This Peace Council discussed crafting the story for a new culture of peace. One major element of that story is spirituality. They spoke of being present with an open heart; indeed, that the medicine of this time is medicine coming from the heart. They spoke of the importance of prayer, prayerful intentions transforming violence and disarming the aggressor, and the necessity to 'be' peace, not just talk about it.

They saw connection as important - connection to others, to community, to the earth, to the ancestors, to flow, to who and what we've always been, to spirit. They affirmed that our actions and thoughts affect others.

The Council suggested that we speak of 'cultivating' a culture of peace rather than 'building' it, because we all have the seed of peace within and can nurture it, acting from our center. They spoke of the role of humor, of ceremony, music and celebration. They also addressed the need to heal historical wounds, and to insure qual rights as a critical element of peace.

Cooperation was another theme of the story; cooperation as an antidote to the current system of domination based on power. While we all live in a culture of war, we are not necessarily genetically disposed to violence. It is deeper in our nature to live harmoniously, with each other and with the natural world.

In a discussion about the role and power of story, the Council considered the need for a new story that can show that the us/them split is an illusion; that there is no separation - all creation is here together. They considered both European and Indigenous stories as important in the understanding of peace.

They elicited some basic principles from their various stories that are relevant to a culture of peace, including: the power of harmlessness, listening, releasing expectations, accepting reality, using moral arguments, telling the truth, respect, keeping communication open, and seeing that we are all one. Control, resistance, and fear can block the flow of peace, but knowing there are alternatives, being present, and hearing people's stories can help remove those blocks.

Resources from the Council are:

The Culture of Peace News Network - www.cpnn-world.org