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Which Peace Path Are You On?

The Quest for Peace Self Assessment»
When we start on a journey, we want to know which direction to travel. This simple self-test allows you to get a sense of where your particular strengths and strongest values are as a peacebuilder. This will help you know which path(s) may be right for you.

For each of the Eight Paths, there are a series of statements for you to rank. With that data, you will be making your own Personal Peacebuilder's Profile, which will give you a better understanding of your unique ways of contributing to a more peaceful world.…

Noteworthy Writings

From Nagasaki to Now (July 2006)»

Sixty-one years ago the U.S. launched the age of nuclear weapons at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since that time we have seen the exponential growth of the war industry and of wars around the world, with suffering and devastation too horrible to contemplate for millions upon millions of our brothers and sisters.

I had an experience recently that spoke poignantly to the situation we face today. A high school physics teacher had his students build catapults, which were then arrayed on the playing field for a mock war (the ammunition was jello), the spoils of which were to be pizza and coke for the winning ‘country’ that most effectively destroyed the armies and weapons of others. When the teacher announced, before the ‘war’ began, that indeed the ‘countries’ need not fight because there was enough pizza and coke for all, a young man on the U.S. team (i.e., the one with the biggest, strongest weapon) turned to his buddies and said, “Is he kidding? After all the time and effort I put into building this thing, you’d better believe I’m going to use it!”…

When Will We Ever Learn? (July 2006)»

When will humanity learn that violence always and only begets more violence? That force only creates escalating cycles of counterforce? That real peace never comes through the barrel of a gun, but only through the opening of the heart?

When will we learn that we cannot make allies out of enemies by refusing to speak together? That our actions carry the seeds of unintended consequences that can create more problems than the ones we think we are solving? That one human life is just as valuable as another?

Once again the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has erupted into flames. Once again the forces of destruction run amok, overshadowing all sanity, blithely setting in motion even graver long-term consequences, and threatening to grow and spread. Once again my heart breaks for the mothers grieving their dead or wounded loved ones, and for the thousands who have fled their homes in search of safety…

Zones of Peace (November 2004)»
I always think of the holiday season as a time to deepen my commitment to making 'Peace on Earth' a dream come true. At this time of year, people of many faiths are praying for peace, and this concentration of energy can boost us to the next level of concerted action.

What might that next level be, for those of us who are dedicated to taking personal responsibility for making a more peaceful world? In recent months, my thoughts have turned to the idea of creating Zones of Peace around us. If we follow the local and international news, we can easily become discouraged about the possibility of global peace breaking out any time soon. However, if we can't make peace in the world, we can make peace in our world, by selecting discrete places - our home, our workplace, a classroom, our neighborhood, our faith congregation - and declaring them to be Zones of Peace…

198 Methods of Nonviolent Action »
Dr. Gene Sharp

Coming to Consensus: Tips for Cooperative Decision Making »
Mark Shep

A Revolutionary Decision Making Process »
C.T. Butler

Spirit and Stardust (June 2002)»
Dennis Kucinich

From Tactical Nonviolence to Satyagraha (2001)»
Mark Shepard

Principles of Ecology »
Fritjof Capra

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack »
Peggy McIntosh

Ask Bess and Bubby: How to Raise a Peaceful Child in a Violent World

Ask Bess and Bubby, Volume One »
Bess and Bubby (Bubby is a Yiddish word for grandmother) have between them the experience of being mother and grandmother; elementary and high school teacher; professional peacebuilder, peace educator, and peace coach; humorist, and writer. They are deeply committed to helping parents and teachers create peace cultures at home and at school, so that our precious children can grow and thrive with peace as an embedded set of values and behaviors in their lives.

In this column (originally appearing as a booklet), Bess and Bubby debut their advice column, addressing 12 key questions representative of the kinds of concerns they have heard over and over again from parents seeking to raise peaceful children in the midst of the violent world around them.

Please check back often for new material in our Peace Library.