Soc Sci 2 Peace & Development 2nd Sem/Lecture By: Lemera Campano OUTLINE MODULE I: A Holistic Understanding of Peace and Violence LESSON 2: Violence in Human Life 2023-2024 Pre-Medicine established so that no rights, freedom and dignity are being trampled on. R.J. Rummel (1981) also said that “peace is a state of law or civil government, a state of justice or goodness, a balance or equilibrium of Powers”. PSYCHOLOGICAL PEACE MODULE I: A Holistic Understanding of Peace and Violence “Peace means dignity, well-being for all, not just absence of war “ – UN officials (September 9, 2014, High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace, convened by the General Assembly) Peace can be viewed in different perspectives and expressed in various ways. This is so because all aspects of human life are revolving around some kind “order” or “harmony” that keeps it moving, growing and evolving. The most common understanding of Peace is manifested as a “societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence” (Union of International Associations, 2017). considered important in establishing “behavioural peace”. According to The Encyclopedia for World Problems and Human Potentials (2017), peaceful behaviour sometimes results from a “peaceful inner disposition”. It is believed that by having a sense of inner tranquillity, peace can be initiated. It is viewed as peace of mind or serenity, especially in the East (Rummel, 1981) It also goes to say that a peaceful person can actually contribute abundantly in resolving issues hence, spreading peace in the society (Union of International Associations, 2017) Secular Views/Perspectives on Peace and Violence Peace was defined as merely the absence of war or direct violence by Hugo Grotius. In a SOCIAL SENSE peace is understood as a “lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups” (Wikipedia, 2020). Leaders of the world, governments and other social institutions make concerted efforts such as peace making and diplomacy to ensure that “behavioral restraints” are Peace was that of absence of death and destruction as a result of war and physical/direct violence (Thee, 1982). Raymond Aron “peace as more or less lasting suspension of violent modes of rivalry between political units” (Barsh, 1999). Soc Sci 2 Peace & Development 2nd Sem/Lecture By: Lemera Campano The Shift in the Concept of Peace In 1960s, there is a “shift of attention of violence”. From direct violence to indirect violence or “structural violence”. The structural violence, unlike the direct or physical violence, are not readily or obviously observed. However, the effect is the same as this type of violence causes sufferings and even death to a great population of people. These are commonly manifested in conditions of extreme poverty, starvation, poor health services and discrimination against the minority (Castro & Galace, 2010). Johan Galtung, peace theorist and researcher, argues that, “Structural violence occurs when the wealth of the nation is based on labor and the people are required to live diminished lives of deprivation” (Monez, 1973) 2023-2024 Pre-Medicine Peace with nature is considered the foundation of positive peace (Mische, 1987). Earth is the ultimately the source of our survival, physical sustenance, health and wealth. We are nothing without it. Sadly, nature is seriously impaired and as a result, many forms conflicts arise. How and why? How are the environmental destruction and violence related to each other? According to Barnaby (1989), human behavior is related to availability of basic resources. Therefore, shortage of resources threatens lifestyles, rivalry for resources can lead to aggression and violent conflict. Since 2008, The Institute for Economics & Peace has assembled a significant body of research on Positive Peace. The IEP has constructed the Pillars of Peace framework consisting of eight factors that, when present in a society, contribute to high levels of peace. Indeed, the peace researchers and educators agree that “countries with higher levels of peace tend to be more resilient to external shocks, whether they are economic, geopolitical or natural disasters” (Institute for Economics &Peace). Towards the Holistic Concept of Peace and Violence in order to achieve peace we must “eradicate all facets of injustices” (Cheng and Kurtz, 1998). This means that the “uneven distribution of wealth and resources” as well as the “discrimination on the power to decide” must be eliminated in the society in order to truly achieve a sustainable condition of peace. According to Johan Galtung, “peace does not mean the total absence of any conflict. It means the absence of violence in all forms and the unfolding of conflict in a constructive way”. “Peace therefore exists where people are interacting non-violently and are managing their conflict positively – with respectful attention to the legitimate needs