Barbara Deming, "Prisons That Could Not Hold"

"If we seek a world in which men do the least possible violence to each other (which is to state just the negative of it), then we are committed not simply to avoid violence ourselves, but to try and destroy patterns of violence that already exist."

"Prisons That Could Not Hold" contains writings from two experiences separated by 20 years of experiences, but brought together through Barbara Deming's life as an nonviolent activist for human rights. The first part of the book contains the contemplative writings of Deming while fasting in a jail cell for 27 days in Albany, Georgia with several other like minded people for participating in the Canada-to-Cuba Peace Walk of 1964. Deming's experience in jail, while filled with dirty mattresses, drunken, angry and distressed inmates, and oppressive authority figures, is one of unity, freedom, and love. And not just love for her fellow marchers, but a love for all of humanity, including her immediate oppressors on the other side of her cell's bars. Her noncooperation was not driven by spite, but rather by love and compassion that would not allow her to complacently accept violence, whether through racism, discrimination, or war. The second part of the book describes her experiences during a march of women, from the Seneca Women's Peace Encampment to a missile base in New York, in the form of a letter to a friend. Here we see a bond of women, not to alienate the male gender, but to celebrate a bond that is often neglected in our patriarchal society. What becomes clear in her account is that through nonviolence and loving, cooperative community building, these women were not symbolically marching for peace, they were demonstrating their love and compassion for humanity and the knowledge that violence aided by war and massive death dealing weapons hold the key to humanity's demise.

Citation Information:
Deming, B. (1995). Prisons that could not hold. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.

See Also:
Deming, B. (1971). Revolution & equilibrium. New York: Grossman.

Deming, B., & Meyerding, J. (1984). We are all part of one another: A Barbara Deming reader. Philadelphia, PA: New Society.

Elise Boulding, "Cultures of Peace: The Hidden Side of History"

"The tendency of planners and policymakers to prepare for worst-case scenarios leaves societies unprepared for the opportunities involved in best-case scenarios. Nevertheless, the longing for peace has not gone away."

"Cultures of Peace" displays the past, present, and potential future for the many disparate societies and lifeforms making up the planet, often lovingly referred to as Gaia. Much of history is told through lenses of violence that perpetuate hierarchical systems of domination and oppression. Historically patriarchal norms have not only caused untold damage to life systems and cultures but are also ingrained in the culture of much of the "One-Third" world. Yet throughout history and up to the present there have been experiments in Utopian ideals and intentional communities, groups and movements that have mobilized for peace, nonviolence, social justice, the environment,etc., and cultures that have maintained peaceable relations both within and without their own social groups. By looking at the history of violence without the glory that is usually associated with it and uncovering the positive and peaceful historical threads that also contribute to our societies, Boulding imagines her own peaceful future for the audience, who she also urges to "reflect, imagine, and write down" their own imaginings. By uncovering a hidden side of history, a history that is full of women, children, minorities, indigenous peoples, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and grassroots organizations to name a few, Boulding has created a book of reference that provides an academic yet accessible look into an oft overlooked subject.

Citation Information:
Boulding, E. (2000). Cultures of peace: The hidden side of history. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.

See Also:
Morrison, M. L. (2005). Elise Boulding: A life in the cause of peace. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co.