Dear
Members,
As
indicated in my message of August 8, I am pleased to submit (below) a first
draft of a
I
had hoped to provide this to you much sooner (but better late than never).
I will bring some extra copies to our meeting in Cardston tomorrow and hope
that we might be able to have some at least preliminary discussion.
Regards,
Bob
Stewart
WATERTON-GLACIER
INTERNATIONAL PEACE PARK ASSEMBLY (“WGIPPA”)
PEACE,
PARKS AND ROTARY WORKING GROUP
DRAFT
MARKETING STRATEGY
“I
have a dream - a time when delegates from Rotary Peace Parks throughout the
world will meet at Waterton- Glacier to celebrate Peace and Goodwill in a
“Hands Across All Borders Ceremony”.
BACKGROUND
Refer
to Appendix 1 for a background to Peace, Parks and Rotary prepared by
The
following highlights, pertinent to the development of a WGIPPA Marketing
Strategy, are excerpted from that Appendix 1:
- the
world’s first
- celebrates
the longest unguarded boundary on Earth
- Assemblies
are celebrations of Fellowship,
Friendship, Goodwill and Peace which has existed between our
two countries for almost 200 years.
- a
way to cement harmonious
relations between old allies, while providing a model
for peace for nations around the world.
- a
powerful symbol for
mankind’s capacity for friendship
- peace
is one of the cornerstones of the future. Peace parks are a
building block in this process, not only in our region, but
potentially in the entire world
- The
search for International Peace must be our foremost goal. We can and we
must make a difference.
- A
shared vision of transboundary
co-operation by all is the ultimate goal.
- part
of a viable solution to some
of the world’s greatest conflicts
- What
better setting exists for world leaders to gather,
to resolve
International disputes, to bring together warring factions, and to create
world peace.
- peace
with our ecosystems
- The
future of
- Can
Rotarians create
International Peace Parks throughout the world?
- a
Global Partnership for Peace Parks
is required
- a
Coalition of Partners for World Peace
through Tourism
Borrowing
from the experience and work on this issue by IUCN (International Union for
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources), the Peace Parks Foundation, WWF-International
and the University for Peace, the objectives of this Peace Parks and Rotary
initiative could include among other things:
-
To
catalyze and collaborate
-
To
empower, through capacity building
-
To
develop, adopt, test and disseminate Best Practice Guidelines and a Code of
Conduct
-
To
facilitate the exchange of data and information
-
promote
recognition and application of the
-
develop
a program of work for the next three to five years.
Objectives
for Parks for Peace
(excerpted from Transboundary protected areas for peace and co-operation,
reference below in Appendix 1)
The identification/designation of Parks for Peace by the cooperating
jurisdictions should include only those areas where the agreed management
objectives explicitly recognise both a
protected area purpose and a peace purpose.
Parks for Peace should be founded on the recognition that human security, good
governance, equitable development and respect for human rights are
interdependent and indivisible. Peace is best developed by addressing the root
causes of conflict and by promoting sustainable development, the rule of law
and adherence to human rights, whether civil, political, economic, social or
cultural.
Specific objectives of Parks for Peace may include the following aspects:
(i) Supporting long-term co-operative conservation of biodiversity, ecosystem
services, and natural and cultural values across boundaries;
(ii) Promoting landscape-level ecosystem management through integrated
bio-regional land-use planning and management;
(iii) Building trust, understanding, reconciliation and co-operation between
and among countries, communities, agencies and other stakeholders;
(iv) Preventing and/or resolving tension, including over access to natural
resources;
(v) Promoting the resolution of armed conflict and/or reconciliation following
armed conflict;
(vi) Sharing biodiversity and cultural resource management skills and
experience, including co-operative research and information management;
(vii) Promoting more efficient and effective co-operative management
programmes;
(viii)Promoting access to, and equitable and sustainable use of natural
resources, consistent with national sovereignty; and
(ix) Enhancing the benefits of conservation and promoting benefit-sharing
across boundaries among stakeholders.
Though
the main motive for donors to act in this way has so far been better
conservation, it could also be a means to promote regional co-operation during
times of tension.
Good Practice
Guidelines:
Guidance
is set out under nine headings:
1. Identifying and promoting common values
2.
Involving and benefiting local people
3.
Obtaining and maintaining support of decision-makers
4.
Promoting coordinated and co-operative activities
5.
Achieving coordinated planning and protected area development
6.
Developing co-operative agreements
7.
Working towards funding sustainability
8.
Monitoring and assessing progress
9.
Dealing with tension or armed conflict
PREFACE
TO
“…
Rotarians believe that if there is failure in the avenue of international
service, there may be no need for concern about the other avenues of service.
… and this book (“Seven Paths To Peace”) is presented in the hope
and belief that there are thousands (now millions) of hands which up to now
have not been lifted – but which now may be persuaded to row a new and firm
course.”
This
proposal is submitted within the spirit of the ‘Protocol To Guide Our
Conversations And Relationships’ in Appendix 2 below.
The
What
do we want and need?
Is
peace possible?
What
can we do?
What
Do We Want/Need?
Our
wants and needs are relatively tightly focused.
