Ink 55: “What Is Peace?”- INK Spot Summary
- Different cultures have developed their own understanding of the concept of “peace” ever since humans had their first conflict
- UN was formed to provide a forum for these different understandings so a genuine peace might come to fruition on our planet.
- Rotary was there at the very beginning of the UN, trying to make peace a reality.
- In 1942, during World War 2, Rotary was distributing materials such as the “From Here On” booklet arguing that human beings must plan for peace in the future
- In 1945, Rotary was one of the 42 organizations invited to send delegates to the San Francisco conference which drafted a peace charter
- Today, Rotary holds the highest consultative status offered to a nongovernmental organization by the UN’s Economic and Social Council, which oversees many specialized UN agencies.
- In the Year 2000, Rotary had a voice in helping to develop the United Nations’ manifesto for a Culture of Peace
- Human beings all over the world were challenged to sign the manifesto during 2000 - the UN Year of a Culture for Peace Click "Read more" to do just that...
- The manifesto included 6 points….
- Respect the life and dignity of each human being without discrimination or prejudice;
- Practise active nonviolence, rejecting violence in all its forms: physical, sexual, psychological, economic and social, in particular towards the most deprived and vulnerable such as children and adolescents;
- Share my time and material resources in a spirit of generosity to put an end to exclusion, injustice and political and economic oppression
- Defend freedom of expression and cultural diversity, giving preference always to dialogue and listening without engaging in fanaticism, defamation and the rejection of others
- Promote consumer behaviour that is responsible and development practices that respect all forms of life and preserve the balance of nature on the planet
- Contribute to the development of my community, with the full participation of women and respect for democratic principles, in order to create together new forms of solidarity;
- Other International groups and Cultures have also helped to broaden our understanding of Peace…for example…
- In 1985, the Universal House of Justice, the democratically-elected governing body of the worldwide Baha’i Community, released a statement called “The Promise of World Peace”. It began this way, with a literal promise:
- For the first time in history it is possible for everyone to view the entire planet, with all its myriad diversified peoples, in one perspective. World peace is not only possible but inevitable. It is the next stage in the evolution of this planet — in the words of one great thinker, “the planetization of mankind.” – The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 680.
- World expert on Peace, R.J. Rummel says many people think of peace as the “absence of violence” – this is called “negative peace”. Scandinavian experts talk about “positive peace” – “an existing or ideal social state, such as the achievement of individual potential, as reflected in social equality, for example.
- The ancient Jews developed the wonderful peace concept of “shalom”.
- Shalom is usually translated just as “peace” but…
- For the ordinary Hebrew, “peace” is a word for wholeness, reaching our potential, thriving or growing towards fulfillment on four levels of life:
- Individual development level - peace is growing towards wholeness and maturity - spiritually, emotionally physically, intellectually, vocationally and artistically
- Inter-personal level – peace means honesty, respect, and openness between people
- Social level – peace means justice, fairness and respect in the community
- Planet wide level – peace means harmony with the whole natural order.
- What does “Peace” Mean to You?