Peace Essay Contest 2008
Grade 6-8 Winners
First Place
Peace and Negotiation
The process of diplomacy is the most effective way to work out conflict rather than the use of violence. However, if negotiations are only with allies, diplomacy is not as useful a tool for avoiding violent confrontations. The quote, "If you want to make peace, don't talk to your friends, talk to your enemies," states how crucial negotiation with enemies is.
I will give two concrete examples of the application of this wisdom to global problems and small confrontations: First, I don't believe that in the real world there are absolute "enemies." In the two examples! am giving the diplomatic negotiations come from two conflicted parties, not "enemies."
During this school year I experienced what it was like to be betrayed by my close friend. Out on the concrete playing surface I was knocked in the face during a friendly game of football. My friend had punched me in the face in a small scramble during the end of a play. I finished a whole day of school without telling anybody, people stared and looked at me and why I looked so fragile.
I went home, and I held the story inside myself until I broke down in front of my mom. I was conflicted, because I didn't know what the social backlash would be if I got my friend in trouble. As the night went on, and the story developed, the boy who punched me in the face would take a day of suspension from school.
It had been two days since I had seen the friend, and I confronted him at school. We awkwardly talked, and we were even brought in by a teacher to talk about how we felt after the story had passed. With this conversation and a third party (the teacher) involved we relieved our stress, and our fear that the friendship would not survive. Today, we have moved on to be good friends again, and it encourages me that by talking with people I have conflict with, I can heal deep wounds.
Another example of smart negotiations with conflicted parties is the example of Barack Obama's foreign diplomatic policy. The presidential candidate has a smart mind about how to untangle politics with corrupt leaders such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran. He has stated clearly that he wants to restore the American way of negotiating by engaging leaders with different interests such as Ahmadinejad. I believe Obama will lead America in the right direction, and though he may not attain complete peace, he will manage to cool down roaring flames in the Middle East.
During this century we have realized that not using negotiations can spawn crises in certain regions. I am speaking specifically to the recent woes in the Middle East. The US and the western world have struggled with the instability in Iran and Iraq. President Bush has failed to implement the use of diplomacy with these nations, and the consequences have stirred these two nations as more of a threat. It is clear that the opinion stated in this quote has some relevance with the global problems today.
The principle can be applied to every day confrontations. People can apply it to an assortment of conflicts, and it can provide a resolution that satisfies all parties involved. As a general statement it is helpful to observe opinions that differ from yours. Listening to others gives perspective and allows people's imagination to grow. The world is filled with people whose opinions seem to be set in stone, but solutions seem to come in a cleaner and more effective form when they incorporate views from all sides.
This quote by Moshe Dayan is a wise point and the ways in which we interpret it can affect big issues all around the world and small issues at home.
--Martin Slag , gr. 8, Seven Hills School, Richmond
Second Place
Peace and Communication
"If you want to make peace, you talk don't talk to your friends, you talk to your enemies." Truer words are rarely spoken. Tragically, however, the nation of the man who spoke them still has not yet come to see his wisdom. In fact, of all the wars the rage around the world, military or otherwise, very few have any likelihood of ending in the near future simply because the leaders waging them refuse to speak with the other side. The ultimate consequence of their stubbornness is a planet in which violence begets violence and thousands of innocents suffer as a result.
On a global scale, one of the most costly wars in US history rages on with no dialogue being' exchanged between the ones who started it. The only things crossing the lines are threats and bombs and reporters with minimal influence. The disturbing persistence of the war on terrorism has been attributed to many things, from hatred of American freedom to lack of organization, but the true culprit is ignorance. Compromise is impossible when we hardly know what our enemies want, and a treaty cannot be drawn up with someone who we have made little attempt to contact.