A
read of the background material indicates our collective WGIPPA desire to:
- Build
on past effort and a powerful symbol of friendship
- Move
to a higher plateau to make a more significant difference
- To
build transboundary co-operation and relationships
- At
home and abroad
- In
service to humanity, our planet and Rotary’s Fourth Object.
In
this light, we need to:
- Develop
an understanding and action plan to advance transboundary co-operation and
relationships
- Using
the venue of Peace Parks, starting with WGIPP.
Peace
Parks, as typically envisioned, can be enriching safe havens or sanctuaries
for self-actualization that give us a place to nurture our desire to become
better people – to become what we are capable of becoming. They can be
places to build personal peace, family peace, community peace, regional peace
and world peace.
Currently,
even in rich countries like
- through
information knowledge (education),
- through
social intelligence, contacts and networks,
- through
purposeful and shared action
We
are blessed that
Is
Peace Possible?
This
is an important question because Rotarians and other people need to be able to
visualize success, and to ‘know’ that any Initiative is ‘worth the
cost’.
Peace
and violence are measurable, manageable and relative.
For example, Canadian Culture Of Peace Program Members view it that Canadians
live in a ‘continuum’ as follows:
C
a
n
a
!
d
!
I
a
!
I
I--------i------i-------i------------!------------------------------------I
Culture of
mid
Culture of
War & Violence
point
Peace & Non-violence
(high incidence of
(low incidence of
direct & indirect violence)
direct & indirect violence)
The
best test is: “what is the effect on the least privileged in society?”
This analogy is just to say that peace and violence is relative and our North
American Culture is still more predominantly one of violence than peace (or
stated more directly, “In North America, we live in a culture of
violence”). In any case, evidence points to the fact that we are
significantly underachieving our potential, and far too many are suffering
harm (including death) unnecessarily. All the reader has to do is look
at some recent news headlines.
For
100 years, Rotary has been optimistic that we can make a significant, positive
difference in “The
advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a
world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of
service.”
The
Fourth Object recognizes peace is relative, and relative peace is possible.
Success
in the Fourth Object results in significantly reducing the human cost of
direct and indirect violence. There is a high degree of correlation of
education, social intelligence skills and shared action with improving
relationships, co-operation and violence prevention. An investment of
time, effort and/or money will provide superior rates of return to WGIPPA
Rotarians through meeting our own actualization needs, and those of others
that we share our experiences with. There is also a high degree of
correlation of this ‘social intelligence’ with success at school, work and
home. Furthermore, businesses are more successful in a more stable,
social environment – governments also.
As
R.I. President Herb Brown said at the Rotary International Conference in
What
Can We Do?
Every
Rotarian (in fact, everyone) is a potential peace builder, peace educator and
peace leader. It is not fair or possible for one, or a small number of
people, to be the leader(s) – accordingly, everyone is expected to share in
the leadership, education and building. This is the ultimate in
democratic participation and empowerment. We are all guides towards a
better world for future generations.
Rotary’s
motto is “Service Above Self”. We, at WGIPPA, are well placed to
provide servant leadership to build on past effort and a powerful symbol of
friendship, taking WGIPPA to a higher level to make a more significant
difference, to build transboundary co-operation and relationships at home and
abroad, in service to humanity, our planet and Rotary’s Fourth Object.
In
this light, we need to develop an understanding and action plan to advance
transboundary co-operation and relationships, using the venue of Peace Parks,
starting with WGIPP.
Our
mission, if we decide to accept it, is to join us in helping others:
-
build their
-
build social intelligence and contacts (networks; collaborations),
-
build purposeful action,
-
accelerate the transformation to a Culture of Peace and Non-violence.
In
the process, we will learn by doing. That is the essence of peace
education, servant leadership and service above self.
The
decision of Rotarians and Clubs, within our District and around the world, to
act along with us may be motivated, among other things, by:
-
a desire become better people – to become what we are capable of becoming
(“we can do better”)
-
to build personal peace, family peace, community peace, regional peace and
world peace
-
a conscience that no longer allows us to sit idly by while others suffer
needlessly
-
wanting to do something
·
to
not be a victim of direct or indirect violence for ourself, our family, our
community, our country,
·
building
our own social intelligence and contacts (networks),
·
to
live on purpose (as in ‘meaning of life’; “I can do better”)
·
exercising
our own power (self-empowerment; self-reflection)
·
desire
to be part of something bigger than just oneself, and succeed in the process
It
takes commitment to get “off our duffs” and act. Our target
audiences are:
·
those
that seek peace, violence prevention and building a better world for future
generations (it makes sense that peace educators/leaders/builders need the
most peace education and social intelligence),
·
community
leaders (in Rotary Clubs, government, business, education, media, religion,
etc.) that have a sworn duty to build a better community,
·
those
that will readily embrace the values of Rotary’s Peace Park Initiative,
·
everyone
else in due course (the Initiative is inclusive).
Those
that will readily embrace the benefits of the
We
will be developing a “Tool Kit” to help prospective Members. In the
meantime, a wealth of information is available on the Internet. (As Carl
Rogers said, “The only learning which significantly influences behaviour is
self-directed, self-appropriated learning.”)
