How to create a non-violent mentality

[Isabel Allen]

Please all of you activists, and aspiring activists, let us lead the way all over the world to create a new paradigm in our communities! One way is to start by thinking differently about reacting with care and consideration to other´s violent actions. How can we do this within our own communities? How can we aspire to ¨teach peace¨when violent emotions take over? What ways can we use to teach love in the face of angry and militant persons? Can we mediate to end conflict or potential conflict?

[Gregory]

Thank you Isabel for your post. First we must be willing to go within ourselves in order to examine our own thoughts and reactions to hurt and to pain and be willing to admit that we need to work on ourselves first. The ego continually tells us that it is the other , that it is them, whether it be a politician or a percieved enemy. Once the light of self examination is turned own within ourselves we have taken the first step on a long journey.

The sayings by Henry David Thoreau "Things do not change, we change" and Gandhi "We must be the change that we wish to see," take on new meaning when we come to the realization of the fact that each one of us contributes to violence and war with our thoughts and reactions first. By wanted others to "pay" or to "suffer" for their actions we further contribute to the cycle of violence and vengence.

As a peace activist I have thought for years that because I work for peace and human rights that I was somehow different or a little more advanced then the warmongers. But I have come to realize recently after doing a lot of self examination, meditation and reading (great book connected to this topic is Eckardt Tolles "A New Earth,"), that I must continually watch my thoughts and reactions and understand that it is up to me to move past the beliefs that anyone has to pay, that my only job is to continually evolve, stay positive and talk about what I / we can do to move forward in a constructive way by being pro-peace, pro-reconciliation etcetera.

Mother Theresa said that she would never attend an Anti-War demonstration but invite her to a pro peace demonstration and she would attend. Some may ask what is the difference?

When you understand that what you focus on with emotion increases then you can understand that when you think about war, then war is the focus, when you think about revenge then revenge is the focus and when you truly think about peace then peace is the focus.

We can teach love by being loving, by starting something by saying yes to peace and reconciliation and yes we can mediate in conflicts if both sides have the true willingness to LISTEN to the other with honesty and empathy.

Gregory