Mary Midgley, "Animals and Why They Matter"

"Science is not just an intellectual game, carried on among a set of human players. It is a genuine attempt to explore the universe. Among the parts of that universe which are within our reach, the other animal species which share our planet with us are a most significant part. They are not just put there as a convenience for us, neither are they just an oppressed minority in human life. They are the group to which we belong. We are a small minority of them. It seems reasonable to suggest that we ought to take them seriously."

"Animals and Why They Matter" is a concise philosophical inquiry into animal rights. Midgley discusses past philosophical and scientific insights and draws connections between the kind of logical arguments that neglect the rights of nonhuman animals and those that in the past have led to the neglect of rights in human matters (e.g. racism and sexism). It is a natural phenomenon to have a stronger sense of compassion or ethical obligation to those with stronger associations to oneself, but to deny another being's rights based on individual kinship is not an ethically sound way to act. Although Midgley is concerned with this largely neglected topic, she does not take a stance that is absolutist on either end of the spectrum, whether it be as extreme as Descartes' argument that animals lack a soul and are therefore simply machines, or whether it be an activist's stance which allots nonhuman animals the same rights as humans. Instead, the topic is broached so that it can be addressed both rationally and humanely without disregarding emotional or anthropomorphic tendencies as irrelevant to the question of our ethical obligations as stewards.

Citation Information:
Midgley, M. (1984). Animals and why they matter. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.

Gordon Fellman, "Rambo and the Dalai Lama"

"An advantage the Dalai Lama offers over Rambo and the Godfather is the vision of peace and happiness realizable through sustained, difficult, and gratifying disciplines of examining the inner self and outer reality in ways that allow for changes from destructive, adversarial behavior to that of compassion, mutuality, and love."

"Rambo and the Dalai Lama" is a sociological and psychological expose of the human compulsion to compete with and domineer over one another in adversarial relationships. Fellman explores multiple facets of our society including politics, religion, sports, popular music and films in order to portray how adversarialism permeates our culture and threatens it at the level of global warfare. Although adversarial behavior persists deep within our interactions, institutions, and modes of thought, there are also seeds of "mutualism." Mutualism represents a shift from competition to cooperation, from perceiving people as "other" or as "enemy" to perceiving connectedness through empathy and love. Fellman offers the reader insight into this new paradigm and proposes ways to pursue more mutualistic behaviors and tendencies. One of the strengths of his analysis is his infusion of personal experience in his pursuit of overcoming his own adversarial tendencies and the mental tribulations accompanying his undertaking. Fellman encourages exploration and experimentation both internally and externally, weather by reappropriating our self or looking for and fostering mutualism in our environment. Like a ripple in a pond, our own experiments in mutualism have the potential to stimulate a global paradigm shift, something that the author would like to live to see.

Citation Information:
Fellman, G. (1998). Rambo and the Dalai Lama: The compulsion to win and its threat to human survival. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Riane Eisler, "The Chalice and the Blade"

"Human evolution is now at a crossroads. Stripped to its essentials, the central human task is how to organize society to promote the survival of our species and the development of our unique potentials."

"The Chalice and the Blade" gives an account of our human past that differs from that which has been traditionally handed down to us. Based on archeological evidence from our prehistory and a look at more recent history through a different lens, Eisler portrays a past in which we enjoyed peace and prosperity which was reflected through the mutual partnership between men and women. This is termed by Eisler as a gylanic society, whereas the type of society that we are currently experiencing, one that is often referred to as patriarchal and espouses differences between individuals in an inferior/superior relationship, she terms androcratic. Once this is established, history and its underside comes into sharp focus. During different periods of our history, the spurts of relative peace and productivity that we have experienced have been reflected in societies which lean more toward gylanic relationships between men and women whereas during particularly dark, violent, and repressive periods the androcratic relationship between the sexes has been at work. This brings exciting prospects for our shared future as we are given an alternative to the ingrained idea that our violent nature is predetermined. Instead, we can work again for a partnership model of society, which based on our current capacity for devastating destruction and unbridled technology at the cost of our natural world is a requirement for our continuing human saga rather than an interesting prospect.

Links:
Riane Eisler's Homepage



Citation Information:
Eisler, R. T. (1987). The chalice and the blade: Our history, our future. Cambridge, MA: Harper & Row.

Pam McAllister, "Reweaving the Web of Life"

"The connection between feminism and nonviolence is not that both are so nice and humane compared to patriarchy and violence. It is that both are so potent, with the same kind of power, that they have the potential to turn the violent, patriarchal system over and give birth to something healthier in its place." - Betsy Wright

"Reweaving the Web of Life" is a collection of essays, poems, letters, an interview, memoirs, biographies and more, written by over 50 women and 2 men that make and reflect on the connections between feminism and nonviolence. The views and experiences expressed are diverse, including an open letter to Gandhi questioning his views regarding rape, an essay discussing the interplay between sunpower and moonpower, a proposal to limit and maintain the male population of the planet to 10%, an interview with one of the most prominent names in both nonviolence and feminism, Barbara Deming, and a poem from a Native American about a nuclear reactor accident at Idaho Falls. Taken as a whole, this anthology stands as a catalyst for dialogue between people interested in two disciplines that up to the point of its publication had been separated more by vocabulary than by the views and actions pertaining to each. The metaphor of reweaving fits appropriately in the title as myriad threads of intellect, emotion, and action are strewn together into a cohesive and heterogeneous whole that promotes an openness in approaching ideas that are still being developed.

