Peace Reflection 1

What is peace?

It seems like a simple question. Almost everybody seems to have an idea, an opinion on what peace means. Yet at the same time, it is near to impossible to come to a definition that consists of all that peace symbolises and contends for. When Victor asked us to write three words that first come to my mind, I almost had a dejavu.

Three years ago, sitting in my high school peace and justice class, I had to answer the same question. I dont remember all the words but one that I do remember was the Dalai Lama. He stood for all that is good and noble in this world. But this simple exercise ( not easy, but simple) gave me another chance to see how my understanding of peace has, lets say, evolved with my growing experiences. Today, I wrote Health, Wealth and Joy.

Still, this does not answer the question. This is not a satisfactory answer to me. Can there ever be a perfect definition?

Peace is elusive. Thats all I could say with certainty. Looking from a different perspective, thats the very reason that draws me to study about these concepts. The mystery hangs heavy in the air. Although generations of people like Johan Galtung has dedicated their life to study peace, it could not be answered. Yet the very fact that these quest continue to excite our mind seems to show how relevant it is to our life.

So Maybe, the answer is not really that important after all. Maybe, it is the process of exploration that matters. Humanity distinguishes itself from Sciences because it is not definite, not exact. Its beauty is in the nuances, in the little bits here and there.

Moving on to the South Bronx story and the incredible discovery or lets say awakening it let to, I became even more convinced of the danger that economy causes. The arrogance of corporate globalization. It seems to me that sadly, money talks. And it talks loud. It shows who has power and who has not. Sadly, those in power are often dehumanized when the greed or just the profit drives them to see human beings as only consumers. What a sad world that would be, to reduce the beauty of that all exists into a market.

And the way it works, their money will protect them. From Jails. From doing what they do. And that too, inconsiderately and ignorantly. What a strange world.