Abstract
Non-violent child development builds a critical foundation for advancing sustainable peace in our troubled and conflicted world. First and foremost, a devoted commitment to non-violence, not only in rhetoric but in day to day action and living, prioritizes informed and responsible procreating of only wanted children with a family and societal vision for deeply integrated wellbeing. It begins a positive and productive cycle requiring societal protection of children, women, and all who are vulnerable from violence. Rather than introduce relevant literature and research separately from pragmatic tools, the chapter introduces scholarship to help explain field-tested skills and empower readers to immediately begin practicing what is advocated here.
TopBackground
Building a culture of peace is not easy whether in the home and family, school, other organizations and communities. While the introduction to this chapter has mentioned negative peace, or absence of war and other violence, discussing the family culture as a transition to positive peace is more complex than negative peace. It includes empathy and respect for all human beings equally. The “cultural spillover” theory posits that children’s behavior reflects their culture. Cultures of violence nurture violent children. Cultures of peace/nonviolence promote and raise nonviolent children.
Anyone serious about building cultures of peace in young children’s families, schools and communities, particularly those needing to transform cultures of violence must invest in serious and extended study of nonviolence and conflict resolution skills and tools. They will benefit in many ways in addition to progressing with nonviolent development. They will also learn how to catalyze social justice against all odds (Erbe, 2003), create effective international and multicultural collaborative partnerships (Erbe, 2011), transform organizations with entrenched power abuse/corruption (Erbe, 2017), and improve all their personal relationships.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Reflective Practice: The capacity to reflect on actions so as to engage in a process of continuous learning.
Reframing: In conflict process, changing a description to emphasize the essential content or meaning productively or positively.
Common Ground: Mutual interest or agreement; basis for mutuality.
Suspending Judgment: Cognitive process and rational state of mind in which one withholds judgments.
Authenticity: Genuineness; sincerity; integrity that resists external pressures.
Appreciative Inquiry: Art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten positive potential.