Comments on Building Peace: Why Language Matters

Thank you for your comment, but I take issue with ...

2009-07-18T11:45:38.570+03:00

Thank you for your comment, but I take issue with the charge that I am "not challenging myself" with the books I read.

Tolstoy is one of my favorite authors and I have an entire stack of books by Edward Said. Recent books I've mentioned on this blog include "The New American Militarism", "The Limits of Power", and "Three Cups of Tea" which are hardly standard fare for war hawks. Among my favorite theologians are pacifists like Thomas Merton, Dietrich Bonhoffer, and Stanley Hauerwaus. Other authors I've read in the past few years include Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Noam Chomsky, anticolonial writers like Chinua Achebe and Barbra Kingsolver, and the rabidly anti-war Anne Lamott.

There is a significant difference in our understanding of peace. Yours is rooted in an idealistic vision that is not actionable in the real world; the day will never come when all men lay down their arms. My understanding of peace is firmly rooted in the real world. Given that our imperfect social arrangements inevitably lead to inequality, injustice, and conflict, I'm interested in realistic, practical ways to improve those arrangements. How can we build institutions, governments, and societies that serve their people and resolve conflicts swiftly and fairly? How can we minimize the risk factors for violent conflict, and when wars do erupt, how can we end them responsibly with as little human suffering as possible? The use of force is bound up in all these questions. I do not in fact believe that "you can parade peace by gunpoint", but I do believe that security (provided by legitimate force) is a prerequisite for society to function and hence for peace.

Inspiring and depressing, both. I think you are ...

2009-07-14T10:53:34.637+03:00

Inspiring and depressing, both.

I think you are bang on about "relationships" and language. Language is not a tool and a science but an art that is deeply engrained and individualized. We learn languages and we become another....

However, language isn't a panacea. Peace will come when ALL men lay down their arms and refuse to fight, have the courage and bravery to beam the gift of love and LIFE. I'd recommend you an old soldier to read, Tolstoy, or even since you are in Jordan, Edward Said... I'd also recommend some a much better reading list. You are not challenging yourself and rather just reading whatever gives you comfort.

I don't expect to change your mind and I'm just a teacher showing students peace every day - visit http://projectpeace.ning.com , however, I really reject your belief that you can parade peace by gunpoint or as you do render to Caesar what is Caesar's. (and by the way, despite my use of biblical language, I'm in no way religious in any conventional sense...

David
http://eflclassroom.com

Great post! Inspiring. I've blogged it here ...

2009-07-13T22:54:24.014+03:00

Great post! Inspiring. I've blogged it here - http://lisibo.blogspot.com/2009/07/why-language-matters.html
Lisaxx