Engaging with others on International Day of Peace
If you advocate peace, a glance at the headlines on any given day is enough to make you cover your face in despair and give up hope. A Google news search shows over 141-million hits under “war,” including recent headlines from Kashmir, the Philippines, Afghanistan, and, of course, Syria. Throw in 34-million more hits on “violence,” including Chicago’s murders and the New York bombing, and the hopelessness is easy to understand.
interested in hearing their
impressions about Trump’s candidacy. In addition, the visitors will be meeting
with Park faculty and staff to explore our common challenges as educators.
If you advocate peace, a glance at the headlines on any given day is enough to make you cover your face in despair and give up hope. A Google news search shows over 141-million hits under “war,” including recent headlines from Kashmir, the Philippines, Afghanistan, and, of course, Syria. Throw in 34-million more hits on “violence,” including Chicago’s murders and the New York bombing, and the hopelessness is easy to understand.
We don’t have to succumb to this despair. Despite our
seeming powerlessness as individuals, there is still something we can do Wednesday, Sept. 21,
on the International Day of Peace, to contribute in a small way to peace in
our communities and in our world.
We could protest, and demand peace. A few years ago, I
received a typed letter from a Park University alumna who, at 92 years old,
still conducts a one woman peace protest every week. She stands on a busy
street corner in Indiana every Saturday with a sign that says, “War is Not the
Answer.” Here in KC, peace activists have protested against a south KC weapons
plant, and in favor of justice for African Americans and Palestinians.
These protests, and the activists who peacefully engage in
them, are admirable. If you’re up to the challenge, find a street corner,
and channel our 92-year old friend.
Realistically, however, the majority of us aren’t
comfortable participating in such demonstrations. For us non-protesters, there
is still a way that we can encourage a more peaceful Kansas City.
On Wednesday, to commemorate the International Day of Peace, challenge
yourself to engage someone from a different race, ethnicity, religion, sexual
orientation, or national origin. In a city as diverse as KC, this is easily
done by simply driving to a part of town that you usually don’t frequent. You
could visit an ethnic restaurant or business, of which there are thousands in
the area. Go to an African American barbershop, a Mexican bakery, or an
Arab/Palestinian restaurant, and sit down with the owners or employees. What do
they think, for example, of Donald Trump’s wall or Hillary Clinton’s emails? Do
they feel discriminated against? Do they think their children have equal
opportunities in America? Ask about their views on immigration policy, and on
whether the U.S. should admit Syrian refugees.
At Park University, we’re taking this advice on Sept. 21, and
engaging with a group of six Pakistani academics who will be visiting our
campus. The Pakistanis, from a school called Sukkur IBA, are on a semester-long
exchange program at Johnson County Community College. At Park, they’ll be
meeting with students in three classes. In my peace journalism class, I’ll ask
our visitors to discuss at length the media portrayals of a supposedly
dangerous and terrorist-infested Pakistan, and to reflect on the recent
flare-ups in the disputed Kashmir region. I’ll also be
We can’t change the depressing headlines by ourselves—certainly
not in one day. But we can do our small part on this International Day of Peace
to build bridges between communities, between people, through the simple act of
beginning a meaningful dialogue with someone different than ourselves.
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