Give Peace a Year – Meeting ten

Make the space, for the truth to safely surface

Give Peace a Year posts are the notes from in person meetings aiming to transform the surprising levels of violence I found had crept into my everyday suburban life. I invited people to join me to Give Peace a Year. We started in February 2016 and ran for 3 years. Many surprising transformations to our stress levels, health and relationships were had. You can read the whole story of how it all began with my hair conditioner here.

 

Meeting number ten

With the aim of peace, everywhere, starting here, now, transforming violence and conflict of needs  in life, one word, thought or deed at a time.

And because

it’s not the slog that will get us there, it’s the joy

for balance, things that warmed our hearts.

 

Starting where transformation is needed.

Examples from the group of peace lovers this week on Thursday 30th June

 

1.Post referendum racist hate crime

 

Shops burned down, people being asked to ‘go home’, being asked loudly to ‘get off the tram’.

Wanting to find a response should we encounter it in person.

A response that isn’t stand by and do nothing

and that doesn’t appear to condone it

but that also doesn’t fuel the fire

offers a hand of support

and is safe for us too.

 

We spent a long time considering what the unmet needs of the person might be, but couldn’t be sure of any of the guesses. And pretty sure that there are layers and layers over decades all needing heard, understood and cared about. Political neglect of the needs of society now at boiling point.

A teacher of mine once, when encountering a man behaving aggressively towards someone else on a bus, asked the man whether when he felt that way, he would be willing instead, to come down the bus and talk to her, tell her what was going on for him.

Should courage and faith be with me in the moment, I suspect this is as close as I might get to a response that has a chance of being effective.

Outside of volatile incidents, when all is relatively calm, making a point of talking to people with different views to listen and really understand.

 

The heartwarming

A warm welcome and wish for the wholehearted in everyone to be found and brought out into the world. Changing the quality of emotional climate for the good of all.

And here’s the poetic form that the wish took

Make the space, for the truth to safely surface
for what’s really wholehearted, to be safely felt
for what’s tight in there to unfurl a little
a little, a breath, a little more

it’s ok – it really is
what is there, in there, what is it that’s needed
it’s alright – truly it is
take care with it, take care of it

unfurling, the beauty, the space
it can be, you can be
breathing again, deeper now, feeling the expansion
of the space, where you can be
where you can unfurl and be seen, seen, by yourself at least

what wants to be, to be seen
what wants to be taken into the world
the world needs it
needs it especially now

Focus –

Words, the language we consume and adding the language we use to talk to others or ourselves.

 

6 Comments

  1. Philippa Church

    Lovely and thoughtful article(as always), Pauline. I would like to add though that while there have been hate crimes (although in fact the number has actually dropped not risen post Brexit), I have been astounded at the deluge of venom and vitriol on social media directed at anyone who voted to leave. The prejudice and presumptions have been quite frankly shocking. I just wanted to voice my sorrow: the most hatred and viciousness I’ve witnessed lately has been coming from people who are allegedly espousing tolerance and unity.

    Reply
    • Pauline

      Ah Philippa, thank you for coming by
      I see, yes, such sorrow… and shock at the strength of feeling and impulse, out of anger and fear?, to attack ‘the other’.
      To peacefully exist together whilst holding different views isn’t something we’re doing very well at the moment eh!

      I’ve found that I also have strong feelings and hear them speaking in me in venomous ways that don’t feel good. I have managed not to give voice to them out loud but instead let it be an alert… that there’s a very deep and strong need in there that hasn’t been given sufficient care and reverent attention. And so to approach with love and listen to what it has to say and hope to hear and understand the needs hidden in the venom. So that, if understood, the need might be met, and if age old might be healed, rather than fester and erupt …
      That’s been my plan for being in amongst the vitriol, and to keep from adding to it myself

      Reply
  2. Philippa Church

    I’m saying the figure has dropped, but only after listening to the Today programme on Radio 4 which said this. I haven’t checked, apologies if this is not accurate.

    Reply
    • Pauline

      ah right, ok, thanks. Knowing the source or rather the programme, people can make up their own minds about how much they trust it.

      Reply
  3. Philippa Church

    You’re right and good advice. I’m sorry the comment came out rather aggressively and sounded like I don’t care about the hate crime. I do: it’s appalling. I am feeling very sad and angry about the media in all its forms and really don’t think it’s helping the situation but fuelling division. I’ll cuddle my lovely dogs and make it all disappear! Thank you for the blog.

    Reply
    • Pauline

      Oh my, no… I don’t think your comment came out sounding aggressive at all… nor like you don’t care about the hate crime. Not at all.
      I share your sadness and anger about what I perceive to be the media fuelling division. Cuddling dogs on the other hand..always good 🙂 So glad to have you visit here and to share (close) a shire with you : ).
      Love to us all for the pain.

      Reply

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