At the moment, there are only two proposed ways to end the war: Stay in until we have completely flushed Al-Quaeda (and possibly the entire Muslim population) out of Iraq while allowing our troops to continually stretch their resources, or withdraw from the area, leaving the infantile Iraqi government to fend for itself, and hope that things will turn out fine as we did in Vietnam. Neither the latter nor the former imply a pleasant outlook for the Iraqi people. Nevertheless, there still remains a shrinking opportunity for someone to take the initiative, be it a president or a terrorist, and attempt to negotiate a peaceful ending to the war. If such an achievement could be made, and if cultural and ideological barriers could be breached with cautious but effective diplomacy, hope may yet still exist.
Another type of war plagues the inner city streets of Richmond and virtually all metropolises in America. While somewhat more subtle and with less defined sides, this war of organized crime is equally as deadly and much more likely to impact the lives of everyday American citizens. But despite the fact that this issue is relatively localized, it can not be solved as easily or as quickly as any international power struggle because of the complexities involved. Policemen would never bargain with gang members, or vice-versa, in the hopes of establishing a lasting peace.
Surprisingly, though, the Dayan quote can still apply to a situation such as this. If we allow popular culture and the words of men on the streets to be the only extra-familial influence in the lives of inner city teens, most will inevitably turn to what they see as a fast way to earn power and respect.
The first step to gang diffusion is, therefore, education, that is, teaching middle and high school students about the danger of gang participation before it is too late. The second step of using communication to reduce the violence is to convince convicts and current gang members that there are safer and more profitable alternatives to violence and larceny. At this stage, the use of expert counseling and vocational education is key. Finally, once both of the previous initiatives have been completed, or at least put into operation, the ringleaders of the gangs can be found and engaged in a dialogue by social workers with the intent of, if not convincing them to turn away from a life of crime, at least to avoid violent confrontations with other gangs.
The most successful application of this principle occurs in circumstances of conflict resolution. When two people with a mutual hatred of each other are forced to talk to one another and discuss the issue creating the conflict, a mediator can all but ensure that those individuals will never again see each other as adversaries.
If this method can be applied to larger situations in the real world, not just high school fights or playground brawls, then we are likely destined for a future of reduced crime rates and increased international cooperation. If not, violence will continue to escalate, both at home and around the world, until it will be difficult to discern one war from another. Action is needed now, if ever in human history, to convince our leaders and our youth bring an end to conflict by way of peace talks and dialogues. Our fate is in their hands.
--Sean Youngstone, gr. 8, Lucille Brown M.S., Richmond
Third Place
The meaning of peace is freedom from war or conflict but it also means there is a calmness or feeling of serenity. I think this can only happen when people understand one another. Most disagreements and wars break out, because we are too bull headed, to think that there might be a different side to things. If you only talk to people that agree with you, you will continue to feel that way. When you get to know people you think you don't like it opens up a whole new point of view. What the other side was doing might not have seemed right, or it still may not seem the best way to do things. At least now you know there was a reason behind it, and they were trying to do the right thing.
The quote, "If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies." seems like it is directed to the world and big crisis's, but it really isn't. It can be used every day in your own life. I have used this quote this year. There was a kid that I didn't want to be near. The reason being that we didn't share many of the same hobbies, and he didn't really like sports. Basically, we didn't have anything in common and I just thought I didn't like him. One day, I decided to get to know him and he turned out to be one of the funniest people I ever met. If I had only talked with my friends and never talked to him I would never had known how cool he really is.
This quote applies to a little bigger area as well. It can apply to your community. I realized this about a week ago volunteering for CARITAS with my church. If you didn't know CARITAS is when churches around the area offer to provide room and board for the homeless during the winter season. I was a little scared before I got there, because I always thought of the homeless as being mean and grouchy. When I got there though and talked to them, I realized that they are normal people who had bad luck. Now instead of being afraid of them I feel sorry for them and want to help.
I have showed examples of what taking the time to understand others can do to bring peace to your personal life and to the community just think what it could do the world at large? I think that we should not have listened to all the propaganda about Iraq and we should have taken the time to understand them. We are trying to help Iran but we end up angering them a lot because we don't understand their culture and how differently they look at things. Maybe if we had not rushed to opinions and taken the time to understand the culture and thinking of the people from the Middle East we would not be at war right now.