and interest of all concerned”. Soc Sci 2 Peace & Development 2nd Sem/Lecture By: Lemera Campano 2023-2024 Pre-Medicine Pillars of Peace 8 Pillars of Peace: -functioning government, LESSON 2: Violence in Human Life Violence is defined by the World Health Organization in the WRVH as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation” (Krug, Mercy J.et al, 2002) Levels of Peace Personal Peace – “a state of calm, serenity and tranquility of mind that arise due to having no sufferings or mental disturbances such as worry, anxiety, greed, desire, hatred, ill-will, delusion and/or other defilements” (Gogava et al., 2018, p. 4). Domestic Peace – peace that comes from mutual respect among family members; mutual assistance among members of the family and household Inter-Personal Peace - involves acceptance of differences and diversity among people; resolving disagreements and conflicts nonviolently, with dialog anddiscussion; relating to others with compassion, empathy and a sense of justice; living with them harmoniously (Oregonians for Peace, 2016) Local Peace – love and respect among neighbours or residents of the local community Social/National Peace - respect, trust, love and understanding of people of Different Social Groups (Religion, Ethnic Background and Social Status) International Peace - Respect for the culture and way of life of other races / nations . Environmental Peace - examines and advocates environmental protection and cooperation as a factor in creating more peaceful relations; respect for the environment and sustainable development Globally, violence takes the lives of more than 1.5 million people annually: just over 50% due to suicide, some 35% due to homicide, and just over 12% as a direct result of war or some other form of conflict. Furthermore, violence often has lifelong consequences for victims' physical and mental health and social functioning and can slow economic and social development (Balamurugan, 2019). Furthermore, violence often has lifelong consequences for victims' physical and mental health and social functioning and can slow economic and social development (Balamurugan, 2019). According to Betty Reardon, peace educators define violence as humanly inflicted harm. (Reardon, n.d.) violence can be categorized as direct (physical violence) and indirect (structural violence). Birgit Brock –Utne (1989) notes that violence can be categorized as organized or unorganized. 1. Organized violence - refers to war that occurs between states or within a state. 2. Unorganized violence – usually done by an individual or groups in a spontaneous Soc Sci 2 Peace & Development 2nd Sem/Lecture By: Lemera Campano includes wife battering, rape, child abuse and street crime. 3. Direct Violence/Physical Violence – “behavioural” violence such as war, bullying, domestic violence 4. Indirect violence (Structural Violence) – often unconscious; structural violence results from unjust and inequitable social and economic structures and manifesting itself in for example, poverty and deprivation of all kinds. 5. Cultural violence - the devaluing and destruction of particular human identities and ways of life, the violence of sexism, ethnocentrism, racism and colonial ideologies, and other forms of moral exclusion that rationalise aggression, domination, inequity, and oppression. (Council of Europe, 2017) Typology of Violence The WRVH also presents a typology of violence that, while not uniformly accepted, can be a useful way to understand the contexts in which violence occurs and the interactions between types of violence. This typology distinguishes four modes in which violence may be inflicted: physical; sexual; and psychological attack; and deprivation. Self-directed violence refers to violence in which the perpetrator and the victim are the same individual and is subdivided into self-abuse and suicide. Interpersonal violence refers to violence between individuals, and is subdivided into family and intimate partner violence and community violence. Collective violence refers to violence committed by larger groups of individuals and can be subdivided into social, political and economic violence 2023-2024 Pre-Medicine Causes of Violence The following four-level version of the socioecological is often used in the study of violence: a. Personal - the first level identifies biological and personal factors that influence how individuals behave and increase their likelihood of becoming a victim or perpetrator of violence: - Such as demographic characteristics (age, education, income), personality disorders, substance abuse, and a history of experiencing, witnessing, or engaging in violent behaviour. b. Family or friends - the second level focuses on close relationships, such as those with family and friends. - In youth violence, for example, having friends who engage in or encourage violence can increase a young person’s risk of being a