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True peace

Levels of peace

Now that we have discovered positive and negative peace, let’s explore another way to look at peace: the concept of true peace. In this concept, peace is a combination of four different levels of peace.

 

True peace

Inner peace

  • Some see peace as harmony. Peace here means calmness. There is nothing that disturbs the world. There are no conflicts.
  • Some say that this harmony needs to start inside yourself: You need to have a peaceful state of mind. In this state, you have no desires, no efforts and your mind is calm.
  • The view of peace as harmony is often very present in language: To lead a “peaceful life” means to be at harmony. To “be at peace” means to have no conflict.

 

Peace with others

  • Peace should not only be within us but we need to learn how to act peacefully and build peaceful and harmonious relationships with others.
  • Becoming aware of who these “others” are in relation to us. Overcoming “othering”.
  • Becoming aware of values that shape us and drive our actions in order to act non-violently and communicate peace.
  • Do conflicts imply a lack of peace or do they make peace possible? Practicing non-violent conflict resolution.

Social and political peace

  • For peace to persist, we need to negotiate with each other to create and follow rules that allow us to be peaceful with each other.
  • Peace as a social contract keeps different powers in balance. And it can shift power to those that would otherwise not have it.
  • This is the basis for international treaties and the United Nations. Also states and governments are social contracts that are supposed to keep us peaceful.
  • However, also governments can be very violent – Hitler was voted democratically into power in Germany, murdered millions of people and started a brutal war.

Peace with nature and the environment

  • To live in peace is to be connected with nature, to respect and care for all living beings.
  • Peace with nature is also to be aware and grateful for what nature gives us: vital energy, food, water, materials, healing and happiness.
  • Nature provides examples and opportunities for being in peace and enjoying harmonious and blissful moments.
  • To live in a sustainable way means that we as human beings and the natural world coexist in peace and harmony, without destroying each other and degrading the planet and its resources.