Peace is about having ‘social conversation’ – engaging with others in a way that affirms the mutuality in relationships and asks “How can we best live in relation to one another?”. Whether we ask the question in the context of relations between individuals, communities or nation states is irrelevant; what matters is that we ask it.
Having that ‘social conversation’ and seeking peace in our relationships does not however require us to shy away from conflict; rather it requires us to find creative ways of ‘doing’ conflict. For example, in a dispute with a neighbour, we may agree to ‘keep the peace’ but if we fail to address the underlying issues that caused the dispute in the first place, it is likely the issue will re-emerge in the future. On the other hand, if we engage with the issue and create a space where each party can be listened to and can themselves listen – in a mutually respecting and affirming manner – we are more likely to resolve the issue, and better able to understand the other perspective, thus creating peace in the long term.
In practice, a commitment to peace means being open to and respectful of others in all aspects: in the way we use language, the way we express our feelings, the way we include others. When we find ourselves in difficult situations, one way of doing this might be to ask ourselves “What is the most truthful and loving thing I can do?”.
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