To
keep people involved, we will have the Rotary community that will keep them
interested and supported (i.e. local Rotary Clubs that serve as a magnet,
positive reinforcement and support structure) – a Socially Intelligent
Network.
‘Branding’
the Peace Parks Initiative: A Highly Strategic Initiative
The
Through
the branding initiative, our goal is to achieve instant recognition for our
Peace Parks brand – recognition for what the brand stands for; for what it
means to be a Peace Park Professional; for what you get when you engage a
Peace Park Professional; for the type of person a Peace Park Professional is
and the values he or she adheres to; and for the attributes and personality
traits you can generally expect to find in a Peace Park Professional.
The
The
branding exercise for Peace Parks must address the following questions:
·
what
does the
·
what
is the “DNA” of the
·
what
characterizes Peace Park Members as a group and a profession, and what do they
want to become? That is, how do we as Peace Park Professionals want to be
perceived and what do we want our designation to tell and promise the world,
especially our key stakeholders and prospective members?
This
is the essence of the brand and it must be relevant and inspirational. It
needs to be explained, communicated and nurtured. And, eventually, it needs to
be enhanced or changed to represent what Peace Park Professionals are today
and what they will become tomorrow.
To
do this, all Peace Park Members will have to seize every opportunity to share
the meaning of the brand and build the brand and its culture. The meaning of
the brand must be unifying — it is a rallying point, used to build
consensus. The meaning and essence of a brand builds synergy and precedes any
presentation of a visual solution. It becomes integrated in the culture of the
profession and constitutes a source of motivation for members.
A
brand is a dynamic concept. At its heart is a vision, with goals and a strong
belief in its meaning and essence. A brand also carries values and is
characterized by a set of attributes and an underlying personality. For key
stakeholders, the
The
brand strategy will be the central unifying thrust and idea around which
decisions, actions and communications are aligned in a long-term perspective
to strengthen and promote the
·
the
strategic vision, mission and plan just developed
·
the
profession’s history, culture, membership and organization
·
an
in-depth understanding of key stakeholders’ needs and perceptions. Brand
strategy should define positioning; essential promise; unique value
proposition; differentiation; and competitive advantage.
Brand
strategy should impact and influence members; students; business; government;
the general public; and institutions and staff. The imperatives of such
a strategy are the following:
·
seize
every opportunity to position the Peace Park Profession, uniquely and
strongly, in the mind of Members, stakeholders and students;
·
consistently
repeat a strong message and idea, over the long term;
·
communicate
and demonstrate a unique competitive advantage;
·
understand
stakeholders, their perceptions and expectations;
·
use
all touch points in a coherent and convergent way;
·
yield
emotions to build aspirations, admiration and loyalty to the brand.
The
success factors that the
·
roots
and authenticity: it must not be just a shiny image;
·
substantiation:
as a profession we must be able to explain and prove our claims and
statements;
·
credibility:
the brand’s promise and value proposition must be credible;
·
sustainability:
as a profession we must be able to deliver on the brand promises;
·
differentiation:
the
·
inner
coherence: the
With
this background, it is proposed that the Waterton-Glacier International/Peace
Parks and Rotary brand be ‘unveiled’ as follows:
PEACE
IS IN OUR NATURE:
THE
NATURE OF PEACE AND
LEARNING
FROM THE PEACE OF NATURE
It
is believed that these words succinctly and clearly capture the essence of the
purpose of the
As
individuals and society, we have a lot to learn from nature, and we have an
obligation to protect nature. The peace and harmony of nature is readily
understandable, acceptable and supportable by most Rotarians and others
(although we will still have to define, explain and raise awareness; refer to
additional readings in Appendix 5 below). Nature does not carry the
‘baggage’ often associated with ‘peace’. Nevertheless, Nature is
at the heart of building peace, preventing violence and creating a better
world for future generations. Nature can be our peace metaphor.
We
have an opportunity to expand Peace Parks, their potential and beneficial
nature. Embracing Peace in the context of Nature as our Peace Parks
brand will help us be mindful to walk the talk, and gain recruits, resources
and results in the process.
Consistent
with nature, this is a living, breathing, evolving, organic document.
Feedback is invited to stewartr [at] peace.ca
APPENDIX
1. BACKGROUND - PEACE, PARKS AND ROTARY
Prepared
for the September, 2004 WGIPPA
I
have done a bit of research on Peace Parks, and have put together the notes
below. My plan for our workshop is to try to maximize discussion by
the participants (rather than a presentation or "lecture" type
format). I will take notes so that we have an Output Document with
whatever conclusions, suggestions, etc. we come up with.
Any
suggestions would be appreciated.
Regards,
Bob
Stewart
Rotary
Club of
Introduction
A
special session on Rotary Peace Programs will be conducted: Theme
- "How can an
From the Rotary
District 5390 Conference Website at http://www.rotarydistrict5390.org/ppevent.htm
:
In 1932,
In the 70 years since, people have created 138 international peace parks,
friendship parks and similar transboundary protected areas on five continents.
Some of these have been in the most embattled corners of the globe.
The
seven decades since 1932 brought times of war and peace, prosperity and
poverty around the world. But through it all the idea of the international
peace park proved a powerful symbol for mankind’s capacity for friendship.
