http://www.theeventchronicle.com/study/unifying-global-peace-movement-challenges-solutions/
Unifying The Global Peace Movement – Challenges and Solutions
BY THE EVENT CHRONICLE ON MARCH 2, 2015
Taking the Peace Movement from the Classes to the Masses
“Disobedience to be civil must be sincere, respectful, restrained, must be based upon some well-understood principle, must not be capricious and, above all, must have no ill will or hatred behind it.” – Mahatma Gandhi
(Wake Up World) During a successful career in industrial and classified-government positions, I quit my role maintaining nuclear weaponry, realizing that government scientific programs are only interested in developing systems of war, not peace.
After I resigned, naturally I found myself in the activities of the world peace movement. During one of these early activities in the United States, someone came to me and asked me, “Do you plan to be arrested today?” For a moment I was lost, and I did not know what to answer. I thought being arrested for speaking out about what I believed was a possibility, but I thought it would be quite remote if not impossible. “No”, I answered in confusion.
Soon after, I realized that the peace group had instructed its members about what to do during “planned-arrests”, as they are called. I realized that even the different authorities, police, administration, etc. had been notified days before about the intention of some to be arrested. I was there watching the whole procedure during the arrests, but I did not know what to make out of it. I was simply confused. After a few hours the “arrested” were back with the group, happy and telling their stories.
The time went by and during other activities, I again was asked the same question, “Will you be arrested today?” Some of those asking me happened to be friends close to my heart and not being able to understand them, I felt uncomfortable. During the same period that all these activities were taking place, I had been enjoying reading about Gandhi’s activities in South Africa. I was new in the peace movement and I wanted to know the truth about the new world I found myself in by just doing the common sense thing, simply resigning from a job that was preparing unspeakable agony and death for humanity. I read that many times Gandhi and his followers did invoke arrest, but interestingly enough, I read that many times when released they commented, “We were disappointed upon our release.” And this they said when victory had not been achieved. I continued reading about Gandhi’s efforts for the rights of Indians in South Africa and in India. Here are some statements I read which made me think a lot about the state of the peace movement today.
“I can boldly declare and with certainty that so long as there is even a handful of men true to their pledge, there can be only one end to the struggle – and that is victory.” And this he said because he knew that soul force did not depend on numbers but on the degree of firmness. He said, “The real road to happiness lies in going to jail and undergoing suffering and privations there in the interest of one’s country and religion.”
At one time he asked his followers, “Are you prepared to share the fate of those of our countrymen whom the cold stone is resting upon today?” And when the people answered “yes” he continued, “I hope that every man, woman, and grown-up child will not consider their salaries, trades, or even families, or their own bodies.” He then went on to explain to them that civil resisters hope to convince the brain and conquer the heart by self-suffering and sincerity without hurting, humbling, or embittering their adversary.
At the same time that these planned-arrests here in the US were taking place around the country during different peace demonstrations, hundreds of people from around the world were jailed, violently beaten and even prosecuted for murder charges in Genoa. The first death of an anti-globalization demonstrator in history was also recorded. In my mind, I was trying to put into perspective the importance of the abolition of war in the nuclear age, the Genoa and other heroic struggles against the global empire of capital, the climate problem, and the direction of the peace movement today.
There are shiny examples of individuals acting as soldiers of peace within the peace movement. But collectively, as a movement, we need to re-evaluate the methods we use and the firmness we carry. To finally accept the cost in our hearts, we need to pay for the abolition of all weapons, whether of mass destruction or conventional, to finally abolish war itself before war abolishes us.
The Problem
For some people today, perhaps more in the West, it has become difficult to understand the difference between non-violence and cowardice, and the difference between violence and uncompromised spoken truth. In other words, while many are practicing cowardice they believe they are practicing nonviolence. And when people speak truth without compromise, they are labeled as violent and subversive.
We need to realize that passive resistance is not the same as active non-violent resistance. The former is of the weak; the latter is of the strong.
It is interesting that people have more or less confused the two. For this reason Gandhi said to his followers that “where there is a choice between cowardice and violence, I would choose violence.”
The struggle for world peace is not easy. Non-violent resistance requires much more courage than violence. In violence there is always the seed of fear, and in cowardice there is always the seed of violence. Non-violent resistance requires strength and courage.
There are many activists who have found that out, and who they feel discouraged and exhausted. They feel that their efforts have not gained the momentum they had hoped, and they know without any doubt that the “doomsday” they are trying to prevent is potentially ten minutes away.
