Hello dear readers, friends of CMCCF, and our allies,
We need to connect…but also be aware of the challenges of too much digital connection…
It is time for a sit-down, a cup of coffee on the table by my side, my notebook in hand! This is my favourite way to begin the process of connecting with you all, gathering some blog-ideas, starting with some scribbles and doodles, a few reflections…
I’m sure you agree, although most of us need to be connected digitally to perform our daily tasks, and to keep our relationships active, with family, friends, and the goings-on in our world, there is a downside to technology too.
And this is that it’s not always easy to pull ourselves away from the distractions caused by electronic devices-our phones and our computers, our WhatsApp messages and the social media sites from where many of us get our daily news nowadays. What’s even worse, our virtual connections to the world at large also make us fall prey to all the mindless chatter that so easily comes at us on social platforms, and a lot of it is often a source of misinformation and disinformation.
Don’t these negative messages and polarising conversations disturb your peace of mind, disrupting even your sense of inner peace?
Some reflections on Negative Peace and Positive Peace: What’s the difference?
Speaking of peace, I recall the promise I had made in my last post- both to myself and to you, dear readers-that in this edition of Talking Peace with Alka, I would share my thoughts around the differences between `negative peace’ and `positive peace,’ as I understand them, based on my studies in peacebuilding and the work I do.
Further, I believe this is important to do also because the current CMCCF Building Bridges project focuses squarely on exploring traditional cultural systems of peacebuilding; and maybe once we have more clarity about what these terms mean-negative peace and positive peace- we can become more aware of how customary models of resolving conflicts from the perspective of different communities look like, and if they have application within the current Canadian society in which we live and work, and wish to thrive.
Firstly, when there is active war and conflict of any kind ongoing, it is a state of direct violence, and there is NO PEACE. But once a cease fire is declared, and the war ends, does this mean there is peace? What about the aftershocks from destruction of lives built over time and the displacement that follows, as well as impacts of trauma that may linger lifelong?
These negative consequences from losing loved ones and the stressors of building back from scratch counts as violence too. In terms of differentiating between negative and positive peace, as some scholars and practitioners of peace studies argue, just because there is a cessation of violence, we cannot just assume that `positive’ peace is achieved. So then what is the difference between negative peace, and positive peace?
For example, Johan Galtung, the father of Peace Studies, and renowned as a pioneering scholar and practitioner in this field says, `Any concept of peace includes the absence of direct violence between states, engaged in by military and others in general, and of massive killing of categories of humans in particular.’ He goes on to add, `But peace would be a strange concept if it does not include relations between genders, races, classes and families, and does not also include absence of structural violence, the non-intended slow, massive suffering caused by economic and political structures in the form of massive exploitation and repression.’
In other words, till the time structural violence exists in our societies and our world at large, we are in a time of negative peace.
Time of War and Conflict=Direct Violence=No Peace
So then, to summarise the above in the interest of clarity: if there are active war/s going on in our world-as there currently are- leading to direct violence, wounding, killing, displacement and starvation of innocent populations, it means there is complete absence of peace in the world. This war and conflict scenario has been categorised as a time of `direct violence,’ and `absence of peace.’ Why is such a terminology helpful?
Structural Violence=Negative Peace
When there is no war ongoing and no direct violence is taking place, but systemic inequities persist at a deep level, this signifies that structural (and indirect) violence exists in society. Such a condition is understood as negative peace.
Structural violence and negative peace exist and shape our times when societies and cultures located in different geographical world regions experience disparities and inequities, and there are regions where human rights violations occur routinely, almost as though they were normal; especially when perpetrated against individuals and population groups that are in a minority, for example, racialized communities, immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, women, indigenous groups, including other identity locations that make people vulnerable, like those who self-identify as LGBTQ+, or those who are differently abled. There are other factors too that lead to marginalization, and `othering’ of individuals and groups.
