“I would say that I'm a nonviolent soldier. In place of weapons of violence, you have to use your mind, your heart, your sense of humor, every faculty available to you because no one has the right to take the life of another human being.”

~ Joan Baez

“Peace through nonviolence is possible.” I don't know about you, but in my attempts to promote this idea I hear a lot of, “Don't be naïve. You are being unrealistic. Violence is natural, conflict is inevitable, and peace is impossible. This is the way it has always been and will always be. Attempts to curb violence without using violence will never work. We have to be strong and show strength. We have to be ruthless, make others fear us, and even eliminate everyone who threatens us, otherwise they will annihilate us. We have to use violence to protect ourselves.”

In such situations, my answer usually is, “One thing we undoubtedly know is that violence will not reduce tensions, end conflicts, or bring lasting peace. We have tried it for millennia and it has already proven its ineffectiveness. Violence may curb violence temporarily, but it does not end conflicts permanently. In fact, it only creates additional ones. Violence begets violence; this we all know for sure. And I am not talking only about direct violence, the one that wounds and kills fast. I am also talking about indirect violence, the one that through exploitation, oppression, and all forms of social injustice, wounds and kills slowly. This widely accepted and often ignored violence is the root of all other expressions of violence. It is time for us to apply ourselves to bring about the end of poverty, and bring about equality on a large scale.”

Nonviolence has already proved its effectiveness. We know that nonviolence works and that it is an effective way of bringing about justice and peace; we have plenty of examples of that. Take a look, for instance, at the evidence presented by Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan in their book Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict, or the compelling historical facts lined up by Mark Kurlansky in his book Nonviolence: The History of a Dangerous Idea.’

Nevertheless, human beings are not convinced of its effectiveness. Nonviolence still is not their tool of choice to end conflicts. And this is so because people are not fully aware and do not have a deep understanding of what nonviolence is, how it works, and how to apply it. 

It's time for us to invest massively in teaching nonviolent education, nonviolent communication, and nonviolent conflict resolution. Although education and training in nonviolent techniques is gaining ground, we still have a long way to go. We need to expand our reach and coverage so every human being receives training on how to communicate and solve conflicts nonviolently. We need to receive training in empathy, understanding, and compassion.

Changing the prevailing ideas in the world is not an easy task, and that is what we, peacemakers, are trying to do: we are trying to transform the culture and change the deeply rooted paradigm that violence is inescapable, conflict is inevitable, and peace is impossible. We are trying, in the middle of all skepticism, to bring people to believe that peace is possible. Even more, we are trying to bring people to accept that peace through nonviolence is possible, and the only way to bring about lasting peace. And we are trying to make it as clear as possible that peace is the offspring of justice, and that without justice there can be no peace.

Our final goal is to bring lasting peace to the world, but our main job right now is to take people to a place where they can begin to see new ways of organizing ourselves to live on this abundant planet of ours, with liberty and justice for all. In order to reach such a goal, self-cultivation practices such as meditation and inquiry can be helpful, if not indispensable. Blaise Pascal, the French philosopher of the 1600s wrote, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” By examining our current beliefs and views, we can begin to see new possibilities, better ways of living, and reach the understanding that it is in our own best interest to support one another.

This is our task, but we must have one thing clear: even though we would like people to see as we see, and think as we think, we have to realize that all we can do is to inspire others, and hopefully instill in them the desire to look into new possibilities. That's it. From that point on it is up to them to embrace new understandings, or not.

Thich Nhat Hanh said, “If we divide reality into two camps—the violent and the nonviolent—and stand in one camp while attacking the other, the world will never have peace. We will always blame and condemn those we feel are responsible for wars and social injustice, without recognizing the degree of violence in ourselves. We must work on ourselves and also work with those we condemn if we want to have a real impact.”

Piero Falci teaches Mindfulness Meditation and Mindful Living, leads Insight Meditation Silent Retreats, and organizes Silent Peace Walks. Piero is an educator who believes that the inner work that leads to personal awakening and transformation is indispensable to create a better world. He aspires to live a life that matters and hopes to inspire others to do the same. He is devoted to helping individuals have insights that may expand selflessness and compassion and lead to the growth of kindness and care for all sentient beings and the natural environment. He is a promoter of peace who believes in advancing the idea that Heaven is here if we want it to be. This essay is from his latest 3-book series Mindfulness for a Better Mind, Life, and World. For more information, visit www.PieroFalci.com