Citation Information:
McAllister, P. (1982). Reweaving the web of life: Feminism and nonviolence. Philadelphia, PA: New Society.

Nat Hentoff, "Peace Agitator: The Story of A.J. Muste"

"If I can't love Hitler, I can't love at all."


"Peace Agitator" is the story of A.J. Muste and his lifelong radical social experiments. Muste, although spending some time as a revolutionary Trotskyite, was a pacifist and a major figure in American peace movements. Whether it was involvement and leadership in peace marches, demonstrations against nuclear testing, labor strikes, or civil rights activities, Muste lead a life in action guided by the principles of nonviolence and his love of humanity. A theme that appears in this biography, which includes accounts from members of various movements and groups involved in forms of social acton, is that Muste was a sort of Rennaissance man of the peace movement. Muste had a very firm moral foundation based in the Christian faith (he began as a Calvinist Dutch Reformed Church minister and eventually became a Quaker and chair of the Fellowship of Reconcilliation) which allowed him to move forward with an undaunting and momentous conviction in his own work, but also allowed him to tie together the myriad movements that were happening all around him and to conciliate the various points of view that were being espoused. In a way, as the appelation "American Gandhi" indicates, Muste was an activist's activist who had a clear vision that gave root to disparate individual visions of the time.

Links:
A.J. Muste Memorial Institute

Citation Information:
Hentoff, N. (1963). Peace agitator: The story of A.J. Muste. New York: Macmillan

Wangari Maathai, "Unbowed"

"Trees have been an essential part of my life and have provided me with many lessons. Trees are living symbols of peace and hope. A tree has roots in the soil yet reaches for the sky. It tells us that in order to aspire we need to be grounded, and that no matter how high we go it is from our roots that we draw sustenance."


"Unbowed" is a memoir written by 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. The story is one that reveals her development from a child who loved being with her mother and enjoyed working with plants and soil, to being the first woman to receive a PhD in her home country, to eventually founding the Green Belt Movement and becoming and outspoken leader, teacher, and advocate for the pro democracy movement. What is most apparent about her through this collection of memories is her dedication and persistence in pursuing what she knows to be right. Through the Green Belt Movement, Wangari Maathai instilled in the common people her own passion for renewing the ecosystem of her depleted homeland through the planting of trees, often times in the face of violent opposition and stints of time spent in jail. Although the story details the overt political oppression that she faced, there is also a general oppression that is the backdrop for her tireless efforts. From the time of colonization from the British up to the present, Maathai's story reveals the oppression of Kenya's land, water, and vegetation, which seems intrinsically tied to the oppression of Kenya's people. Through Maathai's eyes, one can understand the destruction that not caring for the environment, whether out of plain ignorance, for the greed of profit or both, can do to a once beautiful and vibrant country.

Links:
Green Belt Movement



Citation Information:
Maathai, W. (2006). Unbowed: A memoir. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Desmond Tutu, "No Future Without Forgiveness"

"After the grueling work of the commission I came away with a deep sense - indeed an exhilarating realization - that, although there is undoubtedly much evil about, we human beings have a wonderful capacity for good."


"No Future Without Forgiveness" is Desmond Tutu's account of the work performed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) put into effect after the end of Apartheid in South Africa, which lasted officially from 1948 to 1994.The TRC provided both the victims and the perpetrators of crimes, which include murder, torture, and unlawful imprisonment during the Apartheid regime a medium to confess their stories and to allow for healing to occur between them. Amnesty would be provided for those guilty of crimes if they were first of all able to establish a connection between their crime and a political motive and secondly they were forthcoming in confessing their crimes and willing to accept some measure of accountability. Although the TRC was not unanimously supported by either the victims or the criminals, nor was it without some downsides and fumbles along the way, Desmond Tutu reveals its necessity for a nation like South Africa to move forward under a banner of reconciliation rather than one of retribution.

Links:
Desmond Tutu Peace Center



Citation Information:
Tutu, D. (1999). No future without forgiveness. New York: Doubleday.

John Paul Lederach, "Building Peace"

"Whether motivated by our courage or our compassion, by our love for our children or of this planet, we all believe that war is not the answer and that we can, and must, do what we are able to create peace in this world."


