Nonviolence and Its Applications Workgroup Gandhi, Nagler et. Al.

 
Theory and practice of non-violence and its applicability for world peace "Nation shall not life up sword against nation: neither shall they learn war any more." In what ways can non- violent practice actually work as an alternative to armies and military interventions? What is its relevance to situations like Iraq, Bosnia, Darfur, or Rwanda? How might we build non- violence as a central part of a strategy for world peace? Can spiritual activists really hope to replace the Defense Department with a non- violent peace force-and if not, what do we say about national defense? What can we learn from recent developments in nonviolent interventions that point the way to a regime of stable peace? How do we deal with the issue of unaccountable power? What are the unaccountable power- centers in world and US society, and how should we address them? What would a spiritually- sensitive reconstructed United Nations look like? Can spiritual activists support the United Nations, without demanding serious transformation? If the UN model of representing nation states means that it ends up representing the elites of those nations, what mechanism can there be for genuine representation of the aspirations of the people of the world? How can conflict be productive and transformative--and how can we heal the emotional/spiritual wounds of those who have been victims?