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Promoting Paradigms that Promote Peace
an article by Steven E. handwerker
The International Associaition for the Advancement of Human Welfare, Inc. a 501-c-3 not for profit since 1997 in coordination with the Spirituality and Humanitarian Practices Working Group of Division 48 Peace Psychology of the American Psychological Association have and are presently engaged in a number of peacebuilding activities in the areas of Peace Education; Sustainable Development; Human Rights and Democratic Participation. All these projects are current and fully engaged.
First, for the past ten years the working group has been engaged in exploring and promoting the idea of a voice of conscience for professionals and global citizens whereby the ethical principle (from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) of a right to express conscience is made more visible through web sites and professional and nonprofessional educational programs.
Second, for the past three years, an international advisory team has developed and orchestrated and promoted a successful paradigm for humanitarian and sustainable interventions in the island country of Haiti, involving on the ground efforts as well as consultations to promote the physical survival and psychological welfare of citizens in green and sustainable ways. Student involvement on group and community levels is a key component for catalyzing the democratic participation of citizens and for involving green technology corporations to provide means by which economic and physical survival and sustainability take place.
Third, for the past 12 years the not for profit and the working group have been involved with the evolution of local and national connections between interest groups from the Abrahamic religious traditions. These efforts involve community events, joint participation from congregations at Holy day times, panel discussions and other visible ways of promoting the notions of building interfaith dialogue and harmony.
Please contact Steven E. Handwerker (peacewk@peacewk.org) or Brian Alston (brian1201@msn.com) regarding the second project and Steven E and John Paul Szura (JohnPaulOSA@aol.com) for the first project and Steven E. and Rabbi Silver(barryboca@aol.com) for the third project. If you have any interest in or questions about these projects please contact Steven E. Handwerker (peacewk@peacewk.org or drstevenehandwerker@gmail.com). Thank you for all that you do for peace!!!
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DISCUSSION
Question(s) related to this article:
Can longstanding violence be helped by someone from outside?,
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LATEST READER COMMENT:
The Art of Mediation
Comprehending a culture is absolutely pivotal for a third party to successfully mediate a peace between individuals, countries, and political entities. After all, everyone is unique and views the world differently, influenced by their language, beliefs, customs, environment, heritage, upbringing, family, and morality. While there are definitely similarities between cultures and some universal principles, it would be foolish to assume that societies are interchangeable, especially when attempting to overcome feuds. When conflicts arise, each party feels that their stance is legitimate, even if their point of view can seem absurd to outside observers. Therefore, in order for negotiate a peace between hostile bodies all parties must feel that their cultural ideals and beliefs will be respected.
Politics and cultural differences are one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome when attempting to reach a settlement between conflicting parties. Mediators need to carefully examine the reasons for each group’s actions and responses in order to discover a commonality. If a powerful enough shared belief can be discovered, such as establishing peace for an equal share of economic and political growth, violence might be subdued. Yet to accomplish such a difficult task, it is pivotal for mediators to have a strong comprehension of the diverse viewpoints. . ...more.
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