Against the background of the harm of war to women and the new frontiers in weapons research driven by the demand-side of war, there are four social and cultural pre-conditions that must take root and proliferate in society in order for peace to become a dynamic state of action, a political platform that contends cogently with the demand-side of war - and not merely the intermezzo between acts of armed conflict. They include: truth telling about the full harm of war, conscientious objection to war, foregrounding models of human progress in democracy and human rights which have been won by non-violent social movements, and public prophets of peace among us, that is, individuals who champion non-violence on the public stage of human history. These pre-conditions for peace are necessary to help create the base of public opinion needed for political solutions, but they are not sufficient as a counterweight to militarism. They must be joined with political initiatives, government action, and political movements that tackle the demand factors of war.
From: Women's Studies International Forum, Vol. 30 (2007) 279-289
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Speaking of conscientious objection to war...
Would you be willing to spread the word about www.draftresistance.org? It's a site dedicated to shattering the myths surrounding the selective slavery system and building mass civil disobedience to stop the draft before it starts.
Our banner on a website, printing and posting the anti-draft flyer or just telling friends would help.
Thanks!
Scott Kohlhaas
PS. When it comes to the draft, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
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