A diverse panel of UIS professors provided thoughtful discussion about peaceful avenues to local and global conflicts and the complexities therein.
Religious pluralism, also ethnic and political pluralism.
Extremists in each religion thinks that their religion is the one true religion.
"Religion is wonderful until it is placed between two covers."
On the idea that all religions have something to offer, "All rivers flow into the same ocean."
Included was a screening of a 15-minute video, Steps to Peace: The Journey of September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows.
is NOT
a cry
for
WAR
Message on sign carried by families of victims of Sept. 11, 2001 during A Walk for Healing and Peace, DC to NY, in November 25, 2001 - December 3, 2001
"Terrorism is here to stay. It is the weapon of the weak." Dr. Proshanta Nandi, Retired Professor said, speaking on the fact that terrorism is something we will always be dealing with throughout the world now. The question was asked, How can we stop terrorism? Dr. Nandi pointed to the words of Mahatma Gandhi for direction. "Violence breeds violence...Pure goals can never justify impure or violent action...They say the means are after all just means. I would say means are after all everything. As the means, so the end....If we take care of the means we are bound of reach the end sooner or later."
"Violence cannot be defeated by super-violence," Dr. Nandi stated. Teaching nonviolence instead of violence was another point he brought up. Nonviolence is not a passive process, it is an active process. Nonviolence must be a relentless as a military campaign. Indeed, if we spent 1 percent of 1 percent of the Pentagon bugdet on nonviolence programs, permanent stable solutions and peace would come out of that research and action.
Terror can only be destroyed through LOVE. (Possible slogan for a sign)
Ends do not justify the means. Every step to an ideal must fall in line of the ideal itself. As Martin Luther King, Jr. eloquently stated, "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal." Other quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr., which went along with the theme of the discussion, yet were not directly expressed:
"Love is creative and redemptive. Love builds up and unites; hate tears down and destroys. The aftermath of the 'fight with fire' method which you suggest is bitterness and chaos, the aftermath of the love method is reconciliation and creation of the beloved community. Physical force can repress, restrain, coerce, destroy, but it cannot create and organize anything permamnent; only love can do that. Yes, love--which means understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill, even for one's enemies--is the solution to the race problem."
Martin Luther King, Jr. 1957
"Nonviolence is absolute commitment to the way of love. Love is not emotional bash; it is not empty setimentalism. It is the active outpouring of one's whole being into the being of another."
Martin Luther King, Jr. 1957
"I am convinced that love is the most durable power in the world. It is not an expression of impractical idealism, but of practical realism. Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, love is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. To return hate for hate does nothing but intensify the existence of evil in the universe. Someone must have sense enough and religion enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil, and this can only be done through love."
Martin Luther King, Jr. 1957
"In struggling for human dignity the oppressed people of the world must not allow themselves to become bitter or indulge in hate campaigns. To retaliate with hate and bitterness would do nothing but intensify the hate in the world. Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can be done only by projecting the ethics of love to the center of our lives."
Martin Luther King, Jr. undated
For more on the writings, speeches, and messages of hope of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project website, http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/
If Iraq does finally acquire Weapons of Mass Destruction, especially nuclear weapons, that only makes them a part of the world community. The moral authority of the United States telling another country not to build or buy nuclear weapons is weak, because America is the largest stockpiler of nuclear weapons.
Jan Droegkamp's peace activist friend Gale taught a class in Afghanistan about gender equity and steps to facilitate the education of Afghani girl's. The remarkable fact was that 20 men from the Taliban, some high ranking, participated in the seminar. This is stunning because of the propaganda in America declaring that all Taliban are "evil". This is also hopeful.
Economics as a barrier to peace. Gandhi once said that poverty is the worst form of violence. Gandhi also said, "Economic equality is the master key to non-violent independence...A non-violent system of government is impossible as long as the wide gulf between the rich and the hungry millions persists....A violent and bloody revolution is a certainty one day unless there is a voluntary abdication of riches and the power riches give and a sharing of them for the public good....All
have not the same capacity...I would not cramp talent...I want to bring about an equalization of status...."
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