"Building Peace" constructs a framework for sustained peace efforts in societies divided by various forms of conflict and offers tangible ways of functioning through it, which have been mostly underutilized in mainstream peace processes to this point. In order to do this, Lederach, a peace scholar and practitioner to multiple conflicts throughout the world, proposes a holistic and integrative approach to peacebuilding. Structurally, there should be involvement at the grassroots leadership level of the conflict, such as local leaders and community developers, middle-range leadership including scholars and humanitarian leaders of nongovernmental organization, and top level leadership in politics, religious institutions, and the military. Lederach proposes that the middle range leadership in this model is optimally positioned to work for long term sustained peacebuilding efforts. Also, the conflict should be viewed on multiple levels including the specific conflict, the relationships between conflicting parties, and the larger systems at play which are responsible for fostering the specific conflict. It is proposed that subsystems, or microcosms of the system at large, provide an excellent middle way for peacebuilding that lies between the smaller conflict and the larger system. Another important component of the peacebuilding framework is approaching the conflict as a process that is dynamic and progressive over a period of time which needs to be conceptualized so that various strategies and actions are deployed from facilitators filling diverse roles. Of extreme importance is the need for reconciliation, where opposing parties are allowed to have the appropriate time and space required to address and heal historical grievances that may run extremely deep into the structure of the divided societies. Innovation and creativity are needed for relationship building between the parties, as often times this component is not treated with the import needed for long term sustained peace. Of course resources are also required, but perhaps more importantly, there is a need for the infrastructure to utilize the resources optimally. Finally, coordination across the framework is necessary if peacebuliding is to be sustained. Overall, Lederach proposes a comprehensive approach for peacemakers for them to constantly take into account the broader picture of peacebuilding, but is also coordinate and focus efforts toward specific conflicts. In the final chapter of the book, John Pendergast provides cases in Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Somalia for the application of Lederach's framework.

See Also:
Lederach, J. P. (2005). The moral imagination: The art and soul of building peace. Oxford: Oxford University Press.




Citation Information:
Lederach, J. P. (1997). Building peace: Sustainable reconciliation in divided societies. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press.

Eknath Easwaran, "Nonviolent Soldier of Islam"

"The Prophet faced many handicaps, but he never gave up hope, and finally triumphed. He has left that lesson behind, and if we face our difficulties in the same spirit, I do not see why we should ever fail. The cause of freedom is always just and the fight against slavery is always noble."


"Nonviolent Soldier of Islam" is a biographical account of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, given the prestigious title of Badshah and known by many as the "frontier Gandhi" due to his geographic location and devotion nonviolence. By utilizing the strength and faith of the Pathan (Pashtun) people, Badshah Khan, by requiring oaths of nonviolence, created an army that stood against the British not by countering violence with violence, but armed with "soul force", risked their lives in their struggle against oppression. In one of the more intense scenarios in the book, the Khudai Khidmatgars, literally translated to servants of God, were gathered in the Qissa Khawani Bazaar to demonstrate against the arrest of their leaders. When confronted by British troops in armored vehicles ordering their dispersal, they refused, and unarmed they absorbed the bullets and attacks of the opposed. The effect of their strength in faith and other resultant situations like it multiplied their support among the Indian people and helped in exposing the brutality of British Imperialism. Throughout his life, Khan held to his firm faith in nonviolence and was assured of its transformative effects through his own experience. Through his leadership, the Pathan people, classically known as violent and vengeful warriors, used their own strength, honor, and firm faith to transform their anger of oppression from violent reaction to love in action through nonviolence. Khan died in 1988 under house arrest after having spent half of his life under arrest or in exile.

Links:
Eknath Easwaran Homepage



Citation Information:
Easwaran, E., & Easwaran, E. (1999). Nonviolent soldier of Islam: Badshah Khan, a man to match his mountains. Tomales, Calif: Nilgiri Press.

Jane Addams, Emily Greene Balch, and Alice Hamilton, "Women at the Hague"

"Peace is the highest effort of the human brain applied to the organisation of the life and being of the peoples of the world on the basis of cooperation."
- Emmeline Pethick Lawrence

"Women at the Hague" is a journalistic account of Jane Addams, Emily Green Balch, both of whom are Nobel Peace Prize winners, and Alice Hamilton and their international travels and experiences as envoys of peace during the International Congress of Women in 1915. Also included is an extensive introduction by Harriet Hyman Alonso, which provides insight into the text of the book as well as the historical background of the three women and the effect that the experience had on their lives as pacifists and peace leaders. The role of women as peace leaders is central to the theme of this work and the views expressed by the women are visionary, since much of what they describe is as relevant today as it was almost a century ago. Themes such as the generation gap between the old male war makers and the young soldiers fighting causes that may not be apparent to them, jingoism, nationalism, and objectification of the enemy in the press, and the strong sense from citizens from every participant country that their cause was one of self defense. Some of the outcomes of the congress include statements of international cooperation, democratic control of foreign policy, and the enfranchisement of women on equal political footing as men, since their voice is a voice of peace. The groundwork laid by the International Congress of Women paved the way for the founding of the Women's International League of Peace and Freedom, of which Jane Addams was President and Emily Balch was secretary.

Links:
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

Citation Information:
Addams, J., Balch, E. G., & Hamilton, A. (2003). Women at the Hague: The International Congress of Women and its results. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.