...
Shortly after the terrorist strikes of
“In
the wake of the terrible shock with which the entire world learnt of the acts
of terrorism in the
A
Message from Our President:
from http://www.rotary5360.org/archive/2003_Peace_Park.htm
"Never in the history of mankind has rebellion, riot and terrorism over
state, religion and race prevailed throughout so many areas of the world.
Never has the Rotary International tenet of PEACE become more precious and
significant. As Rotarians we embrace all religions, creeds and colors;
favoring freedom, truth and justice for all.
The
search for International Peace must be our foremost goal. We can and we must
make a difference.
The
concept of an
Subsequent
assemblies have been held annually and alternate between Waterton and
I
would like to quote an excerpt from our “
The
future of
PEACE"
Submitted
by
Background:
Protected
areas are vital for life on earth. A shared vision of transboundary
co-operation by all is the ultimate goal.
Across
the globe, armed conflicts over disputed borders abound, such as between
While
many peace parks are proposed to help restore war-ravaged environments, others
are designed to honor and preserve peaceful, pristine areas as a contrast to
the nearby conflicts. The National Park's Conservation Association's Steve
Thompson, the
One example is the
As
early as 1932, the
And
in 1998,
The
Peace Parks Foundation is dedicated to creating transnational parks in
Because
the first peace parks were so successful, environmentalists and peace experts
are proposing more such parks across the globe. On the forefront of this
effort are the husband and wife team of Nigel and Antonia Young. He is a peace
studies professor at
Even the most avid supporters of peace parks admit that they aren't the
solution to all the world's troubles. But peace parks expert Steve Thompson
says they could be a small piece of the bigger solution. He says peace parks
are more than expressions of goodwill between nations -- they are actively
being used as a tool to resolve conflict and ensure conservation because they
require the countries involved to agree to set aside and jointly manage the
new reserve. In the last 10 years, about a dozen peace parks have been
established expressly to resolve conflict, enabling the previously warring
nations to cooperate in managing the territory, says Thompson.
Global
Partnership for Peace Parks: http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/theme/parks/parks.html
In
recent years, due to increasing interest in this concept, it has become
evident that a Global Partnership for Peace Parks is required to promote the
concept and practice of Peace Parks world-wide. This Global Partnership
will build on the experience and work on this issue by IUCN (International
Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources), the Peace Parks
Foundation, WWF-International and the University for Peace. These three
institutions are playing a leading role on the promotion and implementation of
TBPAs and
The
objectives of this initiative are:
-
To
catalyse the creation of new Peace Parks and to strengthen existing ones in a
number of regions, giving priority to areas declared by UNESCO as World
Heritage sites.
-
To
empower, through capacity building, local communities and indigenous peoples
organizations to actively participate in the development and implementation of
Peace Parks initiatives
-
To
develop, adopt, test and disseminate Best Practice Guidelines and a Code of
Conduct on TBPAs to facilitate their wider acceptance and application.
-
To
facilitate the exchange of data and information, provide outside expertise,
capacity building as well as legal and technical assistance for planning and
implementing the
-
To
develop a Peace Parks Council to promote recognition and application of the
-
A
project proposal to support this initiative has been prepared for submission
to the UN Foundation. This project is the result of a process of consultation
with all partners involved on this initiative at global and regional levels.
If this project is granted a programme of work will be developed for the next
three years.
Definitions:
Protected
Area - An area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and
maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural
resources, and managed through legal or other effective means (IUCN, 1994a).
Transboundary
Protected Area (TBPA) - An area of land and/or sea that straddles one or more
boundaries between states, sub-national units such as provinces and regions,
autonomous areas and/or areas beyond the limits of national sovereignty or
jurisdiction, whose constituent parts are especially dedicated to the
protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and
associated cultural resources, and managed co-operatively through legal or
other effective means.
Parks
for Peace - Parks for Peace are transboundary protected areas that are
formally dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity,
and of natural and associated cultural resources, and to the promotion of
peace and co-operation.
Objectives
for Parks for Peace
(from Transboundary protected areas for peace and co-operation , reference
below)
The identification/designation of Parks for Peace by the cooperating
jurisdictions should include only those areas where the agreed management
objectives explicitly recognise both a protected area purpose and a peace
purpose.
Parks for Peace should be founded on the recognition that human security, good
governance, equitable development and respect for human rights are
interdependent and indivisible. Peace is best developed by addressing the root
causes of conflict and by promoting sustainable development, the rule of law
and adherence to human rights, whether civil, political, economic, social or
cultural.
Specific objectives of Parks for Peace may include the following aspects:
(i) Supporting long-term co-operative conservation of biodiversity, ecosystem
services, and natural and cultural values across boundaries;
(ii) Promoting landscape-level ecosystem management through integrated
bio-regional land-use planning and management;
(iii) Building trust, understanding, reconciliation and co-operation between
and among countries, communities, agencies and other stakeholders;
(iv) Preventing and/or resolving tension, including over access to natural
resources;
(v) Promoting the resolution of armed conflict and/or reconciliation following
armed conflict;
(vi) Sharing biodiversity and cultural resource management skills and
experience, including co-operative research and information management;
(vii) Promoting more efficient and effective co-operative management
programmes;
(viii)Promoting access to, and equitable and sustainable use of natural
resources, consistent with national sovereignty; and
(ix) Enhancing the benefits of conservation and promoting benefit-sharing
across boundaries among stakeholders.
