It Hasn't Happened Yet, But Can the Peace Movement End and Prevent Wars?
People have been demonstrating for peace, speaking up for peace, voting and marching for peace, using peace symbols, peace bumper stickers and T-shirts, and praying for peace. These pro-peace advocates have had an impact. President Lyndon Johnson had to abandon running for a second term largely because of the Vietnam War protests, the United States and Russia have dismantled some nuclear weapons, and perhaps there has been some success in limiting their proliferation. This international grass-roots movement has something to show for all the involvement and effort.
But let's not get carried away by any illusion or delusion of overall success. There are tragic wars going on all over the world. We don't see or hear it in the news, but in just one war, the Second Congo War, 5.5 million people have been killed in about the past 10 years. Daily deaths from the war there are estimated at around 1,000 men, women, and children each and every day, and it's happening right now.
Violence between individuals, gangs, tribes, countries, religions, and religious sects is a daily event around the world. Pakistan, India, Israel, North Korea, and Iran are among the nations who either have, or may soon have, nuclear weapons, in addition to the United States, Russia, and China. And terrorist organizations have been trying to acquire them, and maybe they have some, or soon will. Poison gases, toxins, and Anthrax are likely available to those who would use them.
Why has the Peace Movement not been able to end most wars, if not all of them, and prevent new wars?
Many people, though a minority, have been relying on violence to gain power and to get what they want, throughout the history of mankind, and people of that ilk are not going to stop that behavior without activism being asserted by others.
There are specifically Five Key Steps, spelled out in The Peace Prescription, that are needed to prevent wars, to prevent the organizing and recruiting for the violent behavior that is required for any war, whether on a small or large scale. These five steps have yet to be taken.
Some in the Peace Movement have focused on political partisanship. Peace does not belong to any political party, group, or nation. Let's focus on getting the job done, not on bashing the politicians and political groups some of us love to hate. That is a waste of valuable time and energy. Yes, oppose any politician or office-holder who advocates the initiation of violence, but continuous bad-mouthing of a particular official or political party discourages some from joining with us and diverts us from what needs to be accomplished.
It's fine to demonstrate for peace, to take part in candle-light vigils, and use pro-peace bumper stickers, etc. But, the specific five steps will have to be taken by many of us at the grass roots, such as bully management at young ages, invoking the Peace Law that makes illegal the serious advocacy of violence or war, the barring and removing of violators of the Peace Law from any positions of political authority or power, and so on.
The challenge is for the vast majority of non-violent people who want peace to take the necessary steps to manage the minority who advocate and commit violence. Prevent violence - Enjoy peace. That's the formula. Now let's do it. Pass it on.
Posted by Dr. Edward Marshall at 10/31/2009 9:28 AM 
Categories: peace, war, peace movement, ending wars, preventing wars
Tags: can peace movement end wars Peace Movement has not been able to end wars
Categories: peace, war, peace movement, ending wars, preventing wars
Tags: can peace movement end wars Peace Movement has not been able to end wars
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