Peace Ideas - Issue No. 82 by Peace Ideas

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peace ideas

‘’If five percent of the people work for peace, there will be peace.’’ A Quarterly Publication of the Peace Center Theosophical Society in the Philippines, 1 Iba Street, Quezon City, Philippines

Tel. No. 741-5740; Fax: 740-3751; E-mail address: philtheos@gmail.com; Webpage: http://www.theosophy.ph

Ecological Peace ________

Protecting the Earth White House science czar John Holdren described the impending catastrophe of global warming with an ominous metaphor: "We're driving in a car with bad brakes in a fog and headed for a cliff. We know for sure that cliff is out there. We just don't know exactly where it is." Aware of this, Pope Francis has become a powerful voice for the environment by issuing the first climate encyclical in papal history. During a recent talk, Zen teacher Ruben Habito Roshi enumerated the 5 lifestyle changes asked for in the encyclical in the following way: 1. Pray for a conversion of our way of seeing into one that recognizes our wounded world as our bigger self, and live accordingly. 2. Learn to appreciate nature's beauty and why we need to preserve our natural world. 3. Practice gratitude and selflessness. When we realize the bless ings we re ceive, we are moved to give back in gratitude. 4. Change the way you consume so that you may be on the side of alleviating instead of contributing to the problem. Meateating, for example, is the leading cause of global warming. 5. Simplify your life. Use only what you need. Sources: Clark Strand, "Turn Out the Lights," Tricycle (Spring 2010); Ruben Habito Roshi's email letter to the Bahay Dalangin Zen Community; http://www. catholicnewsagency. com/blog/ top-5-eco-lifestyle-changes-pope-francis-wants-you-to-make/

Inner Peace __________________________________

How To Be Happy As a Monk They may not show it much but monks (regardless of religious tradition) are a happy lot. In fact, a Buddhist monk by the name of Matthieu Ricard has recently been hailed by neuroscientists as the world's happiest man based on MRI scans on his brain that show extraordinarily high levels of inner peace and happiness. But what do monks do that make them so happy? Here is a two-part formula for happiness fol lowed by monks that you might also want to follow: 1. Keep your mind still. Pain is part of life but suffering comes from the mental stories we form in response to pain while identifying with a mind-created separate self (or ego). Thoughts such as "This is terrible," "Why me?," or "He must not get away with what he did to me" are examples of suffering. When our mind is still, our true nature of being con-

nected with all unfolds and we become happy. We become loving to ourselves and others. We deeply experience the beauty of a flower, a cloud, the sunset. We don't focus on what we don't have. A practice monks use to still their minds is meditation, or the practice of focusing on a single object like breathing. 2. Focus on the present moment. This is called mindfulness. The ego cannot thrive in the present moment because it depends on its past and future for its identity. Through meditation and mindfulness, monks ground themselves in their/our true all-embracing Self (or the "Kingdom of Heaven," using Christ's metaphor)––the ultimate source of love, peace, and happiness. Sources: Ekhart Tolle, The Power of Now (USA: New World Library, 2001); http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ margaret-paul-phd/happiness-is-an-inside-jo_1_b_ 6734960.html; https://www.psychologytoday. com/ blog/meditation-modern-life/201211/happiness- is-inside-job

Inside ____________________________________ The Root of Today's Global Refugee Crisis Prenatal Parenting: Don't Take It for Granted Using Facebook Mindfully Slow Education Movement is Gaining Speed Reality Check: Are You a People Pleaser? The Peace That Passeth All Understanding

Pet Safety Tips for the Holiday Season Double-Duty Ideas for a Greener Home Parenting Mistakes: Why Kids Don't Listen Disagreeing Agreeably Dialogue Decalogue Widening Wealth Gap Equals More Violence And More…

