Social Science Envisioning Peace at Different Levels

Write a Journal Reflections Assignment Based on the instructions here.

Peace and Conflict Studies is a multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral, and multi-leveled field. It pertains to intrapersonal, interpersonal, family, neighborhood, community, organization (workplace and civil society), national, international, and global.

The Roman philosopher, Seneca, wrote “Ignoranti quem portum petat, nullus suus ventus est.” In other words, “If a man does not know to what port he is steering, no wind is favorable to him.” (Seneca, Epistole, LXXI, 3.)

This can be said of peace and peacebuilding. Most of us know what peace is not, but we don’t know what peace is. We don’t know to what port we are steering.

For this journal entry take the time to envision what peace would look like to you in your own life at each level above. It may be easier for you to envision peace at some levels and harder for you to envision peace at other levels. There are no right or wrong answers. The important thing is to envision in as much detail as possible, what a holistic peace would look like and to describe it in as much detail as possible.