Any sincere soldier of peace today knows that we as humanity have severely limited chances for survival, on our current path. Many seriously wonder if we have even passed a turning point. These feelings rise in our hearts when we make a small effort to talk to everyday citizens, and inform them of what we know about empire, and the peace movement. Most of the time they will look as if they are listening to a fairy tail, or they will change the discussion, or they will simply walk away.
How can this change? When we talk to them about other issues like pollution, or cancer, or taxes, they will listen. Why? Because these topics to them are real; they have heard about them over and over again. They have been educated about them since a young age. I wonder if there is still time for universal education about the urgent need to abolish war, and the means with which peace can be achieved. Such education has not happened now for so many years, as a culture of war has been accepted and embedded in our society. What makes us think it will happen before a global catastrophe unfolds in front of our eyes?
Certainly the governments are not contemplating the abolishment of war. They have plans to make more war. Some of them even plan to make nuclear war under certain circumstances. Our friends and relatives are trained to push the button, even the nuclear button. That is a fact. And the governments feel that it is to their advantage to protect their positions, and they do not hesitate to plan and use war to do so. Governments are not inspired to support peace education. Therefore, it has to be done with extremely few resources, preferably worldwide, and it must be done now.
That sounds like a huge task. Any down-to-earth person knows it is almost impossible for this to happen. But of course, if the peace movements in those most powerful countries do achieve the abolition of war (and policies of war), then the less influential nations will follow.
Comfort and Complacency
What is the problem with that? The problem is that the stronger the nation, the greater the obstacles to bringing peace education to its schools. Why? It is obvious that the nation has become strong not by compassion towards other nations, but by using war as the tool to achieve domination over the weaker. It wants to maintain its colonies to extract their resources, using their people as free slaves. Would the government of such a nation be willing to adopt a foreign policy of no war?
But that is not the only obstacle. The greatest obstacle comes from its own people. If the people are willing to pay the cost, they will have what their soul is thirsty for. It is well known that victory is for those who are ready to pay the price. But the people of a rich country, and also its peace movements, are used to comfort and security, and it is not easy for them to sacrifice their jobs, salaries, houses, boats, stocks, and health insurance. How much more if you ask them to stay in jail indefinitely or even to die!
Nevertheless, we know that without birth-pains, there is no birth.
In 1921, Einstein speaking on his first impressions of the U.S.A. described a state of affairs that is identical or perhaps even worse today. He said during an interview for Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant:
“The United States is the most powerful among the technically advanced countries in the world today. Its influence on the shaping of international relations is absolutely incalculable. But America is a large country and its people have so far not shown much interest in great international problems, among which the problem of disarmament occupies first place today. This must be changed, if only America’s own interest. The last war has shown that there are no longer any barriers between the continents and that the destinies of all countries are closely interwoven. The people of this country must realize that they have a great responsibility in the sphere of international politics. The part of passive spectator is unworthy of this country and is bound in the end to lead to disaster all round.”
Is it not because the United States is the country of plenty? When time is running out and the well-fed are not capable of pressing hard for peace because of their comfort, and on the other hand, the underfed of the world are not capable of doing so either because of their discomfort, what should we do? When you talk to someone who is dying of hunger about nuclear weapons, you will hear this: “I wished it had happened yesterday.”
We ask again, “What should we do?” Should we write more proposals and submit them to foundations to receive financial help for peace activities? Should we continue with more planned arrests? Should we increase our trips to different countries to talk to politicians and give lectures about peace? Should we have more frequent peace meetings in New York at the United Nations on peace? Should we try to increase the membership of our peace groups? Should we try to write more articles in the press and speak on television?
All these activities are good, but are they enough to bring the change? If we were only honest with ourselves, we would know that all these actions alone, no matter their intensity, will never be able to bring an end to the threat of annihilation. Change comes only after war — a non-violent war against violent governments that move from violence to violence on order to defend their interests. This kind of non-violent war brings a permanent change, in contrast to a violent war that brings “peace” only temporarily, generally in the form of “security”.
Why are we waiting? What are we waiting for? If we did not have the blue prints for how to see victory, then there would be some excuse, but we do have them. Why have we then been satisfied all these decades with lectures and speeches when we know that we are potentially ten minutes away from universal catastrophe? When will the non-violent conscience of humanity declare its own war of resistance against the violent elements of humanity?…
saintandrewstwinflame 