. So, I stopped studying anything except reality, no belief systems, etc.; for me, there were only the Gods, Great Spirit, Sartre, Jung. Ghandi, Mohammed, Jesus, Buddha, Dogen, Bodhidarma, Confucius, Lao-Tzu, Chuang-Tzu, et al- and I soon experienced that I was, actually, my role model, for, my inner evolutionary leader began to sprout, as I listened to my soul and the universe’s song, et al. Young ones, your potential is illimitable, only if you be life, humane being you stalking what on earth that is, becoming you, evolving, et al; for, one can’t seek grace, grace seeks one. A quote from a Course in Miracles might elucidate further, “anything real can’t be threatened, anything unreal doesn’t exist, (herein lies the peace of God)”. Yet, especially with studies like peace, which would be more accurately termed non-violence, as peace is a uniquely human projection that, and, like Ghandi’s Satraygraha, doesn’t actually exist in the universe without us, it’s easy to err on the side of human, and be less accurate for relations’ sakes; which isn’t the path, so, we be more accurate and know, non-violence as a path of study is illusional, while it’s far better than he delusional highway of violence, it’s also not reality- for example WWII teaches that there isn’t peace without killing nzis, or notzys, if you prefer, when they unbecome into a state of unbeing too criminally insane, until they make believe they’re human again. As well, another lessen from WWII informs what non-violence is and isn’t, if you’re not taking (getting shot by the S.S. tea partiers, rems dinos, and totalitarians) bullets you’re making them (for S.S. tea partiers, rems dinos, and totalitarians to murder others). For, when we keep in mind that the intellect can’t lead, for, the life doesn’t follow, we can only then experience what Ghandi taught, “Abhaya, fearlessness, is most necessary for the individual and the nation.” 🙂

    reality

  • David F. Denes
    Reply

    For me, the easiest to make peace is through patience. As Solomon wrote in Proverbs, “Impatience runs into folly”. People, including me, jump to conclusions and take rash actions in the heat of the moment. Only when dealing with people, the friendly, and the far from friendly, day after day, week after week, months on end, yes, even years on end, can we really understand others and their feelings.

    I try had not to minimize other people’s views, beliefs, or opinions — on the other hand, I don’t believe that “if you want to get along, go along.”

    Through patience, I have made friends out of people that, otherwise, would have remained adversaries.

    I strongly believe that the same patience is the often-missing ingredient is diplomacy. Patience would have kept the US from “running into folly” by invading Iraq. Patience will keep the US from invading Iran.

    Patience is knowing that all of us little, tiny, insignificant people, inside an immense cosmos, can, in fact understand each other and live together. Without patience, there can never be peace.

  • betty winholtz
    Reply

    I have to center and go into my heart to remember source.

  • Rhonda Dennis
    Reply

    I meditate and read from some spiritual book daily. I, also, thank the Greater Being or God for all my blessings continually through the day.

  • Jane Swift Dugdale
    Reply

    I talk to my grandchildren about making peace, and I work with my congregation to emphasize peacemaking. My grandchildren and I talk about wars and bombs and how horrible they are and we talk about how important it is to talk through arguments, instead of hitting back. In 2013 our congregation will try to discern, through worship, study, films, and “peace meal” discussions, why it might be important to identify as a peace church.

  • John Byland
    Reply

    Coming of age in the sixties, as Vietnam raged and divided the country, I became aware at the right time, so to speak. Participation in anti-war demonstrations and marches, at times at no small risk, the cause of peace was burned into my being, never to ease in its effect. Since then, I have signed virtually all of my correspondence with a closing of a single word: Peace. Age has reduced my participation on thefront lines, but not lessened my enthusiasm. I also preach tha concept, be it on an international, or interpersonal level. Peace within, peace surround.
    John Byland

  • Ironman95
    Reply

    As far as inner peace goes, getting in touch with your inner Buddha empowers you to not allow outside influences affect your in peace. Recogize the anger and jealousy and other emotions are within us and can only be triggered if we are receptive to it and allow it to happen. No one can anger you unless you allow it. As for World Peace, the US Government needs to stop supporting Israel(a phony democracy) with an extremely sinister attutude. I know because I worked for NSA. We need to take a more even-handed approach to the middle east or there will never be peace in all of the world. Both the Israeli Government and the Palestinian tactics are disgusting. Remember the Liberty, deliberately attacked by the Israelis, not the spin-doctored “accident’ “mistaken identity” that the US government lied to us happened.

