The “P” word continues to be misunderstood. There is no shortage of stereotypes and misconceptions and they prevent us from having an informed discussion about the topic. Let me try and clarify the concept of peace. Pay particular attention to positive peace and its relationship to human rights including a focus on ecology.
In their book: “An Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies” David Barash and Charles Weber do an excellent job of defining peace. They delineate two perspectives. The first is the most common definition called negative peace. This is defined as an absence of war. The second, positive peace, is defined as “a social condition in which exploitation is minimized or eliminated and in which there is neither overt violence nor the more subtle phenomenon of underlying structural violence. It includes an equitable and just social order, as well as ecological harmony.
Structural violence is built into our social, cultural and economic institutions. It usually has the effect of denying people important rights such as economic well-being: social, political, and sexual equality; a sense of personal fulfillment and self-worth; food, clean water, and medical
Here are three groups who have had the courage to speak out against the use of violence
dedicating their energies to building a culture of peace.
Veterans for Peace : https://www.veteransforpeace.org/
Combatants for Peace: http://cfpeace.org/
The Zaltho Foundation: https://www.zaltho.org/