A bridge to peace
David Hazen
it could be any group that initiates. -- David
Oftentimes the best way to see the path forward is to start from the
distant goal and ask what has to happen before that, and before that,
etc. Starting from the top goal and working backwards to the more
immediate goal, this is my crazy idea for a bridge to world security:
Some day in the near future, within our lifetime: The U.S. Congress
authorizes and funds a Department of Peace or something like it,
perhaps transforming the Homeland Security, Education, Health and
State Departments to be well-funded agencies focused on violence
prevention and human development. The United Nations acquires greater
loyalty from its members and investing $60 billion per year provides
shelter, health care, AIDS control, adequate nutrition for everyone on
the planet over a 10-year period. Literacy and citizenship become
universal. Churches are de-institutionalized and spirituality is
commonly integrated into everyday life.
Before that happens: The pro-warriors agree that security is the goal.
Lobbying develops into a highly creative art form. Nonviolence becomes
a household word, and major conflicts transformed nonviolently are
more common, recognized, and extolled. Corporations begin producing
peace-building products and services on a large scale because it
becomes profitable. The UN reforms into a more democratic, horizontal
partnership of nations. Religious leadership is shared with lay
persons, experiential testimony takes precedence over dogmatic
beliefs, and ancient scripture is deeply understood.
Before that happens: The anti-warriors, the pro-peace-builders, and
environmentalists agree that the means are the ends in the making.
They create a united movement that presents an in-depth evaluation of
strategies for security on a cost-benefit basis. The movement takes
ownership of media broadcast networks producing nonviolent
entertainment, news of progress in the environmental and nonviolence
fields, educational programs on lifestyle change and citizenship skill-
building. Major funding is acquired from progressive globalized
corporations who leverage their influence on U.S. Congress and the
United Nations.
Before that happens: The Peace Alliance (promoting a U.S. Dept. of
Peace) unites with just ONE other group, possibly Beyond War or
Nonviolent Peaceforce. Partnership becomes the new trend among
environmental, anti-war, and peace groups. Corporate partners are
enlisted in support of economic sustainability. Effective boycotts of
corporations involved in damaging practices are organized. Specific
plans are developed for re-tooling the weapons, petroleum and
automotive industries into ultra-efficient organic production systems
for new forms of transportation, housing, water purification, energy
generation, agriculture.
A year from now: All the pro-peace groups who are working to build a
culture of peace, the ones who have endorsed The Peace Alliance,
everyone from the social justice and environmental movements, and
anyone else who wants to come, meet in a large, open field under a
huge tent with world-wide video linkups with similar audiences. Small
donations from millions of people come pouring in. Some music, some
meditation, and much conversation about goals occurs. Not much is said
about strategies and no final conclusions are reached on the rational-
intellectual level, but enough emotional-spiritual electricity is
generated to fry the circuits of NBC and ABC. Fox News is speechless.
Peter Bergel
and writing about. Thanks for sharing it.
It suggests to me that rather than struggling to take over existing
power structures and "reform" them, we have to build alternative
options, including governments, and shift over to them as we are
able. This has been suggested by many since the 60s or 70s, but maybe
the time has come to really figure out how to do it!
Beyond War seems to definitely be heading in this direction these days.
Peter Bergel
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Peter Bergel
Executive Director
Oregon PeaceWorks
104 Commercial St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-371-8002