Visions Of Peace

At the heart of our cultural propensity for violence lies a number of fundamental beliefs. ‘Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum’ (If you desire peace, prepare for war) is one of the most classic contradictions within this cultural framework.

If the study of peace and peace research is to make any contribution to a culture of peace it must challenge and replace a number of core mythologies that are vital ingredients to the cultural norm of violence in all its aspects. The rational justification that underlines the utilitarian support for violence will have to be challenged and proven to be both false and treacherous.

The role of art and literature in the creation of cultures of violence has generally been underestimated. Great art and literature has consistently dealt with the fundamental causes of conflict and aggression within the human soul. However,both art and literature have been used invariably as tools of propaganda for the culture of violence.

Have we become incapable of imagining for ourselves what a future of peace might be like?
The responsibility today is to make sure that the art and literature become part of the solution and not remain part of the problem.

From Aristotle down through the centuries the idea of eliminating war and creating international peace through some form of political confederation or world government has been thought through by the most enlightened minds.

In the twentieth century, the League of Nations failed to prevent war, and despite the establishment of the United Nations weapons of mass extermination and the number of genocidal conflicts have reached unprecedented levels.

Is world government or a world federation best hope for the future?

How has, and how will human aggression be channeled away from the most destructive and self destructive habits that have evolved within our species?

What are the cognitive structures that are required in transforming human aggression from its most destructive aspects to a more constructive form of conflict management?

Does the answer lie within the advances of Biological and Psychological Knowledge? Is a paradigm shift about to take place aided by the greater understanding arising from these areas?

The spiritual vitality of many of the great religious traditions of mankind have been built around their attempt to interpret the relationship between the principles of peace against the actualities of violence and aggression.

Can peace be established through the comprehensive development in human society of the spiritual values of peace?

This has been seen as problematic for many people given that most of these religious traditions have a very ambiguous relationship to violence.