Working For Peace:  A Handbook Of Practical Psychology And Other Tools, edited by Rachel M. MacNair and Psychologists For Social Responsibility

There is a lot of area where I disagree with the approach of these authors concerning their pacifism.  Although I belong to a pietistic Christian sect that is hostile to participating in the physical wars that are all around us, I am far too interested in war and far too knowledgeable about the need (if undesirability) of conflict for me to be in agreement with the authors and in their approach to undermining society through nonviolent disobedience.  That said, despite my disagreement with the goals and ends and behavior discussed here, I think this book is worth reading for at least a few reasons.  For one, I think it is worthwhile to read what is written by people I have deep disagreements with to remember the way that they see themselves and justify their own approach and worldview, lest I forget that they are human like me and interested in portraying their own worldview in the best possible light.  For another, I think that the contemporary world would be a lot kinder if those who claimed to be peaceful progressive activists actually behaved in a peaceful and understanding way towards those who disagreed with them as I do.

This relatively short book of less than 300 pages is divided into 34 short essays in five parts written by a wide variety of peace activists.  The first part of the book talks about how activists need to get themselves together in building confidence (1), cultivating inner peace (2), improving personal appeal (3), overcoming anger and anxiety (4), overcoming helplessness and discouragement (5), overcoming burnout (6), dealing with the distressed (7), parenting peacefully (8), looking at various dimensions of peace (9), and dealing with government spying on one’s activism (10).  The next part of the book discusses how activists get organized (II), including motivating others to work with you (11), effective group meetings and decision making (12), promoting healthy group dynamics (13), knowing when it’s not time to be discouraged (14), storytelling (15), and examples of successful action groups (16).  After that there are some essays on peacemaking (III), including how to use conflict constructively (17), promote peaceful interaction (18), nonviolent communication (19), resolving conflict from the third side (20), conflict transformation skills for left and right (21), working with negative emotions (22), and preparing for nonviolent confrontations (23).  The next part of the book deals with peace work (IV), such as effective media communication (24), attracting an audience (25), corrupting education through peace in the curriculum (26), parenting for peace (27), and dealing with the regrets of being an online activist (28).  The fifth and final part of the book examples peaceful persuasion (V), including creating a peaceful climate for peace work (29), principles of opinion change (30), the techniques of behavior change (31), dialogues across differences (32), profiting from cognitive dissonance (33), and using humor for peace (34).

Again, this is a book written by people who I would consider enemies.  That said, one can appreciate those who are peaceful and winsome as being easier people to be around, even when they disagree with you, than those who are shrill and hostile.  If this book is a subtle and serpentine approach to conflict and politics, it is worthwhile to understand how peaceful but corrupt New Age activists behave and how they justify themselves as not being hypocritical when they seek to corrupt institutions and engage in massive and confrontational social change while still seeing themselves as peaceable and reasonable people.  If this book does not exactly correspond with the reality of how leftist activists actually behave, it at least provides an interesting area for people to read to know some of the games that “peace activists” play when they attempt to convert one to their own thinking and worldview, and such a thing is worth knowing even if one is committed to an entirely different set of principles even if one agrees that, so much as it depends on us, we should be peaceful with everyone else.