Good Practice
Guidelines:
The
IUCN/Cardiff series of Protected Area Management Guidelines are designed to
help protected area managers, government officials, policy-makers, NGOs,
community leaders, donors, etc. Like all the guidelines in the series,
these guidelines on TBPAs are not rules, but advice. The guidance is set
out under nine headings:
1. Identifying and promoting common values
2.
Involving and benefiting local people
3.
Obtaining and maintaining support of decision-makers
4.
Promoting coordinated and co-operative activities
5.
Achieving coordinated planning and protected area development
6.
Developing co-operative agreements
7.
Working towards funding sustainability
8.
Monitoring and assessing progress
9.
Dealing with tension or armed conflict
Role of
"Third Parties":
The
Encouragement may come from donors who, through their grants, loans and
technical assistance, support transboundary co-operation and thus give impetus
to national governments to enter into agreements involving transboundary
co-operation in protected areas. For example, in the case of the Meso American
Biological Corridor, GEF, GTZ and the European Union are supporting
transboundary co-operation among 37 protected areas in eight countries.
Though the main motive for donors to act in this way has so far been better
conservation, it could also be a means to promote regional co-operation during
times of tension. Donor support for this purpose is being provided for the
cloudforests in
References:
Steve
Thompson: Glacier Field Representative Northern Rockies Regional Office
(mailto: sthompson@npca.org )
National Parks Conservation Association,
Transboundary protected areas for peace and co-operation, based on the
proceedings of workshops held in Bormio (1998) and Gland (2000) / Sandwith,
Trevor ; Shine, Clare ; Hamilton, Lawrence S. ; Sheppard, David. - IUCN World
Commission on Protected Areas ;
Peace
Parks Foundation http://www.peaceparks.org
(
The International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) is a
not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering and facilitating tourism
initiatives which contribute to international understanding and cooperation,
an improved quality of environment, the preservation of heritage, and through
these initiatives, help to bring about a peaceful and sustainable world.
For more information, web site: http://www.iipt.org
. A major step forward towards the vision of "Tourism as a
Global Peace Industry" was taken at the Global Summit on Peace through
Tourism with the formation of a Coalition of Partners for World Peace through
Tourism. Formation of the Coalition was a demonstration of support by
the world's largest industry for the United Nations International Year for the
Culture of Peace (2000) and in continuing support for the United Nations
International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children
of the World (2001-2010). Each founding partner is committed to a
Millennium Project that contributes to a "Culture of Peace through
Tourism" as reflected in the Amman Declaration. International
organizations interested in joining this global initiative are invited to
contact the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT), Email: Coalition@iipt.org
. The Global Peace Parks Project builds on the success of IIPT’s
Peace Parks Across Canada Project commemorating
Peace Through Tourism course,
http://www.transcend.org/tpu/courses.shtml?x=94
– tourism being the world's biggest industry could be a giant peacebuilding
activity - how can tourism serve peace?
Report on Human Security and Environment
http://www.iucn.org/pareport/frsp/pareport/human_peace.htm
International
Holistic Tourism Education Centre (IHTEC) is dedicated to developing Global
Sustainability Education programs that educate young people through
"Tourism as a Vital Force for Peace". http://www.ihtec.org
APPENDIX
2. DRAFTING
A PROTOCOL TO GUIDE OUR CONVERSATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
One
of the key tasks of Rotarians is to draft a protocol to guide our
conversations, relationships and how we approach diverse stakeholder groups.
It is simply how we relate to each other while trying to build a Culture of
Peace, and safeguard (secure; or at least improve) all of our
relationships.
First,
it is important to acknowledge that we expect that everyone who participates
in the
We
(all) probably need a preamble to everything we say and do to try to diffuse
our conversations (to minimize potential conflict). Peace is of such
ultimate importance that we have to take whatever safeguards we can not to
jeopardize our most important work, and not to take things personally.
Whatever
we do, we will have to ask participants to bear with us … and join us in a
mutual learning conversation. We must acknowledge imperfection in
ourselves and others, and that we must continuously learn.
We
do not wish to offend and will also have to try to be mindful of “hot
buttons” and speak in different languages to different audiences. Some
of us must get past old “we vs. they” images. But as much as we will
try, some people may be offended by what we say and they may divorce
themselves from our conversation (I would suggest to our mutual detriment, and
we hope to avoid this).
Such
a preamble may get tiresome (and may sound a bit overly cautious), but
unfortunately there is a tendency to take some offence at a word, an action, a
person, etc., and we know that we must always remind ourselves to rethink what
we really
want to achieve (in this relationship and life).
Until
we develop our own “protocol” or strategy for approaching others, it is
recommended for our own ‘internal security’ as a Culture of Peace
community that we use the tools and methods contained in the following
important texts - Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most;
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High; Crucial
Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises, Violated Expectations and
Bad Behavior; and The Practice of Peace, summarized in Appendix 4 below.
