By Anne Creter (March03)

On February 2,03 George Lakey held a special weekend training in Philadelphia for social activists entitled Waging Peace in Wartime: Strategy & Vision Workshop. It was sponsored by Training for Change and Unite for Peace.

On Sunday morning an exercise was done with the large group (over 100 people) on creating a vision of a world that doesn't need war. The large group was divided into eight small groups, then asked to come up with a group vision of what this peaceful world would look like. The following represents, as best as can be replicated from the original creativity expressed on the flip chart pages, what these eight groups envisioned. The flip chart pages depicted here are not edited, ordered, prioritized or assessed in any way

Chart 1

Expressed more pictorially on flip chart than in words...pretty colorful picture of mother earth / nature...organic smile in everything...tree, brook, sky, ground, sun, birds, vegetation in ground, all in harmony etc.

Chart 2

Re-define Education --- Sacrifice...promotes

• De-monopolize knowledge What is..."War"? = Institutionalized, premeditated, competitive destruction of life
• Self-Acceptance promotes Social Acceptance - respect - deconstructing outlook of antagonization --- cooperation
• Economic Justice --- living wage, guaranteed home, food, health
• Campaign Finance Reform --- no lobby = committed politicians
• Re-distribute Power
• "Education" = cultural immersion, not indoctrination .

Chart 3

Expressed on flip chart in continuing concentric circles

• No War...is in the middle * Universal Service
• Scaling Back Institutions
• Money for Social Justice
• Dollars Not Valued Over Humans
• Values as follows:
  • Education: anti racist education, decentralized institutions empowering individuals, teaching peace, heart-centered child-rearing, conflict resolution
  • Transportation: hydro economy, public transportation
  • Environment: military shift to protect environment
  • Health/Housing: $ from war to culturally appropriate health care, multi-generational housing Information
  • Media: redefine purpose, public forum for discussion, prohibit monopoly, public funds for alternate media
  • Economy: space/war money to community, sharing resources, equitable sharing with world, charter corporations that are accountable, abolish corporate person-head
  • Spirituality: values (? Illegible) environment and creates stewardship, cosmic mind consciousness, accepting new possibilities
  • Government: transparent government
  • Technology: alternative fuel sources, world forum to discuss appropriate uses of technology

Chart 4

Village of Arts & Humanities

Influences

Zapatisas

Tyler

5th sacred thing

Spain

Ursulas's "Disposses"

B.Panther Party

Quakerism

Olive Branch

Re-evaluation Counseling

Mandragian (sp?)

Alexander Technique

Self-Determination Value

• Empowerment: emerges from self, not Hollywood!
• Defense: People are their "cops"
• Respecting:
  
  Artistic & Emotional Confrontational (stepping to the conflict) Pride (& Joy!) in self
  
  Vigilant
  
  Prominent space for history and memory
• Pleasure:
  
  society is oriented to it (do work 'cause it's fun)
• No disposables:
  
  everything has a useful full life existence
• RELEVENT TECHNOLOGY
  
  In action, means are highly valued as creators of ends (therefore, for example, self-care)
• DIVERSITY OF OPINION NOT THREATENING
  
  People who are "destructively" are not put in jail but are still valued - thought of 'in the whole' (not isolated - "they suck) but addressed as a situation we can resolve
  
  Orientation towards solutions, not blaming, alienation, damnation
• De-schooling:
  
  Education not for colonization of the mind but as a healing process

Chart 5

VALUES

1. Respect for Human Rights
2. Respect for the Earth; Sustainability
3. Cultural Understanding
4. Cooperation & Voluntary Inter-dependency
5. Reverence for Life
6. Fulfill Basic Human Needs
   
   

What is War?

An organized attempt to resolve conflict using violence against a group or their resources

Chart 6

Full Employment

Collectives

Get closer to folks and prevent isolation, shared "bad jobs, "

Health Care For All alternative medicine, energy medicine (Spiritual Schools)

Human Rights Highly Valued-taught in school, learn nonviolent options from young age, civilian based defense, people are all involved in defense/offense Guns, Bombs, etc. Culturally Opposed-not allowed to exist

Lots of Decision-Making Processes Public School-facilitation, environment her/history, nonviolent action, logical thinking, mechanics, housekeeping, community living

Industries are From / For Basic Necessities Self-Sustainability, Community Planning, Encouraging Each Other to BE our Best

Clean Energy Beginning at Center of Self Awareness-working on privilege / bodywork

Understanding rank and it's effect & how everyone has rank somewhere Working on Liberation Money From Those With to Those Without Dance, sing, movement

Earth rituals

Real Democracy

Honoring Elders

Fifth Mode of Prayer-thought, feeling, emotions of it already existing Community-Based Cities Empowered - Philly!!!

Agriculture, city farms, bio-regionalism

Mass Transport - few cars, (electric)

Empty factories re-made for people's needs

Web - city as a unit Chart 7

Another concentric circle diagram

Global Consciousness - Spirituality - Global Council on outside of largest circle

Decentralized Power - Accountability on next rung

Education - Shared Resources - Environment Community all on the inside circleÚ all of these with arrows going back and forth to and from each

DISARM!

Power to the People, representative government, inclusive of women, people of color, everyone! GLBT folks too

CONFLICT RESOLUTION AT ALL LEVELS

AN END TO CHILD ABUSE

ORGANIZE LOCALLY, THINK GLOBALLY

TRANSPARENCY - OPEN GOVERNMENT, OPEN RELATIONS

RESPONSIBLE & FAIR & JUST BUSINESS PRACTICES

ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR ALL... housing, clothing, food, healthcare

AN END TO SCARCITY!

Sustainable living for all beings ... except some viruses and bacteria,

being kind to animals

EMBRACE INTERNATIONAL IDENTIFICATION AND GOVERNMENTAL BODIES

ECOLOGICAL BALANCE AND RESPECT

SAY YES TO BARTERING

UNIVERSAL FREE EDUCATION including art CULTIVATION OF ART, IMAGINATION AND CREATIVITY

Chart 8

Another diagram ... imagine holographic atoms all inter-connected VISION: We are all connected and accountable to each other.

• Money for war now used for jobs, healthcare, education, food, housing. Everyone has a right to these things.
• Right to have job with leisure time.
• Greed and idolization eliminated.
• Children's talents are recognized and encouraged.
• Major conflicts are addressed by nonviolent peaceforce.
• Minor conflicts addressed by "the community."
• Elimination of institutionalized oppression.
• Freedom to live where ever you want.
• No country
• Fair trade
• All living beings are treated with dignity and respected

• Printer-friendly version
• Send to friend
• PDF version