How much engagement?
What is the minimum form of activity required to call yourself a peace worker? Would you be a peace worker if you joined a public demonstration against the war in Afghanistan? Some people are employed full time on peace work; many more do it in their free time. In movements, organizations and networks all over the globe people engage in a wide variety of activities to reduce violence. We should be generous in our definition of a peace worker and respect all who participate, no matter how much time they can allocate to peace work. Much good work is done with little or no recognition and visibility – but everyone can contribute!
What sort of activity?
What sort of activity should be included in a definition of engagement? Would participation in national elections count as peace work, or must it be something more than casting a vote? Many would argue that ordinary elections do not count as peace work, but when Apartheid ended after a long struggle in South Africa and many people had the opportunity to vote for the first time, most saw it as very important peace work. The answer to this question will depend on the context.
Being visible and loud
What is meant by ‘actively and peacefully reducing all forms of violence’? To be active indicates something more than just right thoughts or good intentions. There is a notion of activity in disseminating ideas as well as taking part in different kinds of actions (we will say more about different kinds of nonviolent social action in Lesson 3.2).