Peace Ideas, No. 82

Peace Facts ____________ Outer Peace___________________________________

Peace World Records Records are always a subject of human interest. That said, here are some peace and peace-related records that stand today: 1. The first known peace treaty in history was drawn up in 1271 BC between the Egyptian pharaoh, Ramses the Great, and Hattusilis III, King of the Hittites, to end years of war between Egypt and present-day Turkey. 2. The largest floating human image was a peace sign consisting of 460 participants who achieved the feat in Mudanya Bursa, Turkey, on August 30, 2015. 3. The youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner is Pakistan’s Malala Yousafzai who was only 17 when she won the award in 2014 with Kailash Satyarthi of India. 4. The largest book of signatures has over 10 million signatures from 125 countries gathered by Amnesty International to obtain support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 5. The longest chanting marathon is 24 hrs, 10 mins and 8 secs achieved by a team of 582 participants directed by Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda in Texas, USA, from July 31 to August 1, 2015. They chanted for world peace and universal brotherhood. Source: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/ 2015/9/world-peace-day-top-10-peace-records-plus-upcoming-attempt-from-yoko-ono-397075

peace ideas No. 82

A quarterly publication of the Peace Center of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines, 1 Iba Street, Quezon City, Philippines. The Theosophical Society is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization dedicated to the promotion of universal brotherhood without distinction of creed, caste, sex or color.

The Root of Today's Global Refugee Crisis The migration crisis that Europe and much of the Middle East are facing today is one of the worst hu man i tar ian di sas ters since World War II. Today— · more than 19 million people have been forced to flee their home countries because of war, persecution, and oppression, with 42,500 more joining them every day. · around 50 million more are displaced internally. · about 500,000 so far have crossed the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe. Refugees are actually fleeing their countries the world over from Hon du ras to Ni ge ria to Myanmar, but the biggest driver of the crisis is Syria where Bashar al-Assad's regime has targeted civilians ruthlessly in order to win a bloody civil war, while Al-Qaeda offspring ISIS and other extremist groups have subjected Syrians to murder, torture, sexual slavery, and other horrific atrocities. As a result, 4 million people, or nearly 20 percent of Syria’s population, have fled the country since the war began in 2011. Political experts have pointed to the Iraq War as the root cause of the current refugee crisis. The following timeline explains why. Sept. 11, 2001 - Al-Qaeda attacks New York's World Trade Peace Ideas seeks to disseminate workable ideas that will promote lasting peace and universal brotherhood. Contributions from readers are welcome, whether their own or clipped from their readings. Previously published materials must include name and address of publication from where the materials were taken. The views expressed herein do not necessarily express those of the editors or the publisher. Subscriptions: In the Philippines: P120.00 per year. Foreign: US$8.00 per year (postpaid airmail). Single copies: P30.00 (Foreign: US$2.00). Bulk orders for redistribution are entitled to sub-

Center, but there are only a few radical violent movements then. March 2003 - In spite of mass opposition from the American public, a US-led coalition invades Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein from power based on controversial evidence that he is keeping weapons of mass destruction. 2003-2011 - As human casualties rise in the Iraq War, increasing an ger at the co ali tion's unjustified actions generates a worldwide movement of willing fighters who will later join ISIS and other revolutionary groups. 2011 - The Arab Spring raises hopes of democratization in the Middle East but soon, people get angry at dictators propped up by the US because of repression, lack of economic development, and people's resentment of the US. 2011-2015 - Bloody rebellions ensue, especially in Syria where ISIS declares a caliphate that includes Iraq, while the US continues to fuel con flicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Yemen-the four other countries where most of the refugees come from. Meanwhile, Europe is not willing to take in as many refugees as it can, except for Germany. Sources: http://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/middleeast/ 2015/09/iraq-war-root-europe-refugee-crisis-150908151855527.html; http://www.vox.com/ 2015/9/5/9265501/refugee-crisis-europe-syria

stantial discounts. For information please write to: Peace Ideas, 1 Iba Street, Quezon City, Philippines. Tel. No. 741-57-40. Fax No. (63-2) 740-3751. E-mail address: philtheos@gmail.com Editor: Joselito B. Cendaña Editorial Staff: Vicente R. Hao Chin, Jr., Estrellita V. Gruenberg, Jenifer Aposaga

Peace Ideas, No. 82

Parenting _____________________________________ Interpersonal Relationships

Accepting Prenatal Parenting: Don't Take It for Granted Correction Modern-day scientific understanding behooves parents not to take prenatal parenting for granted. Here are some of the scientific discoveries that point to the importance of conscious parenting before the baby is born: 1. Consciousness is fundamental and primary in nature. Quantum physicists have found out that all material reality is ultimately made of consciousness, not matter. This means that we, as conscious beings, help co-create material reality with our thoughts and states of consciousness. 2. We may be the result of both heredity and environment but the expression of our genes can be controlled by our perceptions. Integrating quantum physics with cell biology, cell biologist Bruce