In conclusion, to me, the quote, "If you want to make peace you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies." really means you should take the time to learn about others , and understand where they are coming from. Taking the time to try to understand others instead of just disagreeing with them will bring more peace to the world. It will help encourage peace in your personal life, in your community, and in the world.
Cole Hawkins, gr. 7, Tuckahoe M.S., Henrico Co.
Honorable Mentions
Moshe Dayan, the Israeli military leader and politician once said that, "If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies." It is interesting that such a powerful and peaceful beliefs held and put forward by one who deals with war in a war torn land. It is my belief that the world is only changed by those with the will and commitment to change it. After all, you are not at war with your friends.
Dayan's words directly imply that one must engage one's enemies. Former President Jimmy Carter shared this belief through his universal principal about peacemaking, that in order to create peace of any kind, one must directly converse with those whom one opposes. If what Mr. Dayan and Mr. Carter say and believe is true, why has peace not been achieved? If countries have money enough to fuel and feed an army, then surely do they not have the means to meet face to face with their enemies? It is fair to say that for some reason, either enemies refuse to meet together, or it is clearly not that simple.
So then, what does it truly take to be able to sit down and converse with those you hate? First you must be able. To overcome the immense fear of being wrong and possibly accepting the ideas of those you oppose. It is the fear of the unknown in others that separates and builds more fear.
You must also be able to set aside your personal beliefs for the sake of others, making room for their beliefs different from your own. Finally, and most important, you must have a desire for peace which overcomes all other desires. If you meet with those who you have nothing in common with, you can only find that you have more in common than you thought by refusing to meet, you assume others have opinions that they may not have, By conversing with your enemies you have nothing to lose, only to gain.
Poet and philosopher Wendell Berry has a direct and underlying philosophy of the futility of global thinking. He believes that the problem with global thinking is just that. It is too global. We need to think more inductively. After thinking about Berry's philosophy and its relativity to the words of Dayan, I believe that my effect on the world and peace is more personal than I previously thought. Their words allow me to believe that the things that I do each and every day affect the world as whole. Sometimes, I wonder if what I do, alone, is enough.
What would happen if I lived my life talking with my enemies as though it would lead to peace? What if the surrounding community lived their lives believing their actions could bring about peace? What if all the world lived life with the intent of making a difference through its daily actions? Could we achieve our central goal of peace? Maybe only one by one, or one small group at a time, can we ever find peace, individually; in our communities, and in the world.
Margaret Meade once said, "Never underestimate the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world. Indeed, that is all that ever has."
--Jake Dorsey, gr. 8, Seven Hills School, Richmond
I believe that the man who spoke the quote "If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends, but your enemies," was a man with a deep understanding of human nature and culture. We always desire to be better or greater than others, and this desire always escalates to a conflict of strength in arms, or power unless we find our inner strength to negotiate. Many people though, either neglect or do not understand this.
If you are the respected leader of a country with a rebel insurgency threatening the government's power and public safety, instead of rallying your allies for war, you should attempt a meeting with the rebel's leader to try to make them see sense or negotiate an agreement. All negotiations should have an unbiased mediator to control the discussions. Only if this utterly fails and the opposite party engages in hostile activities, is open war even an option. A peaceful solution to any problem is far preferable to armed combat, for It prevents major loss of life and everyone benefits. This solution can also be used for everyday disagreements,
The United Nations is a world-renowned organization that works tirelessly to deliver nonviolent solutions like these in all nations. They have representatives from every continent in the world in the Security Council, which works to forge peaceful solutions to conflicts (and intervene if necessary). The General Assembly, which has representatives from almost every country in the world, is the main governing and decision-making body of the UN. They also are attempting to eliminate poverty, lower child and maternal death rates, and many other things. I actually had the privilege to visit the UN's headquarters in New York City over spring break and learned a lot about the inner workings of the United Nations. The UN complex itself though, is separate from national boundaries to avoid any possible jealousy and/or competition. There are also many other peacekeeping organizations working towards the same goals worldwide.
