Notes from the Director

On April 6, 1998, the International Affairs Program of the University hosted the former President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias. Arias, the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, urged his audience to pursue a life of responsibility and morality. He decried societies that promote greed over compassion and place individual economic interests over ethical decisions. Particularly, he referred to the United States as the primary producer and supplier of arms to other countries - including counties in South America. "The children of Latin America don't want F-16s" [...] and "the children of sub-Saharan Africa don't want tanks," Arias said and stressed the need to cut back on military spending in favor of education.

This notion that conflict should be solved through education and peaceful intervention was also at the core of the winning essay by a grammar school child from Northern Ireland. In this important essay published in The Rotarian, Vol. 172, No. 1 (January 1998), Brid Mulholland writes: "In considering steps towards the resolution of conflict, I feel that changing attitudes is the `bottom line.' This change revolves around discussion, listening, compromise and education. Education helps eliminate ignorance, myths, bigotry and so on. Discussion needs to happen between all types of people, in all scenarios: person to person, person to groups, and group to group confrontation. [...] But discussion can be of no value if people do not listen and are not prepared to `meet halfway,' and if they continue to `label' each other."

Mullholland continues, "To find solutions to war, the most obvious form of conflict, history has revealed that the methods [outlined] above seems to be to be the most successful." Mullholland minces no words when talking about war, especially the war in Northern Ireland: "War is such a waste. Child labor is often involved, money is wasted. Lives are wasted." Military research produces "war machines" and in the end "war smothers hope and nourishes despair." Today, violent solutions to conflicts are ever increasing. Violence is seen as a reliable way of letting off steam: "The satisfaction obtained is temporary, but the evil done is permanent. People need to remember that a non-violent alternative is always available."

"Respect for others, and a basic respect for human dignity, is crucial in preventing and dealing with conflict. And compromise seems to be fundamental, too: after all, people cannot change their ethnicity or race, nor completely surrender their views on a given issue, so they cannot be made to conform."

"On a more personal level, I feel," Mulholland concludes, "That conflict often arises out of despair, listlessness, or lethargy. Each individual can, in his or her own way, help resolve conflict by comforting such troubled people and offering them hope."

I am deeply moved by Brid Mulholland's insights and compassion to act on one's beliefs by writing this essay. The essay reads like a commentary to the quote with which Oscar Arias closed his lecture: "Only morality in our lives can give beauty and truth to our lives."

In this issue of CenterNews, we are delighted to print pieces by young people from our community: a peace rap by Donnie Walton and the poem "The Pains of War" by Laura Makoba. Laura, too, addresses the fact that among children the "noise of hatred" has become a common fear in their young lives. At least since the events in Jonesboro, Arkansas and Springfield, Oregon, we all know that violence may attack our children in sanctuaries we all considered safe up to this point. What are we as parents, teachers, students, faculty, community leaders doing about the increase of violence in our society? How can we become emissaries for peace? How can we stand up against all expressions of hate in our communities? Or are we as well, as Laura states in her poems, too wrapped up in professional achievements, business interests and the "take...take...take" of commodity expansions?

I want to thank all the contributors of reviews and articles for this June 1998 edition of CenterNews. My special thanks go to Brad Lucas who served as my assistant while I was on sabbatical leave. It is he who pulled the weight for the most successful "first run" of our new academic minor course HGPS 201 this past Spring Semester. Because of Brad, HGPS is on its way and we have signed up several students to minor in HGPS. Thank you, Brad.

I invite our readers to become participants and contributors. Become a Partner for Peace by writing an essay for us, by reviewing a book or play, by helping out in our office, or by becoming a member of our Center (see page 19 for details).

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Ethnic Studies Board of the University of Nevada, Reno. We also are thankful for the financial support of the Thornton Family and the award money that came with the 1997 Thornton Peace Prize.

Viktoria Hertling