  • Ann Marie Waterhouse
    Reply

    Being Peace

    It’s not about not fighting
    or seeking the perfect peaceful image.
    It’s not about holding hurtful words inside
    or avoiding violent videos.
    It’s not about eating organic
    or not eating meat.

    It’s not about what I teach
    or how many people learn from me.

    It’s about where my mind goes:
    what judgments or dualities I hold
    and how those color my thoughts
    and then my actions.

    Am I acting from a clear calm mind
    or reacting from some old wound or emotion?
    Am I able to hold peace even when
    confronted by a challenge, big or small?
    Am I able to be peace when an old pattern is activated
    or do my emotions get tangled up with my identity?
    And if so, how quickly do I notice?

    To be a tree is not easy.

    -Ann Marie Waterhouse, March 20, 2012

    P. S. I wrote this poem after considering this subject of “being peace” for a couple months as part of my meditations at Quaker Meeting every week.

  • CAROLINE LANE
    Reply

    I try to work for peace in every interaction remembering the humanity of all the people with whom I come into contact especially if there is any conflict, holding this principle in my heart can help me to listen actively and maintain humane relations.

  • Michael Nagler
    Reply

    I meditate twice a day to bring peace to my own mind; during the day I’m President of the Metta Center for Nonviolence (www.mettacenter.org).

  • Dave Muir Jr
    Reply

    I use the magic words “Peace and Thank You”.

  • James Olson (@JamesOlson24)
    Reply

    I work to promote peace by sharing the message of my 2011 book The Whole-Brain Path to Peace. Peace is our birthright, but we can easily lose it as a result of conflicts that arise in the brain because of its split into two specialized hemispheres. Roger Sperry won a Nobel Prize in medicine in 1981, in part because of this crucial discovery about the origins of conflict, but his insights into conflict have largely been ignored. I’ve taken his findings a step further by showing how and why the two hemispheres give us radically different visions of and responses to life, then illustrate how these differences are manifested through our choices. Everything we do starts in the brain. Why is the role of the brain on peace being ignored? http://www.thewholebrainpath.com

  • Marcia Halligan
    Reply

    Hello, I research and write a weekly peace calendar aired on our community radio station. What I learn inspires me and, I hope, people who hear the information that I share. The depth and breadth of possible ways to promote peace never cease to amaze me!

  • Butch Turk, RN
    Reply

    After 10 years of peace, environmental and justice activism I became a nurse as a way of expressing my macro values on a micro level. 25 years later and I never stopped doing straight politics but I also found that I could support movements with healthcare. It works for me – whether going to work in an ER, being an activist or caring for activists, I get to do peace 24/7.

  • Cynthia Fisk
    Reply

    I’ve been involved with Beyond War, Marshall Rosenberg’s Non-violent Communication, sign every missive “In peace”, and am a Quaker. Cynthia Fisk

  • Georgeann Allard Calendine
    Reply

    I have written a book called PSALMS FOR PEACEMAKERS. It is available from Amazon.com Georgeann Allard

  • Robin Sunbeam
    Reply

    Peace begins between me and myself, and then is between me and the person next to me. I understand that we are all stuck together in the same boat, that we are all damaged goods, that we all must travel the journey of healing ourselves, and we must all work together to save ourselves. I understand the hate and blame is poison, both to me me and to my community. I look in the mirror and forgive myself, and lovingly accept myself even though I am flawed. I look at my relatives, friends, neighbors, and strangers, and see that we are all flawed, and I forgive us all. I realize that others suffer and are struggling to survive, like me, and the only path ahead is the path of Peace, tolerance, and respect.

    In addition, there is no Peace without Justice. Therefore, I spend the majority of my time working to bring justice in our government even though my success might result in my assassination.

  • David Gotshall
    Reply

    Part of our prayer before dinner is to affirm that we have peace in our hearts leading to peace in the world. I then try to carry that energy of peace to all my relationships and encounters. I am not always successful but I am much better at recognizing when I get out of whack to return to that quiet place within me.

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