Lipton has demon strated this with his groundbreaking work using cloned human muscle cell membranes. A cell's perception of its environment controls gene expression. 3. The nature of a pregnant mother's thoughts and emotions play a big part in the formation of her baby's brain architecture and personality. Neonatologist Frederick Wirth concludes, after rescuing premature babies for a quarter of a century, that positive parental at ti tudes and frequent lov ing communications with the unborn child result in the best outcomes. Love and security are essential elements of this construct, and the deeper the mother's practice of love in general, the better. Source: Jon R.G. Turner, "Prenatal Parenting" (https://birthpsychology.com/content/prenatal-parenting)

Self-Improvement_______________________________

Using Facebook Mindfully Facebook, like other social networks, can provide its users many benefits and opportunities, but it can also provide a forum for the ego and become addictive. With mindfulness (full awareness in the present moment), users can learn to pay careful attention on the ego. Here are some tips for using Facebook mindfully so you can relate to others and yourself more meaningfully: 1. Know your intentions. Before you post, ask yourself: Am I just trying to satisfy a psychological need like attention or appreciation? Is there any way I can meet that need more constructively? 2. Be your authentic self. It is easier to be present when you are being true to yourself.

3. Always ask yourself: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? before you post. 4. Offer random posts of kindness without expecting anything in return. Post as a means of expressing love and compassion. 5. Respond with your full attention. Do not share links without reading them, or comment on posts after only scanning them. 6. Use Facebook and other social media sparingly. You may miss out online, but you won’t miss what life puts in front of you. 7. Practice letting go. For example, let yesterday’s stream go and focus on today’s thread. Source: Lori Deschene "10 Mindful Ways to Use Social Media" (http://www.tricycle.com/feature/ten-mindful-ways-use-social-media)

Because we want to be accepted and loved for who we are, we tend to dislike being corrected. Corrections, however, often come with good intentions–especially when they come from our acquaintances. It should help to know that– · Everyone needs correction. · Being corrected does not mean you are a failure. · Correction can help you become a better person. Here are a few tips for accepting corrections with grace: 1. Look at the matter objectively. Do not take offense and put your feelings aside. To help you do that, take yourself out of the situation for a moment and imagine that you are giving the same correction to someone you care for—perhaps a dear friend or younger sibling. 2. Stay humble. Do not let pride cause you to reject the correction. On the other hand, do not allow yourself to become overwhelmed with discouragement just because you have something to work on. Humility will help you avoid either extreme. 3. Be thankful. Even if you find the correction difficult to accept, express gratitude to the person who gave it. After all, that person probably has your best interests at heart and only wants you to be better. Source: "How to Accept Correction," Awake (April, 2014)

Peace Ideas Online Read entire issues of Peace Ideas plus outlines of essays on Self-Transformation in the Internet. The webpage of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines can be found in: http://www.theosophy.ph/

Peace Ideas, No. 82

Facts and Stats _________ Education ____________________________________

If the World Slow Education Movement Were 100 is Gaining Speed More and more ed u ca tors testing. People Slow education advocates evworldwide are hopping in the Slow If our world today (2015) were shrunk to a village of 100 people, the village would have– · 61 Asians, 13 Africans, 13 North and South Americans, 12 Europeans, and 1 Oceanian. · 52 men and 48 women. · 33 Christians, 19 Muslims, 13 Hindus, 6 Buddhists, and 29 either atheist or of other beliefs. · 17 who speak Chinese, 9 English, 8 Hindi, 6 Spanish, 6 Russian, 4 Arabic and 50 other languages. · 1 only with college education · 71 living on $10 or less daily, 22 living on $10-$50 daily, and 7 living on $50 and above daily. · 50 hungry or do not have reliable sources of food, 20 undernourished, and 30 who always have enough to eat. · 48 who could not speak or act according to their faith due to harassment, imprisonment, torture or death, and 52 who could. · 7 with computers and 93 who don't. · 2 born and 1 dead everyday. Source: http://weknowmemes.com/2015/04/if-theworld-were-a-village-of-100-people-2/

Bulk Copies of Peace Ideas Bulk quantities of Peace Ideas either in newsprint or standard paper may be ordered at very low prices. It is a very economical way of promoting inner and outer peace. Contact the Peace Center, 1 Iba St., Quezon City, Philippines, Tel. 741-5740; Fax No. (63-2) 740-3751.