We recommend that anyone participating in the
Possibly
we can develop a short list of “Principles for Rotary
Conversations”. Considering the recommendations from the books in
Appendix 4 below which explain and expand on these Principles, I came up with
the following suggestions:
- Safety
– guard the space against direct or indirectly violent behaviour (eg.
Lack of respect, rejection, insult, etc.; there are no stupid questions or
answers; we are all continuously learning; recognize that we live in an
imperfect world and we are all trying to do our best to build a better
one, for the sake of future generations; stop and think first, to select
your words with care, compassion and empathy)
- Consequences
– honest conversations are foiled if participants fear negative
consequences; participants should mean no harm, have no fear, and have a
clear understanding of the ‘rules’; trust must be built and earned; go
to mutual purpose
- Acceptance
– of the others as people, and respect for them and their opinions
(dispel enemy images; listen to understand why they have the opinions they
do)
- Mutual
purpose – what is the outcome that we wish to achieve together?
(invitation to a mutual learning conversation; answer ‘what is in it for
us’; particularly being mindful of the overall Culture of Peace
purpose/values; we aim for synergy and transformation)
- Patience
- one of the essential characteristics of a Culture of Peace is
'patience'. Impatience almost always leads to a culture of violence,
whereas a continued practice of patience is guaranteed to develop a
Culture of Peace.
- Difference
– we are not required to achieve consensus (it is OK to agree to
disagree; we can learn from our differences, in fact we do not learn if we
always agree)
- Empowerment
– help the others to be courageous and find their voices so that we
better understand their perspectives; we want them to honestly tell us
what is bothering them, what their story is, what they wish to achieve,
how we can help them and how they can help us
- Action
– what are we going to do to continue to build a better relationship
- Responsibility
– people are responsible for their own experiences (the success for any
participant of any conversation depends to the greatest extent on the
participant’s attitude; don’t blame others; don’t try to control
others – you really can’t)
Frankly,
we know it will take some years of continuous learning
for us to master crucial conversations – like peace, it is hard work!
In the meantime, we appreciate your patience.
APPENDIX
3. ROTARY’S
We
take guidance from the following Rotary principles:
Object
of Rotary
The
Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of
worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
FIRST.
The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
SECOND.
High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the
worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian's
occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
THIRD.
The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business,
and community life;
FOURTH.
The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a
world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of
service.
(from
http://www.rotary.org/aboutrotary/object.html
)
Rotary’s
Four Way Test
It
is expected that participants of the
Peace
Parks
and Rotary initiative would join the pledge to follow the four key points of
The Four-Way Test:
From
the earliest days of the organization, Rotarians were concerned with promoting
high ethical standards in their professional lives. One of the world's most
widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics is The Four-Way Test,
which was created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor (who later served as
RI president) when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing
bankruptcy.
This
24-word test for employees to follow in their business and professional lives
became the guide for sales, production, advertising, and all relations with
dealers and customers, and the survival of the company is credited to this
simple philosophy. Adopted by Rotary in 1943, The Four-Way Test has been
translated into more than a hundred languages and published in thousands of
ways. It asks the following four questions:
"Of
the things we think, say or do:
- Is
it the TRUTH?
- Is
it FAIR to all concerned?
- Will
it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- Will
it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?"
APPENDIX
4. HOW TO DISCUSS WHAT MATTERS MOST WITH DIVERSE GROUPS
1.
"Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most",
by the Harvard Negotiation Project. ISBN 0 14 02.8852 X. Penguin
1999. You can buy the book for $11.20 at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/014028852X/002-6059897-9091241?v=glance
.
Introduction
- "Returning from several years in the U.S. Army Air Force during World
War II, I discovered that my roommate, two of my closest friends, and dozens
of classmates had been killed in the war. Ever since, I have worked to
improve the skills with which we deal with our differences; to improve the
prospects for our children's future; and to enlist others in that cause."
- "What makes these situations so hard to face? It's our fear of
the consequences -- whether we raise the issue or try to avoid it."
- "The dilemma ... Why is it so difficult to decide whether to avoid or
to confront? Because at some level we know the truth - If we try to
avoid the problem, we'll feel taken advantage of, our feelings will fester,
we'll wonder why we don't stick up for ourselves, and we'll rob the other
person of the opportunity to improve things. But if we confront the
problem, things might get even worse. We may be rejected or attacked; we
might hurt the other person in ways we didn't intend; and the relationship
might suffer."
- "Delivering a difficult message is like throwing a hand grenade.
Coated with sugar, thrown hard or soft, a hand grenade is still going to do
damage. Try as you may, there's no way to throw a hand grenade with tact or to
outrun its consequences. And keeping it to yourself is no better.
Choosing not to deliver a difficult message is like hanging on to a hand
grenade once you've pulled the pin. So we feel stuck. We need
advice that is more powerful than "Be diplomatic" or "Try to
stay positive". The problems run deeper than that; so must the
answers."
- "... learning conversations ... people who have learned new approaches
to dealing with their most challenging conversations report less anxiety and
greater effectiveness in all of their conversations ... dealing constructively
with tough topics and awkward situations strengthens a relationship."
