Peacemaking can be defined as addressing some “level of violence” by finding an effective way to match any damage incurred with effective resources and deal with the cause in a way that limits the likehood of potential recurrence. This requires a knowledge of human nature (notions of self include culture and religion, subject to biology and neurology), a systematic view such as some basic areas of philosophy (to appropriately address concerns with aspects of history, religion, and ethics) to achieve balance, and finally a context with enabling institutions to carry this out (such as an emerging world order based on multilateral covenants on universal human rights) supported by enabling mechanisms (such as the United Nations and emerging multilateral institutions). It is even suggestive to think of some ideal kind of fully peaceful culture that might incorporate what we would expect (or at least hope) could eventually be possible in accord with our principles and purposes. Then we would know we have been on the right track!

Some of these possible notions can be described suggestively as follows, but each of us should try to construct an understanding the factors and their relationships. A breakdown of one area is:

Human Nature and Culture –
Hunter-Gather Origins: early humans were social and inclined to cooperation;
Eastern societies are still nearer to original culture, but are changing fast;
Tragedy as Western experience seems unavoidable from Greeks to Christians,
and in modern times for fundamentalists and realists/pragmatists alike;
Worst problems ala terrorists seem to have to do with “warrior group” identities;
“Ultimate identities” (such as nationalism and religious roots) complicate negotiation;
Role of neurology in self definition suggests “other” is an unavoidable problem.

Describing a fully peaceful culture would involve identifying desirable characteristics that are not unusual though not necessarily trivial. Success stories in that regard for our own time include:

Attitudes toward violence – problematic behavior can often be viewed as either individually systemic but
internalizable, or seen as dangerous but capable of being dealt with by systems we can teach and reuse;
Ethics: many contributions, all the way from Plato to Heidegger and even recent statecraft seem to apply;
History: academic and educational process through recorded history brought us to traceable human rights;
“American values in a unipolar world” (e.g., capitalism, individualism, self reliance) may be problematic
but not necessarily fatal (except accidentally, or no at least in ways that are no worse than “chance”).

World Religions are about the same in levels of accomplishment historically. They all promote order at some level whatever their complications and disadvantages. A kind of common “good” is something to be worked at in all known disciplines from Eastern approaches such as yoga to Western approaches using scientific and academic or entrepreneurial schemes. Across the world communities have survived potential disasters to some level of successful humane resolution. Psychologically, many levels of discipline help deal with multitude of perceived and actual afflictions. The general conclusion could be that no system has worked perfectly, but justice is what originally and still matters.

International economic issues and world scale conflict have some similar possibilities for useful analysis. Just war has been tried many times, and only seems to be possible as an ideal: even WWII had excesses, though the United Nations is still working on solutions. Peacemaking has also been tried, and can work better than any kind of war. Strategic peacebuilding is a forward looking way to achieve some objectives, and may yet have a chance of dealing with the current world (im)balance. Pacifism has worked in some well documented cases (perhaps in some ways involving limited stakes?)

What is at stake for UU’s is somewhat unclear, but we could take on some serious questions like:
Are we in a unique historical situation: peace or extinction?
Can education in conflict resolution make a difference?
Does “peace is breaking out all over” seem (ever) possible?
What can UU’s do to make a difference?

Maybe this makes the point, our role just might be “keeping hope alive”: we have to weigh in but maybe keep in mind that the main thing we can do is try to promote real discussion.

See the attachment for a list of 9 optimistic books about peace