to listen….is a peace action
30 September, 2007 | 2 comments | Category: ethnicity, I.dentity, peace & conflict, thinking...
talking with a friend made me think about the ways & reasons people listen to others
one clear reason being, harnessing a real desire to experience the other’s perspective… to walk in the other’s shoes (experiencing the blisters caused, waddling in the luxuries and feeling textures of the rocks under the sole)….
that actually may be the only way out of conflict…
~~ October 2, 2007: EDIT
interestingly…this makes me think that dialogues about conflict/differences, toward peace should be about feelings and personal experiences…not the intellectual/politico mumbo-jumbo replete everywhere we look… its about common ground and commonalities. about individuals and a grassroots change in ways of thinking.
call me a dreamer or call me something else… but i believe in words and pictures about imaginary worlds that encompass common experiences. for instance, “a nation- an imaginary world” where the experiences of a young nomad boy in Melka Jebdu are readily encompassed as are those of a city waitress who works @ kalid‘s in Addis Ababa.
Possibly Related Posts:
- The Graying of these here Pink Shades
- When I’m Back
- The Uncomfortable Truth: Nneka
- Flattery: Fast-tracking Success?
- Opposite Sides of the Border
2 comments to “to listen….is a peace action”
Alpha, October 1st, 2007 at 7:33 pm:
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AMEN!!!
stories, theirs and ours « |y?hasab s?nduQ|, October 12th, 2007 at 12:19 pm:
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[...] the ethnic conflict within ourselves, our families and neighbours – can we take a few minutes and listen to the experiences of others with an openness to feel their walk? walk their walk and find a common [...]