By
Chanroeun PA, MA Ph.
A Paper presented in the World Philosophy Day, 17-18 November 2006, Rabat, Morocco
(Draft)
“If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
1. Introduction
People all over the world desire peace, law and order, and security form of life, but things are happening the other ways round. There is restlessness and nameless unquiet flows at the heart and hands of humanity. In the age of modernization and globalization, science and technology have played a very important role in producing unlimited wealth, so that with a judicious management, there would be enough good things of life for all humans.
On the other hand, man continues to live in indescribable suffering, degradation, poverty, social injustice, and dehumanization. There are conflict and violence everywhere both in the heart and hands of humankind due to the inequality, misunderstanding, and injustice in the society and so forth. The result of these problems can be seen in one form or another in every corner of the world in rich and poor countries alike.
Man becomes not only the victim of the unpreventable; for example, natural disasters, but also the victims of man himself. Therefore, what is the meaning of life? Is there any way to solve these life obstacles in order to make this world more peaceful and a better place to live in?
2. What is Peace?
In a narrow sense, peace has been understood as the absence of war and conflict. However, this definition is not sufficient. In a dynamic sense, peace means the creative elimination of the causes of conflicts and violence and the promotion of human dignity and humanization.
Peace requires harmony within a person, harmony between human beings, harmony between human beings and nature, and the harmony between human beings and the ultimate source of life. Peace does not happen spontaneously, we will have to build and maintain it. There are some causes, which obstruct the way to peace such as:
(1) Culture: pride in one’s heart, closed culture;
(2) Religion: religious intolerance, hatred, misunderstanding, lack of proper religious education;
(3) Politics: system of balance of terror based on nuclear arms race, physical forces or military conflict, unjust oppressive government, aggressiveness, lust of power;
(4) Economics: development, structures of economic exploitation, poverty, disparity, lack of opportunities for education, jobs and service;
(5) Historical Cause: extremist nationalism;
(6) Information Explosion: people are conditioned by mass medias–papers, journals, books, radio, television, internet and so on,meaning to say some information is not what people should know, but what some other want people to know for the sake of their interests;
(7) Ethnicity: discrimination, racism;
(8) Nature: environmental degradation, dwelling natural resources, natural disasters and so on.
3. What Are the Roles of Philosophy?
These major causes of war and conflict grow in the heart of man. Therefore, in order to solve the above problems we have to cultivate peace in the heart of man as well. A Philosopher says: “What we want to put something into a nation put it into her school.” This means that we can promote peace through education because education plays a very important role in shaping the heart and the way of thinking of human person. Hence, philosophy education for peace can also work as a moving force in weaving or building culture of peace from within.
It is necessary for philosophy education to promote universally shared values for the development of peaceful, democratic and pluralistic society such as human rights, democracy, tolerance, non-violence, solidarity, mature understanding, intercultural acknowledgment and so forth. In other words, the goal of philosophy education for peace is to promote the broad and critical understanding of the root causes of all forms of conflicts and violence at all levels no matter it is personal, family, interpersonal, community, society or the world.
4. Conclusion
The role of philosophy is not to interpret the world, but also to challenge people to shape their world and provide solutions to make the world to be a better place to live in. Students need to be taught only knowledge and skills, but also values and attitudes especially the respects and love of life.
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1 response so far ↓
Neang Yun // August 26, 2007 at 2:27 am |
Firstly it is good to see that CAMCAPE is on website.It is more universal so that everyone can participate in projecting valuable opinions rightly or wrongly, or ethically appropriate over any view Cambodians experience every day.
Secondly, it is interesting to reflect on issues raised in order Cambodians challenge to attain peace,making peace within oneself,and ultimately learning to make peace with others. And perhaps there may be feasible suggestions to look at:
1-Culture
To a certain degree culture is a flexible mean to adhere to by oneself, or collective groups or any human race.Adaptation and adoption are the keys to cultural growth according to circumstances ie exposures, time and place,environment(balance of manmades and nature available,for life). Angkorian culture had not survived due to every possible changes were not adopted.
2-Religion
A psychological pattern consists of moral and social values, influence human behaviour considered whether either appropriate or not appropriate. Generalization most of the case leads to misunderstanding subsequently result in conflict.Open learning and promote dialoge for better understanding and focus on positive values may be effective.At the same time,fear is gradually eliminated.
3-Politics
It should be an complex effective system comprises of many governing areas working together for common goal namely “Growth”.Like any thing else growth can either be positive or negative.It is then a physical growth and mental/psychological growth for which everyone should receive when possible.Physical health is certainly achieved by economic means i.e. job availability/stimulation,inspiration,satisfaction and encouragement.Fitness is also encouraged by range of activities (Active and passive -mind and body).Mental health is attained by range of education.Understanding oneself,skills and knowledge is role of education.Maintenance of health is access of physical /mental care through medical and surgical institution.Economy is considered to be a bridge of achieving growth.It is a separate complex system of its own.Individual and collective group have to work together.System of stable collaboration between employer and employee installed,industry and market are interlinked closely (supply /demand process). Transparent bureaucracy of governing has to be planned and implemented. Feedbacks by collective groups or medias with constructive views of same purpose to be considered.Of course power to exercise,/activate to achieve targeted goal is to be implemented within own limit.Avoiding any abuse of powerful on powerless ,human right has a specific key role of prevention.Defense is a reflect of human against any intrusion.Likewise a nation has its own mechanism to exercise but not form any abuse.However as rule of thumb,principle of “two” applies in most cases.
5-Historical cause
It appears that term applies inappropriately,not relevant to circumstances.This can either be good or bad relied on its intention.When abuse seen or felt,reaction of equal and opposite will occur,similar to Newton’s law.Open minded with human ground and understanding of differences could resolve fear which does exist in mankind.It is very sensitive and hard to gauge if perception is right or wrong,according to what guidelines considered to be correct or appropriate.
6-Information explosion
It means to alert or prompt attention on raised issues.Once again a set of rule has to be abide by(law of media) preventing damage from comment/criticism,on other hand allows to challenge any view constructively to serve common goal,and eliminate any form of abuse.Five senses of god given have to be utilized within their possible limit,along with enhance or improving our wisdom.This will fulfill understanding of human capacity.
7-Ethnicity
Having been born in different places considered to be wonderful.Differences in physical forms hopefully we as human can learn to adjust to that.Regardless of slight change of our DNA,we are one kind,human.Utilizing and promote our skills,life skills,learning skills for better understanding are bonuses.We will then can learn to accept differences and understand variable social values on human ground.By the way some people feel living in four seasons is better than one.May be adjustment and acceptance is the keys.
8-Nature
Mother nature is our heritage and asset.we are born with the nature.Aggressive productive methods have been modified especially by the west for affordable better living.New way of thinking is sustainable growth.Every lives need to rely on our nature.Together with nature human can survive much longer not to mention about natural disaster where our greed destroys our our availability and stability.As Buddhist ,our mother needs to be respected so does mother Earth.
I hope my opinion would be somehow useful on those mentioned contexts.The states of “self” and not “self” are always closely reflected,which is once again the ‘two’ principle adequately applied.