Reflection From the 3rd Global Peace Summit

Reflections from the 3rd Global Peace Summit

That familiar rough melodic note of a violin echoes through the room. Then, the string ensemble bursts forth with brilliance of sound.

Over 200 delegates from 47 different countries fell silent as the Mahidol University String Orchestra began to play. This was the beginning of the 3rd Global Peace Summit. For this moment, all sat listening to the familiar melodies from childhoods and life itself, forgetting about the violence that is happening all around the world, and simply sat in peace. This was the start to the impactful next three days in which all of us came away forever changed by the stories we heard and the lessons we learned.

However, sitting here and trying to figure out what to right, I find myself stumped. Do I write about Hassan Akad and his harrowing journey across Europe as he fled from Syria, do I talk about the remarks made by the Palestinian Ambassador to Thailand, or do I talk about the tips for self care given by Jennifer Nadel? Everyone who spoke has an incredible story and with them all, one could write a book. This however, is not meant to take away from the stories the speakers have already written and told in various mediums. This will be simply about the lessons I took away from this experience.

1. The connection between trauma and polarization

Trauma begets polarization and polarization begets trauma. Let me explain this with two examples. The first involves real stories and real people while the second involves rubber chickens.

Yes, rubber chickens. But first the real stories of real people.

The first story comes from one we all know well as its in the news every hour of every day and that is the story of Israel-Palestine. Now, here is not the place to rehash the details of what has happened between these two people from beginning to end as there are books you can read that cover those details. Instead, this is about some of the things pointed out by Nivine Sandouka, one of the speakers at the Summit. She pointed out that this most recent outbreak of violence touched traumas that are both near and dear to both sides. For Israeli’s, October 7th reminded them of the Holocaust and what their people suffered and endured. For Palestinians, the continuing attack on Gaza reminds them of the Naqba which took place in 1949 at Israel’s inception. In other words, these traumas of the past have never been truly resolved and as history shows, this resulted in two polarized sides unwilling to hear or listen to the other side. Hence the idea, trauma leads to polarization.

On the other hand, you have rubber chickens. Jenn Wiedmann facilitated a game in which the delegates were divided into four teams who were competing to see who could squeeze their rubber chicken first according to the rules. What happened that makes this story worthy? Well, lets say that in forty-five minutes, what was once a united peace summit became fiercly divided on team lines. Accusations of cheating began to fly, justifications for actions taken, be they cheating or making new rules that favoured one side over the other, were made and in turn, narratives were cultivated to justify why one team was superior over the others. For some teams, specifically the disadvantaged, these became minor trauma narratives of “overcoming the oppression and injustice thrust upon them by Team 1.”

While an over-exaggeration in a game, this is sometimes what happens in real life when one group begins to perceive they are at a disadvantage or are being oppressed. This in turn begins to foster negative feelings towards the “other” while also leading to a coalescing around the familiar. Over time, a common trauma may develop due to the perceived actions of the “other” and in turn deepen the divisions.

In order for one to strive for peace, one must address both polarization and trauma as one subject because they can become easily interlinked. This can start with finding ways to help both sides hear what the other is feeling and going through and understanding the effects. In essence, we must learn to be as good of listeners as we are speakers.

2. The Power of Storytelling

Throughout the conference we heard stories from multiple speakers who have their own unique and impactful stories. There is something honouring and special about hearing someones worst day or days of their life and how they have sought to overcome.

Storytelling is a gateway into the souls of those we wish to help. In turn it also becomes an outlet for the survivors of traumas to heal.

Hearing the stories of people like Antoinette Mutabazi, Loung Ung, and Hassan Akad help us understand the brevity of past events, the horrors that humanity are capable of, and also how the scars of the past can effect someone for years. At the same time, storytelling is their way of bringing forth justice and truth to the events that took place in their respective lives. It becomes an exercise in exposing the wrongdoings done and becomes a call for all to do better.

At the same time, it is also important to note that storytelling is not about shaming, generalizing, and alienating entire groups of people. Otherwise, it would become just a step in polarizing and creating division. Instead storytelling emphasis is on holding those people who committed the grievance to account, while believing that those around these specific individuals are also human beings capable of independent thoughts, ideas who may not act in the same way as others around them.