Education bandwagon. Emerging erywhere are endeavoring to– as a reaction to the stressful, fast- · abolish the busy, controlling, aggressive, hurried, paced, commodity-focused, and analytical, stressed, superfiunbalanced nature of modern hucial, impatient, quanman culture, the Slow Movement is tity-over-quality education a wide range of efforts taking place environment of today. around the world that aim to en· create learning environable us to take the appropriate ments that are carefully amount of time to connect with life: crafted, receptive, still, intuwith ourselves, with others, the itive, unhurried, patient, retask at hand, the present moment, flective, quality-over-quanthe place, etc. Hence, we have slow tity and engaging; and that food, slow cities, slow parenting, foster questioning, creativslow money, and yes, slow educaity and innovation. tion, among many others. · develop curriculum that has greater depth than breadth. Slow education is, for the most · seek the abolition of stanpart, a reaction to the– dardized testing, classroom · overly compacted course conmarks and grading in favor tent requirements which, of qualitative measures for many educators find, students student/teacher success. cannot cover in a single year Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_education; with sufficient depth. http:// plpnetwork.com/2014/08/26/time- fight-slow-ed· proliferation of standardized ucation/; http://www.create-the- good-life.com/slow_ movement.html

Tunisian Coalition Wins 2015 Nobel Peace Prize This year's surprise winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is a little known coalition in Tunisia which bested favorites German Chancellor Angela Merkelm, who opened her country to the influx of refugees from around the world; Eritrean priest Mussie Zerai, who founded the humanitarian organization “Habeshi,” which helps refugees fleeing war and persecution; and no less than popular world spiritual leader and peace advocate Pope Francis. This coalition is the National Dialogue Quartet. The group, comprised of four Tunisian organizations—representing areas such as human rights, public welfare, and principles of law—was selected “for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011,” according to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Because of the coalition's remarkable efforts in preventing the Jasmine revolution from descending into chaos by brokering talks between the different forces and making them agree to a roadmap that included compromises on a constitution and caretaker government, Tunisia has emerged as one of the few enduring success stories of the Arab Spring. Last year, it adopted a new, enlightened constitution and held both parliamentary and presidential polls. Sources: http://time.com/4066295/nobel-peace-prize-winner-odds/; http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2015/10/rewarding-righteous;

Peace Ideas, No. 82

Self-Improvement ______________________________

Reality Check: Are You a People Pleaser? We naturally feel good when we are able to please or help other people. However, when we keep meeting others’ needs at the expense of meeting our own and we can no longer say “no,” we may be hooked on a people-pleasing pattern that is really self-serving. A people pleaser's intense need to please and care for others is deeply rooted in either– 1. Fear of rejection or the underlying feeling that, “If I don’t do everything I can to make this person happy, he/she might stop loving me.” Fear of rejection can come from early relationships in which love was conditional or in which the child was rejected/abandoned by an important person in his life. For example, a parent may have left him, or may have been emotionally unavailable or inconsis-

tently available. 2. Fear of failure or the underlying feeling that “If I make a mistake, I will disappoint people and/or be punished.” Fear of failure can arise from childhood experiences with severe punishment or criticism for even small mistakes. The problem with being a people pleaser is that it alientates us from our innate true self. We– · believe who we really are is not lovable, so we · idealize being loved as a means to self-worth and happiness until we crave it. The solution is for us to learn to love ourselves for who we really are so we no longer do things for others because we want to be loved but because we truly love them and care for them.

