[Politics_Observer]

I have always wondered, what can we do as human beings to make the world a better place, that is more peaceful and has less violence and war? I am a huge believer in peace and absolutely love peace. Can anybody offer some serious suggestions of what can we do as individuals and as groups of people to help achieve this goal? It's a question that speaks to my heart. I would like to see the world be a less violent, peaceful place that is more harmonious and has less war.

[Politics_Observer]

Here is an interesting article I found and I quoted a few parts of it. You can read the article in full by clicking on the link below:

A better term to describe these ancient illiterate societies is “preliterate,” because they did not yet understand why literacy was an essential step in their society’s evolution. Imagine trying to convince the ancient Greeks and Trojans in the Iliad that they should learn how to read. This would be a seemingly impossible task, because they had no reference point to understand why reading is important.

Today we know reading is important, because there is a reason why American slave owners made it illegal to teach slaves to read. And there is a reason why dictators ban books and the Nazis burned books. To oppress any large group of people in a society, a system must first oppress their minds, and reading offers us a way out of ignorance. Literacy also made it possible for humanity to organize ideas in new ways, allowing us to create intellectual disciplines such as science, history, philosophy, psychology, biology, and much more.[ii] Science is one of many subjects that cannot exist without literacy.

Just as we must learn any art form, we must also learn how to live. But unlike other art forms, the art of living transforms us into both the sculptor and the sculpture. We are the artist and our life is the masterpiece. [iv] As a child I was never taught the art of living. For example, I was never taught how to overcome fear. Wouldn’t this be an incredibly useful thing to know? In fact, overcoming fear is one of the most important life skills we can have. Nor was I ever taught how to calm myself and other people down. This is another essential life skill.

As a child I was never taught the many essential life skills that are part of the art of living. I was never taught how to resolve conflict, make the most of adversity, listen deeply, focus my mind, inspire people to overcome seemingly impossible tasks, lead from a foundation of respect rather than intimidation, develop empathy, be a good friend, have a healthy relationship, challenge injustice, be happy, find purpose and meaning in life, develop my sense of self-awareness so that I can critique myself honestly, and help humanity create a more peaceful and just world.

Some children learn these skills from their parents, but many parents do not know how to listen well or handle conflict without yelling, causing children to learn bad habits. When people watch cable news, reality shows, and other forms of media entertainment, how often do they see someone who listens well and resolves conflict calmly and respectfully? More people in our society are taught to resolve conflict through aggression than through the power of respect.

The art of living also requires us to learn the art of waging peace, because peace is the process and product of living well. Instead of saying our society is illiterate in peace, a more accurate phrase is “preliterate in peace.” Three thousand years ago, there were many brilliant Greeks and Trojans who did not understand the importance of becoming literate in reading. And today, there are many brilliant people in our society who do not yet understand the importance of becoming literate in living well, waging peace, and our shared humanity.

Because environmental destruction, nuclear weapons, and war can drive humanity extinct, this new kind of literacy I am describing is necessary for human survival. Just as people today recognize that illiteracy in reading is a serious problem, we must create a future where people recognize that illiteracy in the art of living and the art of waging peace is also a serious problem.

https://www.wagingpeace.org/why-we-need-peace-heroes/

[skinster]

Weird thread, considering you invaded another country.

[Politics_Observer]

@skinster

This thread is not about me and I don't see anything weird about wanting peace. I guess some people who don't like peace would find it or this thread "weird."

[skinster]

I just find it strange considering you still support your government doing the exact opposite of peace all over the world today. I'm not saying your government is responsible for everything wrong around the world today, but it is for a lot of it and it is at home too.

[Politics_Observer]

@skinster

I don't support everything my government does. For example, the invasion of Iraq I believed was a mistake. However, I did support our military action in Afghanistan to defend ourselves from the terrorist attack on 9/11. We were attacked on 9/11 on our homeland so we had to defend ourselves and fight back. That doesn't mean I hate peace if I defend myself and my country when we are attacked. 9/11 was a personal attack on every single American. We have a right to defend ourselves. Just because one was a soldier at one time who enjoys and likes peace doesn't make him "weird" or "strange." I think that makes him quite wise. OBL's attacks on 9/11 did not make the world a better, more happier and less violent place. It certainly increased the violence in the world though. He certainly didn't achieve anything.