fandomhigh | The Art of Pacifism; Tuesday, Fifth Period [ 02/01 ].

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art of pacifism

The Art of Pacifism; Tuesday, Fifth Period [ 02/01 ].

Hot chocolate and comfy pillows to sit on in the middle of the room with a teacher beaming peacefully at his students? Must be Tuesday!

"Hello, little ducklings ♥," Shunsui greeted the students with his usual warmth. "I hope you enjoyed last weeks activities ♥! If any of you felt inspired to continue your new hobby outside of class, I should love to hear about it ♥. But, today, I figured we would have a discussion, about the very fundamentals of what we are talking about ♥. We dove right in with Jainaism and Martin Luther King, Jr., which means we have yet to actually define peace. Pacifism itself is an opposition to war or violence. Is that essentially the crux of the meaning of peace? Or is there something more to it? Let's explore ♥.

"Peace can mean a great many things to a great many people, but, ultimately, it is viewed as a a society or relationship operating in harmony without any violent conflict ♥. This could mean actual physical violence, or one could argue that it extends to emotional and psychological violence as well. Some view peace as the absence of hostility; others believe it includes the healing of a previously violent or difficult relationship. And, obviously, internationally speaking, peacetime is a time without any warlike conflicts ♥. That's the easy one, the big one. But what about peace within ourselves?

"Just as everyone is different, everyone is going to have their own personal thoughts on what they expect to be truly peaceful ♥. The word itself is Anglo-Saxon in origin, meaning 'free from civil disorder.' It has been used as a greeting, especially as renderings of the Hebrew word Shalom ♥, similar to the Arabic salaam ♥, which have multiple meanings: safety, welfare, prosperity, security, fortune, friendliness ♥. Many people have considered it to encompass respect, justice, and goodwill, too ♥. Quiet also enters the picture, recalling meditation and serenity, in the search for tranquility, an absence of disturbance or agitation ♥.

"Clearly, many religions have their tenants of peace, as well. Buddists believe that peace is achieved when all suffering ends, following the Four Noble Truths: the Noble Truth of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering, and the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering, the Noble Truth of the Path that leads to the Cessation of Suffering ♥. Suffering comes from craving the things that make life, both good and bad, and only when one can escape these cravings can they start the path on the cessation of suffering.

"The Jewish and Christian faiths believe ultimate peace comes from a personal relationship with God ♥. Jesus Christ, the son of God, imparted to his Christian followers, 'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.' It is through that connection with a higher being that they find the center...and source...of peace ♥. And when we look at Islam, one of the translations of the Arabic word is peace; it also means submission to Allah. This submission is based on humility and an attitude of humility within one's own self cannot be accomplished without total rejection of violence and attitude of alliance towards peace ♥.

"These are, of course, ideals ♥. There are great histories of violence committed in the act of religion, which would seem to go directly against the tenants mentioned in their ideals of peace ♥. If your idea of peace is linked to a connection with your god, and your connection with your god does not allow for other beliefs, is a break in the peace acceptable? Must one create war to then achieve peace, or is it all too counter-intuitive?

"Let us keep in mind that most times of peace come only after a war, where one party has completely vanquishes or conquered another. As Georges Clemenceau said, 'I don't know whether war is an interlude during peace, or peace an interlude during war.' Is a post-war peacetime true peace? Does the achievement of peace justify the warlike actions that brought it? A very, very big question, that men have been asking themselves for ages ♥.

"And what of inner peace ♥? Often, peace on the wider scale can seem overwhelming for a person, especially if they themselves are not at peace ♥. Inner peace is described as being strong in the face of trouble or stress, and is often achieved through meditation or other activities, such as the hobbies we tried last week ♥. Inner peace, one could assume, is highly individual; each person should have a different way to achieve it. But are some better than others? Is, say, one who reaches inner peace through meditation and closing out the world around them achieving a better form of inner peace, than, say, oh, I don't know, someone who may find it at the bottom of a bottle of sake, hmmm ♥?

