Being a Rotary Peace Fellow studying at Rotary Peace Center, Chulalongkorn University, I got an opportunity to learn many different subjects on how to analyze the conflicts, and the possible ways of how to initiate peacebuilding process. However, what keeps reminding me is ‘inner peace building’ which I have never noticed before. It is very important that we build peace from inside-out.
I like the concept of Aikido which we studied with Dr. Sombat Tabanya, Psychotherapist, a retired professor from Chiang Mai. Aikido is for self-defensing, using the power of the nature and the combination of spiritual and philosophical. It has a wider sense of peaceful conflict resolution in it.
The principles of Aikido are very applicable to my daily life in dealing with people at workplaces and at home. This is also relevant to use with peace negotiators in my country, Myanmar. The said principles are as below;
- Mutual respect: is always the fundamental principle for all human beings in any occasion. Through respect we can build a good relationship and being able to prevent the violence to happen and reduce the tension.
- Movement with body and soul: means all the actions must carry out with the mindfulness combination of ‘head, heart & hand’, to see the world not just as we see but as we experience or how things work in the world.
- To blend (synthesize) with, not to force back: means we acknowledge the situation which we’re facing at that moment and take one amount of time to review for being able to see things clearer by using our ‘knowledge and senses’ before taking back any ‘action’. Neither take action quickly nor use the force, rather take non-violence action as a return. It also means try to resolve the conflict in a peaceful manner.
- Balance and stable: means not to be too extreme but to be balancing ourselves with wisdom and compassion in dealing with any problem and joyfulness. It also means that if we can balance ourselves then we can be steadied and will not fall down easily.
- Be learn to fall down safely so you don’t break: means it is very normal to be failed when we fight with another but it is very important that we prepare ahead how to still strong and safe even when we lose.
- Be Sympathy and empathy: means trying to understand the others and being put ourselves into their place then we will see things clearer and be able to shift our paradigm.
It is important to strengthen ourselves in order to strengthen the process, the institution and the people. Thus, it is very important that peace starts from us, from inside of individuals, to the family members, then to community, then to the nation and then to the entire society through the (human) principles stated above.
Peace must build from ‘Inside-Out’
Self-awareness is the key to stabilizing the coherence and realizing the victory!!!
Nang Pao Hom – Myanmar
Rotary Peace Fellow – Class 27