Peace Quotes Souls will be unable to reach perfection who do not strive to be content with having nothing, in such fashion that their natural and spiritual desire is satisfied with emptiness, for this is necessary in order to reach the highest tranquility and peace of spirit. ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS

Those who are at war with others are not at peace with themselves. WILLIAM HAZLITT

Peace is the result of training your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be. WAYNE DYER

It isn't the experience of today that drives men mad. It is the remorse for something that hapInner Peace ___________________________________ pened yesterday, and the dread of what tomorrow may bring. Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/shrink/ 201210/are-you-people-pleaser

The Peace That Passeth All Understanding In Philippians 4:7 of the Bible, we can read the phrase, "the peace of God that passeth all understanding." What kind of peace was St. Paul referring to when he wrote to the Philippians? What kind of peace is this that saints, poets and seers refer to when talking about their mystical experiences? Ac cord ing to spir i tual writers, the phrase may mean— 1. Peace that transcends the ability to understand it. Mystics and saints can hardly describe their experience of the Divine (or direct experience of Reality) because it is beyond the realm of the intellectual mind which is only capable of "knowing about," and not "direct knowing" or becoming one with the object of perception.

ROBERT JONES BURDETTE

Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind They just feel a sense of utter love, brought about by a serenity of peace and happiness during the soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mystical experience. mind. Lasting peace can come 2. Peace that inexplicably coonly to peaceful people. mes during an unlikely moment. JAWAHARLAL NEHRU For example, there are many accounts of people who have expeI have one major rule: everyrienced this transcendent peace as a result of a tragic loss or severe body is right...has some impordepression. Whatever they had tant pieces of the truth, and all of identified with or whatever gave those pieces need to be honored, them a sense of self, e.g, family, cherished, and included in a more possessions, honor, etc., is taken gracious, spacious, and compasaway. Then suddenly, the an- sionate embrace. guish gives way to "a sacred sense KEN WILBER of Presence, a deep peace and serenity" that is also all-loving and Freedom from desire leads to blissful, because the ego (sense of inner peace. separate self) collapses. Sources: Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth. (USA: Penguin Book, 2005); http://biblehub.com/philippians/4-7.htm

LAO TZU

Peace Ideas, No. 82

Health and Spirituality ____ Animal Welfare ________________________________

Finding Zen Through Running Many runners are happy with allowing their minds to wander during their runs. Studies show, however, that runners who are able to tame their “mon key minds” and keep focus– · perform better, and · maximize the health benefits of running. To acheive this, spiritual leader and nine-time marathoner Sakyong Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche recommends integrating meditation (the practice of focusing fully on an object in the present moment) into running. He gives the following tips: 1. Tune in. De velop body awareness: pay attention to how the different parts of your body are m ov ing, how you ar e breathing, and so on. Visualize getting healthier and stronger with every movement and breath. 2. Be happy. Re search has linked a positive outlook to enhanced athletic ability and health benefits. Every time a negative thought arises, just breath it in and out, watching it come and go like a leaf floating on a stream. 3. Accept the challenge. Do not allow such challenges as difficult terrain, long distance, or even rude passersby to discourage you and turn an enjoyable experience into a frustrating one. The real challenge is to relax with how things are, acknowledging the sacred in everything. 4. Love the run. Focus on the good you are doing—connecting with nature, boosting your brain and strengthening your body to better serve others, and so on. Optimum performance and health benefits are derived from aligning body, mind and spirit. Source:http://www.runnersworld.com/sports-psychology/find-zen-through-running

Pet Safety Tips for the Holiday Season The holiday season is a time of year we tend to become extra generous not only to other people but to our pets. Unfortunately, many animal companions only end up getting harmed by overindulgence. Here are some important tips to help keep your pets safe this holiday season: 1. Fatty foods. Too much of these can give your pet pancreatitis or gastroenteritis. 2. Diet and ex er cise. Dietary-rou tine dis rup tion can cause stomach upset, diarrhea and/or vomiting in your pet. 3. Bones. Bones can lacerate or obstruct your pet’s insides. 4. Onions. Onions can cause anemia in dogs and cats. 5. Grapes and raisins. These foods can cause kidney damage

to both dogs and cats. 6. Chocolate. Chocolates contain high amounts of fats and stimulants that can be fatal to dogs and cats in severe cases. 7. Food wrappings. Aluminum foil, wax paper and other food wrappings can cause intestinal obstruction if swallowed. 8. Fresh wa ter. There is a greater chance your pet’s water bowl would be bumped with more visitors in the house. 9. Quiet time. Pets need quiet retreats from holiday festivities, especially ones celebrated with firecracker noise. 10. Garbage. Keep an eye on your garbage and make sure your pets can’t get into it. Source: http://www.animalleague.org/expert-advice/health/articles/seasonal/thanksgiving-tips.html

