The United States government has declared its intent to make the world safe from violent acts -- such as those in New York and Washington -- and from those who perpetrate them. Other nations have joined them.
If the goal of the nations forming this coalition becomes retaliation and punishment, each action they take will be determined by the answer to this question: "Will this action take us closer to punishing those responsible for the pain we have suffered?"
However, if their goal is peace and safety for the world, each action will be determined by answering a very different question: "Will this action bring us closer to lasting peace and safety for the world?" It is my fervent hope that our leaders will not seek punishment, but will keep their focus on creating peace and safety. To create short-term safety, we will need to protect ourselves from further threat. This may include actions taken in, what I call, the "protective use of force." We may need to capture and imprison the perpetrators so that they cannot attack us again. And we may even have to kill some of them if we can't otherwise restrain them.
But, for the long-term, we also need to begin creating lasting safety and peace in the world. Our leaders need to establish relationships that will give rise to true and permanent cooperation between nations. They need to start now to change the circumstances that give rise to violent behavior. The wealthy countries of the world need to work together to create a world where all people have access to basic life-serving resources and protection for their human rights -- where all people are safe and free, and have the opportunity to create a satisfying life.
If there is an answer to the enormous problem before us, it is to seek solutions that will meet the needs of all concerned. This is not utopian idealism. I have seen such solutions created -- over and over again -- around the world...
The Center for Nonviolent Communication is a global organization "helping people compassionately connect with themselves and one another through Nonviolent Communication" a process created by Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D., that offers Nonviolent Communication training and educational materials. Founded by Marshall Rosenberg in 1984, it is headquartered in La Crescenta, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles.
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