In the stories we heard, the storytellers were named their agressor’s. For example, Antoinette Mutabazi told of how Hutu men hunted her for days and how she was forced to hide in old toilets to avoid them. However, at the same time she told of a Hutu man who was her fathers friend who hid them and other Tutsi in his house for many weeks. Hassan Akad told about his time on his way to Europe and how they were attacked by the EU coastguard near Greece and how they were left to die yet, this did not lead him to become sour and despise all the people who make up the EU.

To conclude, storytelling is sharing the pain of the past and becomes a stepping stone towards healing. Storytelling is about holding those who inflicted injustice to account while at the same time acknowledging that not all who one has defined as the “other” are enemies but rather, allies who are also looking to do what is right. Storytelling in turn becomes an important too for addressing the past and walking towards a more peaceful future.

3. Self Care IS The Most Important Thing

We see it on the news everyday, another major conflict, another major setback, another thing that threatens human life in a specific location or humanity as a whole. We are told we must care, care for it all, lest we be accused of being complacent. All the while we are told work! Work until you are sore and tired as only then you are worth being seen, being heard. Yet, by the time we make it this far, we are too tired to care, to fight, and though we push on, eventually we crash, become cynical, and lose hope. But you must know, there is another way.

This other way first includes setting your own boundaries. As much as we want to care about every cause under the sun, we simply do not have that capacity. Jenn Weidman, an experienced international peacebuilder had this to say, “We cant care about everything, choose a few things and go.” Even the most experienced people in helping others know they cant help everyone hence, we also have to set those boundaries for ourselves. By setting these boundaries we in turn become more effective in the areas we choose.

Another important piece of this other way is actually putting time aside for yourself. Not only do you need to set boundaries for involvement, you also have to set minimum threshholds for self care. Jennifer Nadel said these powerful words: “Caring for myself is not self-induglence, its self preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Caring for yourself means that you will be strong and around to fight for the causes you believe in.

The final piece to this is setting the bare maximum of effort. While we like to talk about bare minimums, they also push us to always do more as if the minimum was actually not enough in the first place. Emily Dickinson’s poem I Shall Not Live in Vain helps us see the bare maximum:

“If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking”
By Emily Dickinson
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

To help one person, to brighten just one’s day, to bring hope, joy, and light to the life of a single being, that is the bare maximum that is required of us. And when you know and feel you have more to give, you help another. And when you feel you have nothing left to give, rest. Because there is someone you can help tomorrow and the person yesterday has not forgot.

4. Always Actively Hope

Hope. Its a simple word that can move mountains if you let it. However, sometimes we forget its power. Sometimes, we choose to sit and passively believe that things will change. When we passively hope, we become complacent and believe that someone else will eventually do what needs to be done. And then we wait. And we wait some more until our hope starts to become hopelessness.

That’s why rather than just simply hope, we need to as Hassan Akad said, “actively hope.”

Active hope is defined by the actions we take in the mean time. We can hope and believe in a better and brighter future and in the meantime work in our own lives to help bring that forth. It means putting aside fear and moving past them. It means being idealistic and believing that things can become better. It means combining compassion with boldness so that we step into the hard situations, the stories of hurt and pain, so that we can journey with them through the dark places knowing that at the end of every tunnel is a hint of light.

It is hope that drove these speakers to do what they have thus far and it is hope that continues to push them forwards in their own work. Hope that one day peace will be a reality for those they call near and dear, and also for those who are against them. Real and active hope is neither for or against anybody, because it is grounded in the principle of reaching a positive peace where everyone can live together harmoniously.

And as quickly as it began the Summit was over.

For three days we sat, and learned, and became renewed with a courageous spirit that now guides us forward. Here are but my own reflections and I’m positive that if you asked someone else who was there about what they took away, they would tell you different things that stood out to them. As I said from the start, it would be impossible to fit everything that was learned into a small article. Instead, one must be content that the lessons we all learned will impact and influence us for years to come. And, my sincere hope is that this encourages you, the reader to go forth, with courage and strength to stand for what you believe in, knowing there are others around the world who are doing the same.