"A few words from those with more wisdom than myself:

"'I'm concentrating on staying healthy, having peace, being happy, remembering what is important, taking in nature and animals, spending time reading, trying to understand the universe, where science and the spiritual meet." Joan Jett ♥

"'If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.' Nelson Mandela ♥

"'Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.' Baruch Spinoza ♥.

"'It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war.' John F. Kennedy ♥.

"'One cannot subdue a man by holding back his hands. Lasting peace comes not from force.' David Borenstein ♥

"'It is easier to lead men to combat, stirring up their passion, than to restrain them and direct them toward the patient labors of peace.' Andre Gidd ♥.

"'One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train.' Morihei Ueshiba ♥.

"'You cannot find peace by avoiding life.' Virginia Woolf ♥.

"And last, but not least, 'It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it.' Eleanor Roosevelt ♥."

"In general, these are very large topics, but it is important to consider them and look at them if we are to embrace the art of pacifism and achieve peace, be it in our personal worlds or in the wider world around us ♥. This has also been an extremely quick overview, which much left out, but that is where you all come in ♥. What are you own personal philosophies on peace ♥? Your societies'? Do you agree with the tenants in which you were brought up, or not? What defines peace to you and how do you best achieve it, within yourself or within the world around you ♥? What obstacles present itself in obtaining your ideal of true peace ♥? No wrong answers, of course ♥! Just a discussion to help understand and maybe open our minds and eyes to perspectives that may not be our own ♥. Who would like to start ♥?"

[[ OCD ~~comin' atcha~~ is here! ]]

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Shunsui certainly hopes that the weekly combination of cocoa and his soothing voice will create at least a small slice of peace during the day for his students.

This lecture was much better than last week's, and Ender had jotted some of Shunsui's quotes down in his book. He knew a lot of it already, yes, but it was good to put his mind to the topics at hand again. To think about peace, religious peace, spiritual, philosophical, and the kind of real, practical peace that came with hardship.

He bolded one of the letters in Eleanor Roosevelt's quote, and contemplated it.

Raven was actually happy to come back to this class, though she was still quiet and unsure. Peace made her think of Azarath, but she tried to focus more on the concept than the loss of her home.

Once he was done with his own notes, Ender looked up and observed Raven. He'd been on the periphery of this entire mess for weeks now, and he was loath to get more involved.

But a simple, quiet, "Welcome back," wouldn't go amiss.

"Thank you," Raven said with a small smile. Words of welcome put her more at ease. "It is very good to be back."

"I can imagine so," he said, with a slight smile. "Do you need me to get you updated on what we've been up to so far?"

That was nice, neutral, and very far away from any recent drama Ender had no interest in going into.

"I would greatly appreciate that," Raven said, just as relieved not to have to go into detail about her absence. "What topics did the class cover while I was...away?"

"The first week you were gone, we talked about - and participated in - peaceful protest, in the spirit of Mahatma Ghandi," Ender said, "And the week after, I think it was the therapeutic value of a peaceful hobby." His smile was wry, but mostly self-effacing. "Which might be a good place to start."

Raven tilted her head curiously. "Do you have such a hobby?" It was a nice safe topic! "I often meditate to find inner peace, though I am uncertain that would be considered a hobby."

"I have my research," Ender said, easily. "In my experience, the worst violence comes from an inability to understand the other person. So I've made it a hobby to research as many species and peoples as I can while I'm here."

"That must be fascinating," Raven said with a genuine smile. "And you find this relaxing? To study the differences and similarities? Do you focus on those who are represented here in Fandom, or any race that you come across?"

"Relaxing and important," Ender said. Actually, the relaxing part was probably dubious, but it staved off a little bit of his guilt, so that was almost like relaxing. Right? "And... anything, really. I'm interested in the processes of communication between us all, and the different ways we think. There are a lot more species outside of Fandom than there are on the island, after all."

