On the playground, the bully attracts immediate attention by resolving conflicts with his fists; yet remains isolated from the rest of the children. But the articulate child, wise enough to use his skills to gather friends and persistently discuss a problem until it is resolved attracts the largest continuous network of followers, eventually winning over the bully, or rejecting him altogether.
Sustainable Culture of Peace
Similar scenarios like the one above were used in a decade-long effort by the United Nations to spark a global turning away from a culture of war towards a more sustainable culture of peace. A U.N. Report on the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010) summarized a decade of advances from 1,054 civil society organizations working worldwide. That decade came to an end in January 2011, just as unrest in the Arab Region flared. Some of the most notable advances came from the Arab States:
“Through training activities, we have witnessed an increasing number of participants and
people becoming more interested in our activities and in peace actions in general.” – The
Institute for Peace Studies (Egypt)
“It has been found out that schools dropout rates were reduced, youth became more
engaged, online content increased drastically and collaborative projects among children across
borders were produced and newsletters among nations were exchanged to communicate about
issues of conflict in a friendly and peaceful manner.” – World Links Arab Region p.20
Progress Meets Obstacles
According to the Report, the desire for peaceful change needs to be articulated into the public awareness of every country of the world. The means to get that message across comes with a hefty price-tag, at a cost which all participants agreed is more easily managed by organizations promoting war and violence. Twitter, Facebook, and Internet access proved instrumental in mobilizing networks of activists in Tunisia, but states are quick to respond by cutting access. Getting the message out is not the only problem. The Report also found fault with unfiltered messages that reach a culture from afar:
“The news media and entertainment media present a very real obstacle to peace for both
adults and children. There is a steady stream daily of films, television shows, video games and
Internet promotion of blatant sexuality, lack of self esteem, violent behaviors, lack of regard for
human rights and lack of respect for human life.” p.14
“Media has no ears for the culture of peace and nonviolence, they never want to
participate in peace activities.” – The Japanese Society for Developing the Culture of Peace
(Japan)p.23
The Global Movement for the Culture of Peace outlines several areas of concentration including changing the values, behaviors and attitudes of a culture from that of war to that of peace. The goals are lofty, including the following:
Critical Mass
Success in an effort to change a culture of war to a culture of peace may all boil down to numbers. He who has the larger network of people aligned with him wins. He who does not must either join the movement or face rejection. In this manner, non-violent power can best be described as an equation of critical mass.
Sustainable Culture of Peace
Similar scenarios like the one above were used in a decade-long effort by the United Nations to spark a global turning away from a culture of war towards a more sustainable culture of peace. A U.N. Report on the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010) summarized a decade of advances from 1,054 civil society organizations working worldwide. That decade came to an end in January 2011, just as unrest in the Arab Region flared. Some of the most notable advances came from the Arab States:
“Through training activities, we have witnessed an increasing number of participants and
people becoming more interested in our activities and in peace actions in general.” – The
Institute for Peace Studies (Egypt)
“It has been found out that schools dropout rates were reduced, youth became more
engaged, online content increased drastically and collaborative projects among children across
borders were produced and newsletters among nations were exchanged to communicate about
issues of conflict in a friendly and peaceful manner.” – World Links Arab Region p.20
Progress Meets Obstacles
According to the Report, the desire for peaceful change needs to be articulated into the public awareness of every country of the world. The means to get that message across comes with a hefty price-tag, at a cost which all participants agreed is more easily managed by organizations promoting war and violence. Twitter, Facebook, and Internet access proved instrumental in mobilizing networks of activists in Tunisia, but states are quick to respond by cutting access. Getting the message out is not the only problem. The Report also found fault with unfiltered messages that reach a culture from afar:
“The news media and entertainment media present a very real obstacle to peace for both
adults and children. There is a steady stream daily of films, television shows, video games and
Internet promotion of blatant sexuality, lack of self esteem, violent behaviors, lack of regard for
human rights and lack of respect for human life.” p.14
“Media has no ears for the culture of peace and nonviolence, they never want to
participate in peace activities.” – The Japanese Society for Developing the Culture of Peace
(Japan)p.23
The Global Movement for the Culture of Peace outlines several areas of concentration including changing the values, behaviors and attitudes of a culture from that of war to that of peace. The goals are lofty, including the following:
| CULTURE OF WAR AND VIOLENCE | CULTURE OF PEACE AND NON-VIOLENCE |
| Belief in power that is based on force | Education for a culture of peace |
| Having an enemy | Tolerance, solidarity and international understanding |
| Authoritarian governance | Democratic participation |
| Secrecy and propaganda | Free flow of information |
| Armament | Disarmament |
| Exploitation of people | Human rights |
| Exploitation of nature | Sustainable development |
| Male domination | Equality of women and men |
Critical Mass
Success in an effort to change a culture of war to a culture of peace may all boil down to numbers. He who has the larger network of people aligned with him wins. He who does not must either join the movement or face rejection. In this manner, non-violent power can best be described as an equation of critical mass.
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