4/26/2023

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            Do you have a theory of peace making? Some strategies for conflict resolution? I suspect so, but I have not heard you enumerate them, so I am not sure what they are.

Since you sell weapons, it seems that you believe that force is a tool for maintaining stability. That does not sit well with me because it assumes that people cannot figure out a way to get along despite their differences. I don’t like operating under the assumption that violence is an avenue for peace, because all involved are harmed. The perpetrators & the victims. The high rate of suicide among veterans illustrates that when we kill a fellow human, a piece of our soul goes with them. Perhaps the futility of war came to mind as you visited the Korean War Memorial with Yoon Suk Yeol, yesterday.

            Conflict resolution occupies my thoughts today because our co-housing consultant insists that we need a community agreement for how to resolve disagreements. I do not deny neighbors will have conflicts, but I doubt that a one-size-fits-all approach will work. I also worry that members will use the “system” to avoid speaking their truths to one another. I believe, if I am troubled by something, I should deal with it directly. I worry about setting up a system that involves 3rd party mediation, because that fosters passivity rather than agency.

            That being said, I do think mediators can be helpful at times. The Bangkok Post reported the encouraging news that government & think-tank representatives from Myanmar, Thailand & China held secretive talks in India to promote listening & compromise rather than fighting.  Xi Jinping plans to help Ukrainian peace talks. Please do all you can to support peace negotiations everywhere.

            BYBS,

 
PS – who are you rooting for in the NBA Playoffs?