Environment__________________________________

Double-Duty Ideas for a Greener Home Climate scientists are increasingly saying that we need to feel a greater sense of urgency to act now, given the dire situation of our planet. Hence, our slightest efforts to "reduce, reuse, and recycle" for a greener world counts a lot. One easy way of living a greener life that you can start with is using spent household items for other purposes. Here are some ideas for doing that: 1. Magazines. Roll up two of these and stick one into each of your calf- or knee-high boots so the footwear will keep its shape. 2. Empty pa per-towel roll. Flatten, and use it to sheathe a knife kept in a drawer. 3. Small glass food jar. Use as see-through storage vessels for

nails, screws, nuts, and bolts. 4. Old shower curtain. Stash one in your car's trunk to line it when carting potentially messy paints or picnic and beach gear. 5. Used cof fee grounds. Spread them over flower beds of acid-craving plants in your garden as source of nutrients. 6. Plas tic min eral wa ter bottle. Cut at the middle with a utility knife and use as a funnel. 7. Glass med i cine bot tle. Pour in heated water and wrap with cloth to use it as warm compress. 8. Foam packing peanuts. Put some in the bases of potted plants to help drainage. Source: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/ home/a18573/ways-to-go-green/

Peace Ideas, No. 82

Parenting ___________________________________ Interpersonal Relationships _

Parenting Mistakes: Why Kids Don't Listen When children do not listen to their parents, it is often due to mistakes parents make in getting their kids to do what they are told. Here are some of these mistakes you should avoid if you are a parent: 1. Creating the wrong picture. Paint a clear mental picture of what you want your child to do. For example, “Sit still on your seat” is better than “Don’t bounce on your seat.” 2. Avoiding eye contact. Do not shout your directions from across the room and without looking at your child's eyes. 3. Saying too much. Young children often have trouble processing multiple steps of instructions given all at once. 4. Not addressing him or her. The best way to get your child's attention is start your sentence with your child's name. 5. Being negative. Changing your tone and words into more positive ones can help you gain your child’s cooperation. 6. Your ac tions con tra dict your words. Chil dren follow what their parents do more than what they say. 7. Yelling. Do your best to keep calm whenever your child misbehaves. Explain the problem in a way she will understand.

8. Taking on tantrums headon. Your child's thinking brain is hardly working when her emotional brain has hijacked it. 9. Not offering any choices. It is easier to enlist your child’s cooperation when she feels she has a say in the matter. 10. Giving ultimatums or unrealistic consequences. Unrealistic consequences like “You are grounded for life” are similar to empty threats. Your child won’t take you seriously when you don't do what you say. 11. Not saying enough. Instead of constantly repeating yourself, tell your children why you are asking them to do a particular thing. 12. Not closing the discussion. When you are through making your point, be sure that your kids know that it is time for them to take action. 13. Failing to make them understand what you are saying. When you talk to your child, consider his or her level of comprehension. 1 4 . Fail ing to fol low through. Be consistent. Parents should be loving but firm. Source: Raisa Tan, "Ways You Tell Your Kids Not to Listen to You" (http://ph.theasianparent.com/ parenting-mistakes-reasons-why-your-child-doesnot-listen-to-you/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral)

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Disagreeing Agreeably Disagreements are part of life. But for the sake of peace, you'd probably want to disagree without sounding disagreeable. Here are three suggestions for doing that: 1. Sift arrogance from your phrasing. Arrogant statements like “The truth of the matter is...” or “The reality of the situation is that...” build a wall. Adding a touch of humility in the phrasing builds harmonious relationships and engagement. For example, use statements like “The way I see it is that...,” ”What I suggest is...," “You could be right. On the other hand...,” and so on. 2. Invite the other person to collaborate and own your idea. People value what they create so when you allow them to participate, you have a greater chance at cooperation. For example, collaborating to influence has become a fundamental leadership skill. A leader would put forth draft ideas and then ask, “What am I missing?,” “Where are the fa tal flaws?,” “What kind of push-back will we get?,” and so on. Often, ideas come pouring in from his staff or colleagues. 3. Use more questions in place of statements. Statements imply that you have all the answers and will control the interaction. Questions imply that the other person’s input has value and can alter the discussion so that you arrive at a mutually agreeable decision or action. Use questions to– · Get information you need to know to change the person’s thinking or behavior. · Identify roadblocks and resistance to change. · Lead to the conclusion, insight, or action you want. · Soften your opposing statements and make them more palatable. Source: Diana Booher, "3 Ways to Diasagree Without Sounding Disagreeable" (http://www.huffingtonpost. com/dianna-booher/3-ways-to-disagree-withou_b_ 6424950.html)

