Alumni Corner: Fundamentals of Peacebuilding
When I think of peacebuilding, I often think about how peace has a relationship with conflict. It is often thought that conflict and peace are polar opposites of each other, yet I think the key to understanding them is to realize the relationship they have with each other. Peace is something that we can find within ourselves while involved within a conflict. Peace can help us when life becomes challenging dis-orienting.
Peace building is the process of purposely incorporating peace into the situation we find ourselves in. Take for instance, being lost at sea. If you woke up in a life raft at sea with no land in sight, how would you find your way home? Many would look to the movement of the sun or stars to help them find direction. Some might look to winds and wave motion or animals to help them gain perspective. Finding perspective is the key to getting home. If we can understand where we are in relation to where we want to be we can find a path home.
Peacebuilding is gaining perspective.
Without perspective it is hard to create the movement we need to get to where we want to be. Conflict often comes from a problem with perspective. When what we expect is different than what we are experiencing we become frustrated. This frustration motivates conflict. The difference between what we expected and what we got is where conflict begins. If the understanding of this difference mixes with fear, we will experience anxiety about the gap between those two points. If our pride mixes in to our frustration, we produce anger that fans the flames which drive the conflict. In reality…
Peacebuilding is understanding the gap between expectation and reality.
When this gap emerges in our life it allows for myth to take hold within our stories and begin to modify what we thought happened and deepen the justification we have for why we are not at fault. In the book Bringing Peace into the Room Robert Benjamin said, “By the time a conflict reaches the courtroom or mediation, the stories of what happened have been spun, revised, and redacted in a way that supports and justifies each party’s emotions, and each prepares a script, casting themselves as the hero and ascribe the other party the role of villain.” (Hoffman. p98) To be peacebuliders we must learn how to look for the truth of this gap between what was expected and what really happened.
Peacebuilding is understanding truth.
To gain perspective on this gap there are two methods we can use. Method one is to find absolute perspective. This method helps us find things that are external to the conflict that everyone can agree are correct. This might be laws of the land or rules of a contract, it might be documented evidence of what happened, or even the perspective of an outsider those in conflict can agree with. By finding external references we do the same as following the stars when lost. Understand where we are in relation to where we need to go.
Another way to gain perspective is to look for relative points. These are reference points that are not fixed points but can be agreed upon as important moments or facts of the conflict. They can be commonalities aiming the stories of people, they can be facts the parties can agree on, or statements or principles that can be used for guidance. They might not be the best methods, yet they can help us move in a desirable direction.
Peacebuilding is asking questions about the truth.
One of the hardest questions we can ask ourselves when involved in conflict is this: “Am I interested in the truth or promoting my opinion?” This question forces us to look to ourselves and our own motives. If we are for promoting our own views, then we are setting ourselves up as the arbiter of truth in the matter. If we prefer the truth, then we must admit that maybe we are wrong in some way and need to be open to understanding the truth.
Peacebuilding is openness to being wrong.
The best way to learn the truth is to realize that we might not know everything. Having an openness to a little doubt about our current beliefs helps us learn more truth. In summary,
Peacebuilding is open to exploring the truth.
Meet Curtis Howe
Curtis Howe is a recent Alum at Utah State University. He studied religious history in the Department of History, Philosophy and Ideas. He holds a degree in Religious Studies as well as an interfaith Leadership Certificate. He is a Transformational Mediator and Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
The Heravi Peace Institute Alumni Association is bringing our graduates together for a second year, creating a tight knit community of colleagues and friends, active in their corner of the peacebuilding field. In this issue, Curtis Howe share his take on studying peace and conflict. Learn More