December 2004

News
catch up on the latest

Feature article
by Sunirmalya
 

Featured Poem
'The Door To Peace Opens Inward' by Bob Butler

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Youth Vote

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the latest highlights from our Peace Forums.

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From the Editor

What a year it's been, and what a time for all of us.

Our little ezine will aim to provide you with the determination to march forth daily and continue to lift our planet.

If ever our world needed an inspirational vision of a harmonious, violence-free human family, it is now. See our article on "A vision of peace when war is winning.."

We've got everything from inspiring writings and music to the news making and breaking the peace.

Please take the time to have a look around, and above all - we hope you enjoy it.

Christmas - there has never been a Christmas before that has so purposefully extolled us to 'peace on earth'

Youth Vote - Why are the most enthusiastic, idealistic and visionary citizens in our society unable to vote? Our latest campaign is to gauge community support for a non-mandatory vote for our youth.
 

World Hug Day Jan 21 - a fun day to hug your world family for peace. Please pledge a few hugs and spend the day showing war can be over - if we choose it. (it's free!)

Christmas - never more did we need 'peace on earth'. While you are celebrating Christ's birthday, why don't you give gifts from the World Peace Society and help our planet and inspire your friends and loved ones.

Feature Article

A vision of peace when war is winning - by Sunirmalya

It is a very interesting time that we live in. A time that has the opportunity to stand as a pilot guide to the peace movement for generations to come. A time that will be remembered as the lowest of the lows of the 21st century.

When the hippies of the sixties began to question stolen liberties and the autocratic corruption of democracy, they did so with little planning, primitive networking and no coherent vision. Still, the changes they wrought, remain the most progressive of the 20th century. It must be said that among the catalysts for their mobilisation was the Vietnam war.

Now, a similar set of parameters are present. There is currently a polarisation of views about the recent actions of fundamentalist factions (both Christian and Islamic) in the West and Middle East, that parallels closely the world polarisation at the time of the cold war and Vietnam. This time, however, it is we that have the opportunity to present a coherent, well planned, networked vision of a free and peaceful world. More than ever, it is important for us to focus not on particular conflicts and their causes, but a complete revolution of the necessity for violence at all. It is time we realised that there will always be disagreements but we, the peace movement, must move the world to non-violent conflict resolution and the vision of a larger human family.

Right now, it is the religious fundamentalists that hold power on the flanks of war. They have power because most of us have a gnawing sense that society has descended a little too far into immorality. They have been able to sell the idea that they are the pinnacles of morality, but the truth is they are the pinnacles of ignorance. There has never been a time where people from both flanks have closed their minds and hearts so determinedly. Their ignorance of each other creates the fear and hate that perpetuates war. Their dictatorships whether the Mullahs of the fundamentalist mosques or the televangelists of the crystal churches, speak of killing and war as easily as they parrot their doctored scriptures. These are not high morals or high religion, to hate and to kill. To separate each other via religious racism, this is not morality. To populate their cause via fear of an almighty that will wreak destruction is not morality – it is medieval ignorance and monumental stupidity. Our God is not a God of fear, but of love. Anyone that truly believes that we must kneel down to a great ogre of a Supreme Being that will fry us upon the tiniest of misdeeds is simply not seeing reality. This earth is not some necessary evil stepping stone to be annihilated on our way to a heaven in the clouds.

It is ridiculous to suppose that even though we understand and teach our children that violence does not solve conflicts at home or in the playground, or as adults with our neighbours or work mates, we still are taught to believe that violence will work in solving international disputes.

It is time that we just insisted that war be not even the last resort. Whether we understand it or not - we are one human family and our brothers and sisters will sometimes have differing views, but they are still our brothers and sisters and when we kill our family members, we kill the very fabric of ourselves. The challenge for us is to simplify our vision. To make it clear and vibrant. Violence anywhere breeds violence, breeds war. Conflicts are solved best just as our kindergarten teachers explained by talking and discussing and negotiating.

Finally there is a simple reason for us being here. To love and to be loved. If you want to find happiness, you will find lasting happiness in the love that surrounds every atom of our and every other existence. It is very simple and the proof is that it is impossible to be unhappy when one is offering love. Try it. So simple yet so difficult for us to believe. You can perform any other action and find unhappiness if you so choose, but while loving it is impossible. Imagine a world where we spent the money used for violence against our brothers and sisters on food and time offered with love.

So our simple vision - is no war, no violence. And lets spend the time we have got left over working on practising the skill of loving.

Forums

Thanks to the people that have started to use the forums, though we'd really love more of you to participate. We’re sure that you understand our concept of the human family that is joined at the heart and unites and empowers each of us. It is simple mathematics to realise that the power of the many is the simplest path to earthly heaven. (sorry spocky!!)

So please let us know how you are going, what little failures and successes you might be having, and if you have something super-inspiring don’t hesitate to share it with the rest of your peace brothers and sisters.

On the sixth day, God created the platypus. And God said: Let's see the evolutionists try and figure this one out.

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From our members

A beautiful poem by Bob Butler - Thanks Bob!

more poetry is available on our website: http://worldpeace.org.au/poems.asp

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