Peace Ideas, No. 82

Interspirituality _________ Outer Peace __________________________________

Dialogue Decalogue Leonard Swidler, Professor of Catholic Thought and Interreligious Dialogue at Temple University, Penn syl va nia, gives the following 10 recommendations for successful interfaith dialogue in his book, Ground Rules for Interreligious, Interideological Dialogue: 1. The primary purpose of dialogue is to learn, that is, to change and grow in the perception and understanding of reality, and then to act accordingly. 2. Interreligious, interideological dialogue must be a two-sided project—within each religious or ideological community, and between religious or ideological communities. 3. Each participant must come to the dialogue with complete honesty and sincerity. 4. In interreligious, interideological dialogue, we must not compare our ideals with our partner’s practice. 5. Each participant must define himself. Only the Jew, for ex am ple, can de fine what it means to be a Jew. 6. Each participant must come to the dialogue with no hardand-fast assumptions as to where the points of disagreement are. 7. Dialogue can take place only between equals. Both must come to learn from each other. 8. Dialogue can take place only on the basis of mutual trust. 9. Persons entering into interreligious, interideological dialogue must be at least minimally self-critical of themselves and their own religious or ideological traditions. 10. Each participant eventually must attempt to experience the partner’s religion or ideology “from within.” Source: Leonard Swidler, Ground Rules for Interreligious, Interideological Dialogue (USA: Heckman, 2008)

Widening Wealth Gap Equals More Violence In flu enc ing world spir i tual leaders like the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis, social scientists have been identifying income inequality as the root of social ills. And surely, income inequality has moved up on the World Economic Forum’s list to the top spot for 2015. “The inherent dangers of neglecting inequality are obvious,” states the Geneva-based international organization committed to improving the state of the world. “People, especially young people, excluded from the mainstream end up feeling disenfranchised and become easy fodder of conflict. This, in turn, reduces the sustainability of economic growth, weakens social cohesion and security, encourages inequitable access to and use of global commons, undermines our democracies, and cripples our hopes for sustainable development and peaceful societies.” But how bad is the state of income inequality in our world? Oxfam, the globally renowned aid and development charity, gives the following information: · Almost half of the world’s wealth is now owned by just 1% of the population. · The wealth of this 1% richest people amounts to $110 trillion–65 times the total

wealth of the bottom half of the world’s population. · The bottom half of the world’s population ( more than 3.5 billion) owns the same as the richest 85 people in the world. To make matters worse, this wealth gap is continuing to widen as can be gleaned from the following statistics: · 7 out of 10 people live in countries where economic inequality has increased in the last 30 years. · In the US, the richest 1% captured 95% of post-financial crisis growth since 2009; the bottom 90% became poorer How much is this widening wealth gap contributing to violence? Most of the violent conflicts in our world today, including that in the the Middle East, have their roots in economic dissatisfaction. But even in the US, a study conducted by Harvard’s Ichiro Kawachi has shown that-· Income inequality alone explained 74% of the increase in murder rates and 50% of the aggravated assaults. · Other factors such as unemployment, poverty, etc. were only weakly associated; alcohol consumption had no connection to violent crime at all. Sources: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/ top-10-most-pressing-worldwide-issues-in-2015/article/421501; http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/ 08/01/620401/study-income-inequality-homicides/Inner Peace

The Peace Center The Peace Center of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines is open Tuesday to Sunday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Center is located at the National Headquarters of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines, 1 Iba Street,

Quezon City, Philippines. Tel. No. 741-57-40. The Board of Trustees of the Center is composed of the following: Vicente R. Hao Chin, Jr. (Chairman), Rudy Rodil (Executive Director), Flerida Ruth P. Romero, Leticia R. Shahani, Concepcion L. Madarang, Luis Torres, Leonardo Salazar and Patricia G. Muñoz (Trustees).