World peace is one of the highest, but most ambitious goals that all should desire in their hearts. It would solve many of Earth's worst problems. There would no more wars of aggression, or over control of resources and land. Everyone would cooperate and collaborate to stop major issues such as global climate change. It would be an almost perfect Utopia of life. Unfortunately we are still very far from achieving this lofty goal.
With audacity and perseverance we can and hopefully will, together, create a world of our own that all can admire and know is good. We have the power to gradually shape our lives to have the most positive impact on the world possible if we can control ourselves. The more people doing good in the world the better our Earth becomes.
--Ben Youngstone , gr. 6, Binford M.S., Richmond
Accepting the Challenge
After reading Moshe Dayan's quote "If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies." all of my feelings and opinions about peace between friends and enemies changed. I now understand that who your friends are and who your enemies are can affect you, your community, and even your world.
I believe Dayan's quote is simply saying in order to make peace, we have to be reasonable and kind with our enemies; we have to talk to them. We have to understand them. If you think about it, your friends will always be there, but your enemies will fade.
In that case, you have to reach out to them to become friends. He is saying in a very simple way that if you do not want to have an enemy, be the first to extend the olive
branch. We have to treat our enemies as we wish to be treated.
Dayan' s quote applies to me personally in many ways. I have been in situations when I needed to deal with people who were not my friends. In fact, we were enemies at first but I reached out to the person and now we are at peace. This idea can also help in future situations. I can recognize enemies and think to myself, "I should be the strong one and reach out to that person." Little things can make a big difference. Even sitting with a different person at lunch and having a good conversation can be the beginning of a new and more understanding relationship. Like me, they would feel like someone actually cares about them and they may realize how easy it is to make a friend.
My community and even world can also be affected by this positive approach to life. My community, meaning friends, family, teachers, and ones that I am around on a
daily basis can affect where I go in life. If I do not make peace with teachers, I will not know what I am doing wrong and what I can do to improve my overall performance. Obviously, my family has a huge impact on my life as well. If I do not get along or make peace with them, I do not know what would happen. I count on them for love and support. Friends will definitely always be there for me, but I have to maintain peace with them because I do not want to lose any of my best friends. Friendship cannot be taken for granted. My world can be affected in many ways. A major way would be that the war in Iraq is going to keep going on until the countries find some way to communicate and make an agreement.
As Moshe Dayan said, the only way to make peace is to talk to your enemies and not just your friends. I believe this is a challenge that God gave us to overcome. It is not easy and it will take a while, but it is possible. Relationships are built over time. I also believe that God does not want us to have enemies. If we do, we should step out of our comfort zone, reach out to talk to them, and try to make a positive difference. At first, doing this is like a baby taking his first couple of awkward and unsure steps. However, over time, the baby walks with ease and then runs with pride. We can run with just as much pride if we accept the challenge of understanding our enemies, talking with them, and building relationships.
--Grace Wilson, gr. 7, Tuckahoe M.S., Henrico Co.
Peace
"If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies. "
What this quote means to me is if you are in a fight or are mad at someone, don't just talk about now mad you are at them to your friends, talk to that person. For example, you hear that someone said something mean about you during school one day. You had thought that this person was a friend of yours. You want to know why they said this but you don't want to have to talk to them. Instead you talk to your friends about how mad you are at that person.
If you don't talk to them, or if you do nothing, nothing will get better and nothing will change. If you really want peace, you will make an effort to talk to that person. When you talk to that person, you need to make sure that you have an open mind. This is important because you will need to be able to see not only your point of view, but also the other person's point of view. You will also need to get out of your comfort zone a little. If you are a shy person, you need to get out of your comfort zone so that you can say what your opinions are.
You also need to find out what the source of the problem is. This way, you both can find out why you are in a fight. If you say nothing to make peace, than nothing will ever happen. Also, if you are going to make peace, do it because YOU want to, not because you have to. Lastly, make sure that you have time to talk about the problem. Don't pick a time when you are really busy, or when the other person is busy. Extra help or a free period is good times to talk about it. So, if you want peace, talk to your enemies not your friends.