victim or perpetrator of violence. - For intimate partner violence, a consistent marker at this level of the model is marital conflict or discord in the relationship. - In elder abuse, important factors are stress due to the nature of the past relationship between the abused person and the care giver. c. Community - the third level explores the community context — i.e., schools, workplaces, and neighbourhoods. - Risk at this level may be affected by factors such as the existence of a local drug trade, the absence of social networks, and concentrated poverty. d. Society - Societal factors that help to create a climate in which violence is encouraged or inhibited: - The responsiveness of the criminal justice system, social and cultural norms regarding gender roles or parent-child relationships, income inequality, the Soc Sci 2 Peace & Development 2nd Sem/Lecture By: Lemera Campano strength of the social welfare system, the social acceptability of violence, the availability of firearms, the exposure to violence in mass media, and political instability. Problems of violence 1. Families edging out of poverty and investing in schooling their sons and daughters can be ruined through the violent death or severe disability of the main breadwinner. 2. Communities can be caught in poverty traps where pervasive violence and deprivation form an unpleasant circle that restricts economic growth. 3. For societies, meeting the direct costs of health, criminal justice, and social welfare responses to violence diverts many billions of dollars from more constructive societal spending. 4. In countries with high levels of violence, economic growth can be slowed down, personal and collective security eroded, and social development impeded. 5. The much larger indirect costs of violence due to lost productivity and lost investment in education work together to slow economic development, increase socio-economic inequality, and erode human and social capital. Approaches to Violence and Violence Prevention Criminal justice approach task as enforcing laws that proscribe violence and ensuring that "justice is done". responsibility, guilt, and culpability are central to criminal justice's approach to violence and one of the criminal justice system's main tasks is to "do justice", identified, that the degree of their guilt is as accurately ascertained as possible, and that they are punished appropriately. criminal justice approach relies primarily on 2023-2024 Pre-Medicine deterrence, incarceration and the punishment and rehabilitation of perpetrators The Human Rights Approach obligations of states to respect, protect and fulfil human rights and therefore to prevent, eradicate and punish violence. as a violation of many human rights: the rights to life, liberty, autonomy and security of the person; the rights to equality and non-discrimination; the rights to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment; the right to privacy; and the right to the highest attainable standard of health. Prevention of Violence 1. Developing safe, stable and good relationships between children and their parents and caregivers - This will actually help in reducing convictions and violent acts in adolescence and early adulthood, and probably help decrease intimate partner violence and self-directed violence in later life. 2. Developing life skills in children and adolescents - Evidence shows that the life-skills acquired in social development programmes can reduce involvement in violence, improve social skills, boost educational achievement and improve job prospects. Life skills refer to social, emotional, and behavioural competencies which help children and adolescents effectively deal with the challenges of everyday life. 3. Reducing the availability and harmful use of alcohol. Evidence is emerging that violence may be prevented by: - Reducing the availability of alcohol (e.g. by restricting hour or days of sale and raising alcohol prices); - Brief interventions and longer-term treatment for problem drinkers; Soc Sci 2 Peace & Development 2nd Sem/Lecture By: Lemera Campano - Improving the management of environments where alcohol is served (e.g. reducing crowding, increasing comfort levels, improving physical design and staff training). 4. Reducing access to guns or harmful items - Evidence emerging suggests that limiting access to firearms can prevent homicides and injuries and reduce the costs of these forms of violence to society. - There is some evidence, for example, to suggest that jurisdictions with restrictive firearms legislation and lower firearms ownership tend to have lower levels of gun violence 5. Other than this, we have to develop our selfcontrol. - We have to create our own ethical way and bath for peaceful life. - No anger, Hatred and enmity, control mind, Love and kindness, Practicing Yoga, Truth and Non-violence (Prevention of Violence) 2023-2024 Pre-Medicine