Peace: More Than A Greeting Card

by Louise Diamond

The holiday season is soon upon us. Once again we will scramble to buy gifts for those we love; we will prepare for pageants, festivals, ceremonies, family dinners, and solemn vigils; we will re-immerse ourselves in the spiritual meaning of Solstice, Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, and the New Year.

Many will honor the holiday season by sending greeting cards, and a common message on those cards will be the wish for ‘Peace on Earth.’ Every year we offer this prayer to our friends and associates; we hang doves on our trees and in our windows; some among us give thanks for the birth of the Prince of Peace. We recognize that this is the season when we think about peace for the world, and then we forget all about it until this same time next year.

What if ‘Peace on Earth’ were more than a holiday greeting card sentiment? What if it were a reality seeking expression through the human family? What if it were a pattern for our personal and planetary relationships that lived inside each and every one of us, knocking at the doors of our heart to be let out into everyday life? What if ‘Peace on Earth’ was your job, and my job, and everyone’s job right here and right now?

Fortunately, there are many who have already chosen to work for a world where ‘Peace on Earth’ is that alternative reality. I want to name them here, make them visible to you, and extol their efforts – not so much as individuals but as movements – for these are the ones who are laying the foundation for a massive shift in our society from a culture of violence to a culture of peace. They are the new and true peace leaders, the new pattern-makers

I honor those who are teaching our children about peace. There is a movement for peace education here in this country and around the world. […]Schools are initiating peer mediation programs, where students help each other solve disputes without the help of teachers. The thread these teachers are introducing into our peace tapestry is the bright shining light of children who understand they are part of a larger whole, and who are competent to manage their differences effectively and nonviolently. Because so many of the adults alive today have never learned this, it is critical we provide the next generation with these skills. Without this preparation of our young, there can be no ‘Peace on Earth.’

I honor those who are practicing mediation. The thread these mediators are introducing into our peace tapestry is the bright shining light of joint problem-solving for mutual benefit. The basis of mediation is that all parties in a dispute have a story to tell that makes sense to them; have legitimate interests or needs beneath the stated positions they put forward initially, and that when they work together for a solution that benefits all, the outcome is more likely to be both satisfying and long-lasting, and the relationship is strengthened, not destroyed. Without this ‘win/win’ approach to our inevitable differences, there can be no ‘Peace on Earth.’

I honor those who are involved in international peacebuilding. You will never know the names of these peacebuilders; most will win no Nobel Peace Prize, or be honored by any government. The thread these international peacebuilders are introducing into our peace tapestry is the bright shining light of finding peace in the midst of war. They are developing the human technologies that can allow us to live together on this planet without resorting to violence and domination. Without this practical wisdom, there can be no ‘Peace on Earth.’

I honor those who are engaged in international development. These are the organizations and individuals who not only are there with food and water and tents after a natural disaster, but who work year after year with the poor in the developing world, providing health care, education, clean water, job training, sustainable agricultural methods, and income opportunities. Poverty is a weapon of mass destruction too. The thread these international development workers are introducing into our peace tapestry is the bright shining light of compassion. They are putting love into action every day, far away from home and in often inhospitable circumstances, to assure that every member of the human family has a decent and dignified life, and that the resources of the ‘haves’ are used to benefit and build up the lives of the ‘have nots.’ Without this caring for all in need, there can be no ‘Peace on Earth.’

I honor those who are advocates for peace and justice. Every society needs those who will say ‘No!’ to actions and decisions that harm rather than help the common good. Every society needs those who will ‘speak truth to power’ and work tirelessly to turn society toward a righteous path.

I honor those who are using dialogue for bridging gaps in our society. I honor those who are using business as a vehicle for peace. I honor those who are working in peace groups of all kinds.

What an exquisite tapestry of peace we are weaving in these times! It is bright with the threads of intention, compassion, wisdom, and the skillful means to actualize peace as a living presence in our lives. ‘Peace on Earth’ is a work in progress, a beauteous work of art co-created by millions of people who care.
This holiday season, share with one another what you are doing to bring more peace into your life and into the world around you. Use your buying power for peace; your spiritual power for peace; your personal power for peace. John Lennon would have us all ‘Imagine…all the people, living life in peace.’ I say we can do more than imagine it; we can make ‘Peace on Earth’ a dream come true for all people, now and unto seven generations.

Louise Diamond, Ph.D. is CEO of The Peace Company, dedicated to making peace popular, practical, and profitable. To learn more about The Peace Company, and about where you can go to get involved in or support the kinds of activities mentioned here, email her at louise@thepeacecompany.com.