Thus far we have been praying and talking about peace thinking that peace will happen one day. On the contrary, we are experiencing increasing violence in the society. One may wonder why? Even when peace is the goal for everyone, we are at conflicts or competing against one another in our struggles for better life and result is only few comes out winner! We all are made to compete for everything in life from getting admission to nursery school to getting a job, getting promotion or starting and while doing a business. Only a few succeed in life. Almost all public and private wealth are being invested in these competitions benefitting only few who succeeds. Likewise, economic growth does not mean equal benefits for all but making a few rich, richer and many poor, poorer! 7.34% of the population who are job-seekers remain unemployed losing out in highly competitive job markets, thousands are drug addicts and thousands of famers committing suicide. The few who are making good income are also investing heavily for their security! If all of these are what is happening in the life of the larger population, we need to question the nature of the economy and education and politics that is promoting the former two. Do we need a new politics that may be called as peace politics so there is peace economy and education by which there can be peace, justice and security for all citizens in this democratic country?
A quick survey among parents reveals that 60-70% of their family income is invested on children education till they are able to earn for themselves and lakhs of Rupees to grease someone’s palm for a job. Privatization of education and health sectors is adding on the burden on the poorer millions and many have no access. Education system teach children to compete for success in life from class-1 till they leave. As a result, the richest 1% of the population owns more than 40% of the country’s wealth while the bottom half of the population, losing out of the competition, share 3% of the total wealth (Oxfam, 2023). Similarly, since 1990s, India is competing with other countries to be a leading international player by setting a target of Rs 7 trillion economy, and yet there no peace budget by which children can learn how to cooperate with others in solving problems, resolving conflicts peacefully through dialogue and negotiation in their day-to-day lives. Wars may give temporary peace to the winners but not to all. Peace still remains as an idea or seed not ever sawn in this democratic country which promises to its people; Equality, Justice, Liberty and Fraternity!
Peace study informs that peace is possible only by peaceful means. Peaceful means or nonviolence are human capacities to win together or resolve conflicts in mutually agreeable manners without hurting and threatening the others. These human capacities remain dormant in every person because there is no investment to develop these capacities through education, training and practices. Peace is personal as much as it is family and local needs. Since, everyone seeks for peace, everyone must invest a small part of income to develop the capacities for peace. Creating peace fund must start with self as matter of fundamental duties of being a citizen in a democratic country. It must be done right NOW and in small /little ways. Once, every family dedicate a small percentage of their income to create Family Peace Fund and invest on family members then people will have the moral authority to demand the elected representatives and Government to create peace budget for preparing generations through formal and nonformal education as peacebuilding entrepreneurs well-equipped with knowledge, methods and techniques of peaceful ways of resolving conflicts, preventing potential wars and violence to open up condition for sustainable development.
One can think of peace fund at several levels. Family Peace Fund (FPF) can make Clan or Community Peace Fund (CPF) and Village Peace Fund (VPF) or Ward Peace Fund (WPF) and so State Peace Fund and Budgets, finally. Then only all educated persons will also have capacities for peacebuilding and peacemaking in their lives. If everyone takes small little steps from individual to societal level, we will be able to transform the war economy to peace economy to take human history to the next level beyond wars – God’s Kingdom! This is possible only when funds dedicated for peace is also utilized by the following certain guidelines.
Guidelines for creation and utilization of Family Peace Fund
- Contribute 10% of personal income every month to the Family Peace Fund.
- Make a powerful prayer while contributing the amount to the Peace Fund [Emung Tungdu Leita Sel (ETLS) or Om Shanti Dhan (OSD)] on everyday basis. Your prayer must add value and spirit to the fund to work for peace
- The Peace Fund must be used for developing peace education curriculum and literatures as informal, nonformal and formal programs and peace-making intervention in the family and with neighbourhood and in the community
- Pay part of the fund to peace educators, trainers and consultants to develop family peace practice programs, purchase peace building manuals/ books
- Part of the fund can be used monitoring and identifying conflicts in the family, and locality to discuss and take peace intervention action as individual or group
- Use part of the fund for in-house training on dialogue facilitation, mediation and restorative justice skill building practices at community level
- Pay part of the fund to successful mediators in the family based on level of satisfaction by the parties in conflict on the scale of 0-10
- If satisfaction level score 1-3 then pay 20% of the total Family Peace Fund; 3-5 score then 30%; 5-7 then 50% and 7-10 then 70% of the fund must be paid to the mediators
- 30% of the fund at any point of time must be kept as reserve while to the fund is replenished to grow by regular contributions from family members.
- Sponsor someone to yoga, meditation, mediation, peace journalism and conflict resolution trainings at local, national and international levels
- Give award to local peacemakers at an annual function or journalist who regularly writes stories of people making peace
Peaceful ways of life can be more attractive than highly competitive struggles of life in which only a few winners take all. Peace economy can make everyone rich enough by disinvesting huge amount of fund invested in wasteful security and defence machineries. Everyone will be interested to make peace with the others and with the natural environment which are the fundamental duties of citizens of a democratic country. So, invest in peace for now and for children’s future.
Let us create a new history of peace on this New Year 2024 by creating personal and family peace fund. This game-changing initiative of creating peace fund every house will be done by individual and members of family fasting in prayer and dedicating the cost of one meal as the seed for Peace Fund. Peace fund will grow more as individuals/ families voluntarily commit a percentage of their resources/ income to add on the Family Peace Fund. Peace fund is not new or additional fund but it is about redirecting the same fund used for war to peace.
Please join hands in creating family peace fund to make peace for all and with the nature
Deben’s family: Chhaya, Arbin and Arjun
Director, PINE (Manipur-Nagaland) & Joint Secretary, National Council for Reconciliation and Peace (NCRP). Mobile: 8119955176. Email ID: [email protected]
The writer is Visiting Faculty, NEISSR, Nagaland and Coordinator PINE (Manipur-Nagaland)
