As part of the Festival of Politics and the Festival of Spirituality and Peace the session entitled ‘Pathways to Peace’ explored the philosophy of non-violence and how it can be used to resolve ethnic and religious conflict.   

Mairéad Corrigan-Maguire became active in the peace movement in Northern Ireland after three of her sister’s children were killed in the Troubles, co-founding the Community for Peace People and won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 for her efforts.

She told the audience that violence is dysfunctional and she believes there is an alternative: “Violence is not working, it never works and there is an alternative.  Northern Ireland provides hope for people around the world in ethnic conflicts like in Georgia and Russia and Sudan

“Violence goes against the human psyche.  People have to be trained to kill and even those that are trained often don’t do it willingly… I believe people are wonderful and there are alternatives to violence.”

Arun Gandhi told the Chamber that we must learn how to have relationships with different people of different philosophies and beliefs.  He said religion plays an important role in our lives today but in many cases instead of promoting love and understanding it is promoting hate and division.

He explained non-violence as a philosophy that means much more than simply the absence of violence and is not about being weak or “letting people walk all over you”.  He recalled his anger as a teenager growing up in South Africa where he was subject to racial abuse.  After moving to India with his parents he told the audience of how his grandfather had explained that anger is like electricity, “just as powerful and potentially just as dangerous”, and must be used intelligently.  People must be taught to understand their anger and use that energy positively rather than allowing it to manifest in violence, he said.  

Corrigan Maguire spoke about a new initiative by the Nobel Peace Laureates, a Charter for a World Without Violence.  She warned of how international law and human rights are being ‘trampled over’ by governments across the world.  She cited the examples of US military intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan and incidents of national parliaments introducing laws that make it difficult for people to lead dignified lives.        

The Nobel Peace Prize winner advocated that governments should create ministries of peace alongside their ministries of defence and foreign affairs to advise on alternatives to going to war.  The regional parliament of Calabria in Italy moved this year to create a department for peace while campaigns for such departments are ongoing in 24 countries across the world.

Gandhi ended the session with a quote from his grandfather: “Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words.  Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviour.  Keep your behaviour positive because your behaviour becomes your values.  Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.”