Though most of his research tended to trace back to 'how can I work this angle into my understanding of the Formics'.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - AoP, 02/01.

trigons_child - 2011-02-01 19:27 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Listen to the Lecture - AoP, 02/01.

endsthegame - 2011-02-01 19:29 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Listen to the Lecture - AoP, 02/01.

trigons_child - 2011-02-01 21:56 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Listen to the Lecture - AoP, 02/01.

endsthegame - 2011-02-02 10:17 (UTC) - Expand

Squall examined Raven closely, as if she held some sort of secret he couldn't understand. "Hey."

"Hello, Squall," Raven greeted him. She couldn't help but think of her conversation with Rinoa and how she feared doing to Squall what she'd done to Jono. "How are you today?

"Fine," Squall answered with a shrug. Nothing bad had happened to him lately, after all. "The better question is, how are you? And how's Jono?" Because radio made it sound like her homecoming wasn't the happy celebration it should have been.

"I am adjusting to being back," Raven said. She closed her eyes at the mention of Jono's name, but opened them again quickly and forced a smile. "Jono is relieved I am safe, though he is not unaffected the experience. It has been difficult for many of us." She didn't want to get too personal, but she couldn't lie and say everything was fine, either.

That didn't sound good. In fact, that sounded decidedly NOT good. But Squall wasn't one to pry, and if she didn't want to elaborate, then whatever. He'd have to track Jono down and... something.

"At least you're back," he told her. "That part's good."

"Yes," Raven said, nodding, her smile more real now. "I missed Fandom a great deal while I was...away. But it is good to see my friends again. I spoke to Rinoa the night I came back. I had not realized how very much alike we are in many ways."

But hopefully not all ways.

Squall blinked. Rinoa and Raven weren't at ALL alike. They couldn't be more different. They were complete opposites, almost.

But there was one big thing the two of them had in common.

"...your magic," he mused. "It's... too powerful?"

"My heritage made me dangerous in a very similar way," Raven said quietly. It wasn't so much her gifts as what she could do with them if her demon side took control of her.

Also, they both totally had antisocial boyfriends.

Re: Listen to the Lecture - AoP, 02/01.

whateverknight.livejournal.com - 2011-02-01 21:03 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Listen to the Lecture - AoP, 02/01.

trigons_child - 2011-02-01 21:46 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Listen to the Lecture - AoP, 02/01.

whateverknight.livejournal.com - 2011-02-02 03:39 (UTC) - Expand

Gabrielle, as soon as there was a free moment, made her way over to Raven with a warm if subdued smile on her face.

"Welcome back," she said simply.

And if that came out sounding incredibly casual, this was the girl who'd had to rescue the embodiment of Death from Sisyphus, who'd been brought back to life through the accidental discovery of CPR, whose best friend had swum to the Elysian Fields and back to visit an old friend, and all of that before facing down a fledgling goddess obsessed with her and a crazed immortal with Xena's sarcophagus in tow, just to get to the Temple of Helios for the ambrosia to bring Xena back the last time.

She was perfectly qualified to remark on this as if Raven had just gotten back from the grocery store.

And she and Xena hadn't even died again yet.

[OOC: Because apparently I felt the need to break my own brain some more with WILDLY VARYING REACTIONS.]

"Thank you," Raven said, giving her a gentle smile. "I am very happy to be back, and it is good to see you again."

She'd spent her first night back in Karla and Gabrielle's room, but had somehow managed to miss Gabrielle while she'd been there.

Because Gabrielle was really good at disappearing conveniently when the plot called for it; part of the sidekick's skillset.

"It's good to see you too," she answered, reaching out to give Raven a hug. "Are you settling in all right?"

Squall mostly just sighed at the lecture. All those people, all over the world -- EVERY world -- wanting peace, and it was always futile.

Ino just... yeah. Sighed and rolled her eyes.

It was a pretty dream, but she didn't think it was that feasible in reality.

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