Community Dialogue for a New Peace Movement

Eric Sirotkin moderated a community dialogue for a new peace movement at the Peace Center in Albuquerque on December 15, 2004. The Peace Center Advisory Board, the National Lawyers Guild Korea Peace Project and Legal Counseling Services sponsored the meeting.

About 25 people gathered at the Peace and Justice Center to answer the following questions: How do you define peace? What are the negative stereotypes associated with peace? And, What can we do to dispel the negative stereotypes and build a new broad-based peace movement?

How would you define peace?
Several people made the point that peace is more than the absence of war. They said it is also the presence of love and justice. Balance, harmony and equality are additional features of a peace. People also talked about how poverty and economic injustice undermine peace, and how peace may not be possible under capitalism because capitalism is inherently unjust.

Several people made the point that peace is not passive. One man said that Martin Luther King and Jesus and Gandhi were not passive people. They were not violent, but they were active. They were getting their ideas out there. Someone said being peaceful doesn’t mean doing nothing in response to violence. Some said we need to fiercely advocate for peace.

What negative stereotypes are associated with peace?
In speaking of negative stereotypes associated with the peace movement, words like weak, feminine, elitist and communist were mentioned. Peace activists are sometimes seen as being “pollyannas” or unrealistic, pie-in-the-sky dreamers. Also, there is the notion that the peace movement is over, and that the few activists left are of an older generation.

What can we do to dispel the negative stereotypes and build a new broad-based peace movement?
Many people suggested that peace needs to be taught in the public schools. There is a bill before the legislature this session that would create a Department of Peace and this could bring peace studies into the schools. It was also suggested that activists work to elect school board members who would make peace studies a part of the curriculum.

The idea was presented that we should advocate for peace through the churches. The right wing has pushed its agenda through certain churches. The civil rights movement of the 1960s was organized through and supported by churches. Preaching with passion for peace could make a difference, some people said.

One person suggested that boycotts and other actions aimed at reducing corporate profits could make a difference.

The point was made that the peace movement has to get its message out there, just as the war machine is getting its message out. And the peace movement has to be able to reach people in the gut. It needs to be dynamic and exciting.

We discussed how people need to model peaceful behavior and peaceful conflict resolution in their daily lives, with everyone they come in contact with. People said that we need to practice peaceful living in our homes and with our children.

It was suggested that we need to reach out to elected officials, corporations and politically conservative people to open a dialogue to build peace. We can’t just sit among like-minded people at meetings like this and preach to the choir.

Eric Sirotkin will be traveling around the country facilitating more community dialogues like this one to determine how we can build a new broad-based peace movement, educate others in a way that encourages peace, and use language and action to expand the peace movement.

For more information, contact Eric at (505) 266-2753.