--Katherine Freeman, gr. 8, St. Catherine's School, Richmond
[19:40] xyJophobia13: heyy
[19:41] outofoptions23: hey
[19:41] outofoptions23: watsup?
[19:41] xylophobial3: watching miss congeniality
[19:42] outofoptions23: haha
[19:42] outofoptions23': i love tht movie
[19:42] xylophobia13: yeah
[19:42] xylophobiaJ3: my all time favorite thing is when it shows every single contestant wanting "world peace II
[19:42] xylophohia13: like tht will happen
[19:43] outofoptions23: why so skeptical?
[19:43] outofoptions23: its totally possible
[19:44J xylophobiaJ3: no it isnt, there would have to be a global alliance and no way tht would work
[19:45J xylophobia13: there would always be some sort of argument or racial inequality to create a disturbance
[19:46] outofoptions23: maybe you need to start smaller
[19:47] outofoptions23: maybe WE need to start smaller-like schools or grades
[19:47J xylophobial,3: do you truly believe that we can stop gossip or testosterone from fights?
[19:47J xyJophobia13: i mean, there is always going to be someone who needs to let out his/her anger and do so in negative ways
[19:47] xylophobia13: there is always going to be a bully
[19:47] xylophotlial3: or an iraq
[19:48] xylophobia13: or a north korea
[19:48] xylophobia13: etc.
[19:48] xylophobia13: it never ends
[19:48] outofoptions23: yeah but there is always going to be a peace giver too
[19:49] outofoptions23: and maybe the thing to do ISNT to go and get your friends on your side then go and attack your so called
[19:49] outofoptions23: enemy
[19:53J xylophobiaI3: brb
[20:08] outofoptions23: are you at dinner?
[20:09] xylophobia13: tht was weird
[20:09] xyJophohiaI3: i was just about to im you
[20:09] xylophobia13: yeah i was
[20:09] xylophobia13: chili
[20:10] outofoptions23: can we get back to wht we were talking about?
[20:10] xylophobia13: world peace?
[20:10] xylophobia13: i have a brilliant idea lets give the world chili in a sort of "global bonding" [20:11] outofoptions23: can we try to be serious? this could be your future: dying from getting attacked by terrorists
[20:12] outofoptions23: and you could have prevented it just by doing something to try to start world peace
[20:12J xylophobia13: that is kinda unlikely
[20:12J xylophobia13: what can i do?
[20:13J xylophobia13: get involved in beauty pageants?
[20:13] outofoptions23: haha
[20:13] outofoptions23: no
[20:13] outofoptions23: just talk to your age old nemesis:
[20:14] outofoptions23: Veronica
[20:14] xylophobia13: no
[20:14] xylophobia13: you know how she spread that gossip about me and Mark last year
[20:15J xylophobia13: she is like the definition of popular
[20:16] outofoptions23: but what if your going to talk to her has some effect?
[20:17] outofoptions23: she wont spread any more rumors about your ....
[20:17] outofoptions23: um....
[20:I7] outofoptions23: relationship problems
[20:17] xylophobia13: true
[20:18] xylophobia13: but then again, she could ruin me even more
[20:19] xylophobiaJ3: she could see me walk up to her, punch me, take out an eye and thus kill the social status that i set or she could somehow decapitate me and then resurrect me so that i could clean up the mess
[20:19] xylophobial13: etc.
[20:19] outofoptions23: girl, you worry too much
[20:20] outofoptions23: think about the positives
[20:20] outofoptions23: im not asking for you to become her bff
[20:20] outofoptions23: im just asking you to consider the possibility of her leaving you alone, complimenting your shirt
[20:20] xylophobia13: yeah
[20:20] xylophohiaJ3: i guess
[20:21] xylophobia13: but how does this have to do with world peace?
