I do not think I could define peace in a way that would translate universally for every person. Spending six months in Kenya during 2010 solidified this idea for me. Why peace is important, what peace is, and how to bring peace seems situational.
For a Kikuyu person living in the Kibera slums, peace may be learning to accept a Luo person. Maybe it is a journey of overcoming prejudice against other people. Finding peace may be a process of forgiving and coming to terms with the traumatic events of 2008 when 1,200 people were killed along ethnic lines and more than 600,000 people were internally displaced. Finding peace may be a matter of reconciling a damaged relationship with a neighbor, or maybe it is trying to form a relationship with a neighbor of a different tribe for the first time.
For a twelve-year old girl who was orphaned by HIV/AIDS, her adversity is multifaceted. Devastated by the loss of both parents, she has endured severe psychological trauma. Additionally there may be no one who loves her, has her best interests at heart, and takes care of her basic needs. The process of healing and finding internal peace might begin by having a caring adult come to her aid. Having someone who can prevent her from living in abject poverty by providing food, housing, school fees, and clothing is a blessing. Further, knowing that someone cares about her, wants her to succeed, and thinks she is worth the world seems integral to elevating her self-esteem and ensuring she can form future healthy relationships.
For an over privileged mzungu such as myself, finding peace may be a more internal struggle to identify how I should live in a world where I have been given access to a disproportionate amount of resources. How do I live in a way that is not individualistic and overly consumptive? How do I live in solidarity with people while in Kenya when I have different health and security concerns, different access to resources, am recognized as a symbol of affluence and greed, and cannot communicate effectively in Kiswahili? Identifying how to find peace with these dilemmas is something I will be working on for awhile. In the meantime, meeting people with different lifestyles and perspectives helps.
Although I am hesitant to create one all-inclusive definition of peace, I think there may be common threads that we all seek in our promotion of peace. Cultivating relationships, developing a mentality of acceptance, and embracing diversity all seem to be critical to creating a more peaceful world.
Amani kwenu,
Colleen O’Conor
Colleen O’Conor is a senior at Marquette studying International Affairs. She was able to spend 6 months in Kenya thanks to the generosity of the Center for Peacemaking. As a result of having such transformative experience in Kenya, she is spending the fall semester in Zanzibar to learn Kiswahili at the State University of Zanzibar.
