Through the Peace Revolution Fellowship, I understood the meaning of Peace In + Peace Out = Sustainable World Peace.
Throughout my life and studies, peace was an abstract topic and subject, talked of in terms of dialogue and big meetings and guns and soldiers…
And only politicians and pastors preached of the need for “peace” and admonished those propagating violence, and urged for national cohesion.
Image source: innercomm.net
In Kenya, in 2007, I witnessed a gruesome post-election violence, and my friend; she later told me how her neighbor, and family friend of 10 years, killed her family in the wake of a disputed election.
I heard, in Rwanda, of religious leaders killing others and religious centers used as a den to kill those who went to seek “peace” from their assailants. All the hundreds of them, killed and burnt in a building supposed to bring peace.
Image source: rwandagenocide.org
I have learnt of peace in several languages and even own t-shirts bearing peace signs and a beautiful bird, the true symbol of peace. Beautiful words and themes “Youths promoting sustainable.”
And my society makes me believe this is peace…when local leaders in my country tell us to forget our past, because we need “peace.”
“Hey, the Post-Election Violence is past, we should forget it and move on…Kenya wants peace!!!!” (came the agitated onslaught in a public rally).
And most of us seem to believe them…most of us…but I don’t…at least not anymore…not since I met Peace Revolution.
Through discovering Peace Revolution, I realized that I have as much role as the soldier in enhancing peace. I realized that peace is not found in treaties, or policies or even press statements. It starts from within, it starts from me…it starts from the self. Peace from the self is not as vague as it may seem, it’s a conscious awareness of the basic component of human existence…the mind.
James Allen says as a Man thinketh, so he is…and I assert that what we think determines what we say and what we do, including relating with others. What we think may seem abstract and out of reach…right? Think about it again.
If you think it, then you can do it…meaning, you have all the control in the world. A control to decide or not…to make a choice.
But who are you? The “you” that is different from your thoughts, the “you” that evaluates your actions and judges self and others, and justifies your actions…that’s you?
So, “you” can be trained…trained to withhold judgment when your friend never said hello the other night. It can be trained to love, everyone alive without judging who is and who isn’t… The training is done through the practice of meditation…
So, you see, you can train “you”. The mind behind everything you think you own.
When you safeguard your thoughts, you will in turn safeguard your speech and actions. You see, thoughts are inside, speech is the window to the outside while actions are the door that welcomes or shuts others from you. Windows will only invite, but the doors will welcome or chase away. Peace In + Peace Out equals sustainable world peace.
Join Peace Revolution community fellowships to learn more. In West and Central Africa one can access the fellowship application through West & Central Africa Fellowship application. You may also stay on the lookout for the Amandla East and Southern Africa fellowship coming soon in Malawi.