- "At heart, the problem isn't in your actions, it's in your
thinking."
- Reducing fear and anxiety and learning how to manage that which remains are
more obtainable … we are also remarkably resilient
Create
a Learning Conversation
To increase our chances of achieving a successful conversation we must have a
good strategy. Here are some general tips from the above book:
1. having a purpose (what is the point and what does a good outcome look
like?; three purposes that work: learning their story, expressing your views
and feelings, and problem-solving together)
2. remember that we can not change or control other people (we can have
influence, and engaging someone in a conversation where mutual learning is the
goal often results in change)
3. letting go of past issues (grievances, losses) and working together from a
basis of current commonalities, strengths and assets to build a better future
4. engaging in nonviolent communication (eg. do not "poke the other
person in the eye" ;-); otherwise they get defensive and/or offensive
(and blind to us ;-) (for information on compassionate communication,
refer to http://www.bcncc.org/
)
5. realizing all parties to the conversation are not perfect (we all see the
world differently, we all have powerful feelings, and we each have our own
identity issues to work through; in short, we each have our own story, and our
own picture of peace)
6. think like a mediator (identify the Third Side, or Third Story; the key is
learning to describe the gap or difference between our stories, then working
to try to close it, which may take movement by all parties)
7. turn it into a learning conversation: describe the problem in a way both
sides can accept, propose mutual understanding and problem-solving as
purposes, check with others to see if this makes sense, and invite others to
join the conversation (make them your partner in figuring it out; those that
do not wish to participate can opt-out). Provide some relevant
background reading that might help open minds.
8. listen to understand; ask open-ended questions; ask for more information;
respect others; create a safe environment for dialogue
9. think and strategize before you speak; don't cross-examine; don't blame;
don't take away from the other person; paraphrase for clarity, to show that
you heard, and check your understanding; acknowledge their feelings;
empathize; speak from the heart, start with what matters most and say what you
mean; don't exaggerate, generalize or stereotype; be humble (having humility
does not mean allowing others to "walk all over you")
10. It is up to each of us to find our own truth (i.e. my truth is not
necessarily your truth; you should not simply accept what I say: you have to
do your own "homework")
11. identify the issues and problems from all perspectives; make the
"trouble" explicit; find out where there is agreement and
disagreement, and why; then begin to problem-solve: brainstorm with all
affected parties, invent options, ask what standards should apply, consider
alternatives
12. have patience: it takes time
13. rehearse the conversation in your mind before starting (have preparation
notes; think things through)
14. appreciate the diversity of thoughts and ideas
15. sometimes we have to agree to disagree, with all due respect
16. thank the parties for their participation (it will take a lot of effort,
and hopefully it is worthwhile)
I look forward to your thoughts and additional suggestions on this. I am
most interested because peacebuilders and peace educators are always having a
difficult conversation. I am hopeful that we can develop a model for
peacebuilding to help us work through the various difficult conversations that
must take place. Click
here to see an excellent 19 page summary of the book. 5 Star Must
Reading.
2.
Crucial Conversations:
Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron
McMillan and Al Switzler. Format:
Paperback, 256pp. ISBN:
0071401946. Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Trade. Pub. Date:
June 2002. Retail price US$16.95. If
you liked the book "Difficult Converations", you will love
"Crucial Conversations". 5-Star Recommended/Must
Introduction
- Relationships are the priority of life, and conversations are the crucial
element in profound caring of relationships.
- "Crucial" conversations are interpersonal exchanges at work or at
home that we dread having but know we cannot avoid. How do you say what needs
to be said while avoiding an argument with a boss, child, or relationship
partner? Crucial Conversations offers readers a proven seven-point strategy
for achieving their goals in all those emotionally, psychologically, or
legally charged situations that can arise in their professional and personal
lives. Based on the authors' highly popular DialogueSmart training seminars,
the techniques are geared toward getting people to lower their defenses,
creating mutual respect and understanding, increasing emotional safety, and
encouraging freedom of expression. Among other things, readers also learn
about the four main factors that characterize crucial conversations, and they
get a powerful six-minute mastery technique that prepares them to work through
any high impact situation with confidence. Learn how to keep your cool and get
what you want when emotions flare. When stakes are high, opinions vary, and
emotions run strong, you have three choices: Avoid a crucial conversation and
suffer the consequences; handle the conversation badly and suffer the
consequences; or read Crucial Conversations and discover how to communicate
best when it matters most. This wise and witty guide gives you the tools you
need to step up to life's most difficult and important conversations, say
what's on your mind, and achieve positive outcomes that will amaze you. You'll
learn how to:
- Prepare
for high-impact situations with a six-minute mastery technique
- Make
it safe to talk about almost anything
- Be
persuasive, not abrasive
- Keep
listening when others blow up or clam up
- Turn
crucial conversations into the action and results you want
Whether
they take place at work or at home, with your neighbors or your spouse,
crucial conversations can have a profound impact on your career, your
happiness, and your future. With the skills you learn in this book, you'll
never have to worry about the outcome of a crucial conversation again.
