Peacevellian

the practice and art of peace is categorically different to the practice and art of war

Andrea Harding

October 20th 2023

In 1984, Barbara Marx Hubbard ran for the vice presidency of the US proposing that humanity required a Peace Room as ‘sophisticated as a war room’ if we are to evolve beyond our current challenges. Like most of Barbara’s work, this was another bolt of wisdom flying at us far from the future, and is still yet unrealised in terms of its profound insight and invitation.

I’m not an expert about war or the detail of what is bringing forth any of our major conflicts in the world, but I do know a lot about peace. I’ve spent over thirteen years in social experiments understanding how we move from psychology of win-lose to mindsets of win-win. I’ve met and talked with victims of the IRA, mothers who have lost children to extreme violence, survivors of rape, people working with refugees estranged from their homes and Interfaith pioneers.

Once you have immersed yourself in peace work you become very aware that the practice and art of peace is categorically different…