[20:21] xylophobia13: we're talking about one school, one grade, two people out of billions
[20:21] outofoptions23: its all about starting small
[20:22] outofoptions23: and building up
[20:22] outofoptions23: that is the main thing
[20:23] outofoptions23: because if veronica starts to make amends with all the girls and guys she's crossed because of your actions to make peace...
[20:24] xylophobia13: we could mend the entire school
[20:24] outofoptions23: haha exactly
[20:25] outofoptions23: and then other schools could follow our example and then all of the younger generations can carry on the legacy as the ruling generation of this country, of every country
[20:25] outofoptions23: and then...
[20:25] outofoptions23: world peace
[20:26] xylophobia13: wow
[20:26] xylophobia13: you have the entire thing based on my saying of peace with veronica? [20:26] xylophobia13: um...
[20:26] xylophobia13: no pressure right?
[20:27] outofoptions23: haha, actually its global cooperation
[20:27] outofoptions23: if everyone helps out, then we can change the world
[20:28] xylophobia13: and the "non conformists" the terrorists and such
[20:28] xylophobia13: wht about them?
[20:29] xylophobia13: not every person is going to cooperate
[20:30] outofoptions23: there are always the bumps in the road
[20:30] outofoptions23: the least we can do is try to pave a path
[20:31] xylophobia13: nice metaphor
[20:31] outofoptions23: thanks
[20:34] xylophobia13: yeah i get it
[20:35J xylophobia13: in order for anything big to happen, we have to start small
[20:35] outofoptions23: exactly
[20:35] outofoptions23: will you make amends with veronica?
[20:36] xylophobia13 yeah, i guess
[20:37] outofoptions23: tomorrow?
[20:37] xylophobia13: uh...
[20:37] xylophobia13: sure. why not
[20:37] outofoptions23: do you promise?
[20:37] xylophobia13: yes i promise
Peace can and will eventually come, the key is to start small and build up. It takes time and a lot of effort but it all leads up to the ideal that peace is obtainable. Many people do have to face their fears and talk to their enemies to come to a general agreement. By doing this they don't build up groups of hate or discomfort towards other groups, they come to a mutual understanding of all that happens and not as many humans are injured mentally or physically.
--Julia Whitehead, gr. 8, St. Catherine's School, Richmond
Moshe Dayan, an Israeli military leader and politician once said, "If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies." This insightful and well-stated quote could and can be used be used not just in our communities, but also around the world. When I was
first read this quote the meaning didn't jump out at me. When Ire-read the quote it seemed as if Dayan was trying to say if you have a problem or an issue, it doesn't do anyone any good to just complain or gossip about it to friends but, to embrace it and rationally discuss the problem with the person or group your having difficulties with. By doing this, many things, big and small, could be prevented from happening.
World War I, World War II, the war in Iraq, and the Spanish-American War are all examples of fighting that occurred because of misconceptions, misunderstood statements, and lack of communication. These were all major events in history, they left many hurt, scared, and scarred. If one of the leaders in each of these wars had confronted the others and talked out there problems calmly and looked at it from the others point of view the issues could have been resolved in a sane and peaceful way.
Even here in our own community we read about conflicts in Richmond particularly between Mayor Wilder and the City Council. Everyone has the City of Richmond's best interest at heart; however how they go about achieving the goal gets in the way of productive work. Just read the any paper, article after article focuses on and highlights these disagreements. This further aggravates both sides and limits the capacity for collaboration and partnership.
Fights and arguments might seem little compared to the bigger issues in life, but to the people involved it soon becomes their life to prove that they are right. In reality both people are at fault because neither of the persons involved made an effort to talk out the problem with one another to the extent that things were resolved. If I used Dayan's theory more often I probably would have less controversy in my life and would prevent the loss of good friends. From this point forward, I will take an oath to live by Dayan's insightful words and learn from all my past mistakes. By embracing future disagreements I will be able to see the other person's point of view in comparison to mine. This will allow me to find the common purpose we both share that will allow us to resolve our issues in a mature and sophisticated way.
--Courtney Robinson , gr. 7, Tuckahoe M.S., Henrico Co.