Some Say A Man Ain’t Happy Unless A Man Truly Die
Prince – Sign the Times
Many weeks ago an old friend sent me an e-mail asking what does Cpeace.com have to do with peace. This is a fair question in that much of what Cpeace.com will address is about conflict. But what makes this question important is the larger question of what is peace?
Peace is a complex and controversial concept. We fight over its meaning, ways to achieve it or whether or not it exists at all. The word rolls off of many people’s lips easily without conveying any emotion, while others say it with contempt, anger, or serenity. Yet as an aggregate species we humans search for, long for, dream about and die for it. Is peace the state of being all of humanity wishes to be? It has been said more eloquently by others, we all which to die because it is only there we will find eternal peace.
What do people think of when they hear or say the word peace? Some have told me that peace brings visions of flower-children, sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. Others think of the signs, the smiley face or sisterhood and brotherhood. But once seriously contemplated and absent skepticism most would agree peace is at its least the absence of war and at its most idealistic the end of the struggle for universal justice, a kind of oneness of humanity. The view of Cpeace.com is in the latter school of peace, but I realize that the simple oneness of humanity view is unrealistic. The realism lies in how to interpret and construct mechanisms for peace in the real and living world. This may well be humanity’s greatest challenge, and this is what Cpeace.com hopes to contribute towards.
Cpeace.com will attempt to contribute to a realistic and pragmatic dialogue about peace and how to achieve it, thus the reason for the name CONVERSATIONpeace.com (Cpeace.com). I believe the only way to lasting peace is through constructive conversation and sharing. I also believe that we must begin to envision peace, imagine peace or see peace and workout the details before we can have it.
While Cpeace.com does not claim to have a blueprint we do have a viewpoint we wish to share to begin the conversation. We believe there are cornerstones to building peace that have been revealed through history and everyday human experience. Everyday life has taught me to remember that peace is a long term idealistic goal, and just like any other goal it will take time and work to achieve. Day to day life has taught me that in tandem with patience and work I must also understand that to reach difficult long-term goals I must set short-term realistic objectives that will move me closer to my final destination. These are basic rules to the achievement of all goals. They are no less important when searching to achieve peace.
History is replete with struggle and conflict. One could claim the constant of history is war. Agree or not, one cannot deny the pre-occupation and abhorrent willingness of humanity to make war. If it is not the only constant of history it is assuredly a constant threat, and there seems to be no end to it. But we also know from history that humanity is capable of living together in relative peace in terms of the absence of war. This leads to the question of how can we develop larger and stronger, thus long term sustainable environments where people may feel secure enough to engage each other in constructive relative non-violent conflict resolution? Cpeace.com believes that justice paves the road to peace. Non-violent inter-group conflict resolution is done with justice as the goal. Though initially violence maybe seen as the viable alternative for some in time justice will prevail if it remains the goal. With full economic and social justice comes peace. With, “NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE.” Of course the meat is in the details. Cpeace.com is an attempt to contribute to the dialogue of developing the details.
The reality of peace is elusive but attainable. I will not see it, but humanity will. The question is, will my life contribute to reaching the goal or help delay its achievement?