Read Chapter 1 at http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadershop/0194-6excerpt.html
Foreword
- charged atmosphere … nourish our relationships and develop tools, skills,
and enhanced capacity to find new and better solutions
- synergistic … the whole is greater than the sum of the parts
- crucial conversations transform people and relationships … an entirely new
level of bonding
- they produce what Buddhism calls “the middle way” … a higher middle
way, like the apex of a triangle
- it moves you from understanding the supernal power of dialogue, to
clarifying what you really want to have happen and focusing on what actually
is happening, to creating conditions of safety, to using self-awareness and
self-knowledge … how to achieve such a level of mutual understanding and
creative synergy that people are emotionally connected to the conclusions
- to know and not to do is really not to know
Click
here to see an excellent 20 page summary of the book online. 5 star must read.
3.
Crucial Confrontations: Tools for Resolving Broken Promises,
Violated Expectations, and Bad Behavior,
by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler. Format:
Paperback, 272pp. ISBN:
0-07-144652-4. Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Trade. Pub. Date:
January 2005. Retail price US$16.95. This 5-Star
Recommended/Must
Click
here to see an excellent 18 page summary of the book online. 5 star must read.
4. Learning
in Relationship: Foundation for Personal and Professional Success,
by
Ron Short, 1998. Learning in relationship is
“about how to learn from others who have different perspectives”.
Click
here to see an excellent 13 page summary of the book. 5 Star Must
Reading.
5. The Practice of Peace
by Harrison Owen. I wish to tell you about this because I see another
convergence between the comments that the peacebuilding happens during
the process of working on projects (for example), and using the Open
Space conferencing
in the process. Owen is the leader behind Open Space Technology.
Open Space Technology or methodology of conferencing is very complimentary to
what we have come around to thinking in terms of Servant Leadership style,
non-hierarchical organizing, and the principles contained in the draft Charter
(borrowed from the World Social Forum). I have come to believe (an
"aha" moment) that essentially the Canadian Peace Initiative may be
as simple as providing venues or "Open
Spaces to Open Minds to Peace".
(Another "reality check" -- It has been my personal view that I saw
my contribution as simply providing venues where peace educators and peace
builders could come together to dialogue, network, disseminate information,
plan, etc. - in a sense, I/we have been doing Open Space for the past 3 years
+ without realizing it, through our conferences, my web site, our email
listservers, etc.) What Harrison Owen is saying is, "do not worry
about spending a lot of time organizing an agenda. Just provide an Open
Space, have a general theme(s), invite people with a passion to come, the
conference will organize itself based on what these passionate people really
want to discuss". He confirms what I think many of our participants
have said at the last National Peace Education Conference -- that our best
time was in the personal chats outside the presentations.
6.
APPLYING
THE PEDAGOGY OF POSITIVENESS TO DIPLOMATIC COMMUNICATION
7.
Cialdini, Robert B. - Influence:
Science and Practice, Fourth Edition. Allyn & Bacon: 2001 - Chapter
by chapter topic summary. This book outlines the categories, uses,
tools, and techniques of 'influence' and how to recognize them. This book is
a useful tool for understanding the science behind 'influence'.
APPENDIX
5. THE PEACE AND NATURE CONNECTION – FURTHER
A
quick Internet search turned up the following articles and quotes:
Peace
Is A
http://www.buddhanet.net/lmed6.htm
:
Peace
is a natural mind-state in every one of us.
Peace
is the essence of our own innate nature and can never be destroyed.
Peace
is with us every single moment of our life, but we do not recognise it. This
is because we are ignorant about peace - most of the time we are too
preoccupied with the external world and our own running thoughts and emotions
to be aware of it. We have lost touch with our inner selves, with what is the
best in us. We frantically try to find the answer outside when all the time
peace is sitting there, silently waiting until we come home to it.
http://www.sis.gov.eg/sharm/html/sharm02.htm
: The land of peace in
http://www.revision-notes.co.uk/revision/1009.html
:
Kant
concludes, that "In this way, nature
guarantees perpetual peace by the actual mechanism of human inclinations."
http://www.constitution.org/kant/perpeace.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/electronic/bodhidharma/internetbuddha.html
:
like
the mind of God … It is now apparent that the omnipresent, instantaneously
interactive electronic super-structure of the Internet, the World Wide Web,
and the commercial information services-along with the mega-databanks, digital
cellular/fiber-optic satellite-relayed telephone networks, plus TV, FM, AM and
ham radio, citizens bands, and all other electro-etheric
connections-collectively comprise the evolving nervous system of the planet,
what author Peter Russell calls the Global Brain. Cyberspace is our emerging
planetary super-consciousness. The multi-dimensional link-up we are undergoing
amounts to nothing less than the next step in the evolution of human
consciousness and the emerging world self-awareness.
This is cause for optimism and enthusiasm. We may soon be seeing the first
moment in history when most people, most of the time realize their underlying
unity with everyone else and the world, and begin to behave accordingly. To
quote a June 1994 issue of Scientific American, "Computer networking
offers the soundest basis for world peace that has yet been presented. Peace
must be created on the bulwark of understanding. International computer
networks will knit together the peoples of the world in bonds of mutual
respect; its possibilities are vast, indeed."
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1175/is_4_34/ai_76577460
:
Nature's
Path To Inner Peace - environmental psychology