Another example of this indirect violence and negative peace is the fact that resources are distributed unfairly and unequally-the world is divided into haves and have-nots, rich and poor. In fact, statistics that note that the top 10% own nearly ¾ of the world’s wealth, while half the world’s population is almost entirely deprived of it (World Inequality Database) provide clear evidence of these wealth inequities. Till such time these wealth gaps exist, and other structural inequities persist in our world, we will continue to live in times of negative peace.
What is structural Violence?
As noted above, some people are more fortunate than others, being born in families that have wealth and privilege, and they end up having access to more resources than others; and this could be access to money, or housing, or employment, or educational opportunities, or safety, or equal rights. And for people who have less `power,’ or if they occupy a `lower position’ in society-based on the color of their skin, or their socio-economic background, their racial composition or their gender identity-they are especially discriminated against. This counts as structural violence, leading to the prevalence of negative peace.
For example, gender is a huge defining factor, and as women, our experiences of living in the world, in whichever part of the world it might be, can be significantly different from those of men; and at times these disparities, including wage-gaps, make us exclaim and say, `oh it is a male dominated world,’ and this is because resources and power are often unequally distributed between men and women; we all know that despite being in the year 2025, gender-based violence is alive and well, in fact the statistics about it are both shocking and heart-breaking.
As per UN Women, `Globally, an estimated 736 million women—almost one in three—have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life (30 per cent of women aged 15 and older).’ In fact, Gender Based Violence (GBV) escalated so much during our recent COVID-19 times that it was being named as a `twin-pandemic’ along with COVID19. This too counts as structural and direct violence, and would be categorised as negative peace.
What is Positive Peace then?
So, what is positive peace, and how can it be attained? For starters, to move towards it, (one), we must first understand these inequity-creating societal issues as structural conflicts; for example, unequal structures that lead to poverty and homelessness, unemployment and discrimination, racism and gender-based violence. (Two), becoming aware of the underlying unequal structures is about understanding the power dynamics at play.
What makes certain individuals or groups more powerful than others, considered as more worthy, we must ask. It is only when we can unpack and `see’ better how these systems work, and what the politics behind it is, can we understand better who these systems favour, and who gets left behind. In my view, understanding a situation or an issue is the first step, and empathy comes next (or should). So, then, how can we move from a negative peace scenario to a sustainable situation of positive peace?
It would mean addressing systemic gaps listed above. How do we do that, you may ask next! Yes, indeed this is a million-dollar question, and also a complex and challenging issue-an intersectional one too. It would need multiple stakeholders to think and work together, using both grassroots (bottom-up approaches) as well as top-down policy thinking, political will, and social justice-oriented decision-making. Moving towards more equal structures in society, towards fairness, social justice, equity and a discrimination-free society are indeed objectives and pathways that can help us explore and understand what positive peace means.
Yes, it is not easy, maybe it is a dream, but unless we can `imagine’ `cultures of peace,’ there can be no potential pathway for moving in that direction. Several peace theorists and peacebuilders have talked about these and other measures, and in my next post, we will explore this in more detail. So, one question to consider for now might be, (and maybe this should be our collective homework for the next few weeks?!): what can we do in our own small lives that can help us walk just a few steps, every single day, towards building positive peace?
Maybe thinking about this framework is a start-where (1) `direct violence and no peace,’ (2) `negative peace’ and (3`positive peace’ can be seen as interconnected, and we can become aware of them sitting as though on a spectrum; maybe it can bring clarity and purpose to our peace-goals.
Stay safe, dear friends, till we meet again. I believe treating our fellow beings right, being kind and compassionate, and being there for each other in times of need could be the first few steps that each of us can take in our own lives, to move towards positive peace…
The views expressed in this blog post are mine, and I take full responsibility for them. We are always wanting to hear from you – please share your thoughts and feedback by completing our contact form here or by emailing hello@cmccfamilies.ca.
To learn more about our Building Bridges Project you can click: Here
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