Could Peace Speech Save the Planet?
Coleman, a teacher of psychology and education and director of MD-ICCCR, is an expert in dispute resolution, and editor of the influential textbook, Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice (2014 ).” For me, poetry, dispute, and faith are all centered around the use of words and the power of words,” said Ó Tuama.” Some individuals discover themselves wordless in the face of conflict, and other individuals find themselves with amazing access to potentially the most destructive language in the area of dispute and can say things that are ultimately unforgettable,” he stated. He was already familiar with conflict resolution theory due to his work in peace structure in Ireland, Ó Tuama said he has found Colemans handbook to be an exceptional resource during his residency. Most just recently, at Columbias Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict and Complexity, Coleman is leading the Sustaining Peace Project– a group of multidisciplinary scientists committed to bridging the gap between the academic understanding and practical applications of long lasting peace.
by
Lindsay Key|January 5, 2022
Poet Padraig Ó Tuama (left; photo by Trevor Brady) and Columbia social psychologist Peter Coleman are collaborating to check out the power of language when it pertains to promoting peace, security, and sustainability around the world.
” Peace on Earth” is a popular sentiment this time of year, hung underneath shop wreaths and scrawled throughout vacation greeting cards. However what does peace on Earth look like precisely, throughout a time when the world is experiencing rising temperatures, decreasing biodiversity, polluted water and air, and violent land conflicts? Attaining peace– particularly when it comes to planetary issues– has a lot to do with the language we utilize, according to Columbia Climate School social psychologist Peter Coleman and acclaimed poet Pádraig Ó Tuama.
Coleman, a professor of psychology and education and director of MD-ICCCR, is a professional in dispute resolution, and editor of the seminal book, Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice (2014 ). Ó Tuama is an author of poetry and prose, theologian, public speaker, and neighborhood peace contractor.
From October 2021 to May 2022, Ó Tuama will be in home in New York City dealing with Coleman and other collaborators at the MD-ICCCR and Climate School. The result will be the publication of an anthology of 35 poems exploring major themes expressed in Colemans acclaimed handbook, which covers conflict between people; conflict in groups; ambivalent actions to dispute; resistance, aggressiveness and regression; cooperation and negotiation; as well as dispute as a state of presence in the existing environment crisis.
” For me, faith, conflict, and poetry are all centered around the use of words and the power of words,” stated Ó Tuama. For years, when counseling both authors and neighborhood contractors, he has actually stressed that language — specifically in syntax, tense and story — is an effective container for significance. An artistic technique towards word choice can be harnessed to deepen peace building.
” Some people find themselves wordless in the face of dispute, and other individuals find themselves with remarkable access to perhaps the most destructive language in the space of dispute and can say things that are eventually memorable,” he stated. “That can occur among people who love each other, along with people who dislike each other, or both. And for me, conflict resolution has actually always been an act of poetry to think of what is possible in the poem thats created in the space where a discussion is taking place.”
Although he was currently familiar with dispute resolution theory due to his operate in peace structure in Ireland, Ó Tuama stated he has actually found Colemans handbook to be an excellent resource during his residency. He initially familiarized Coleman about 5 years back, when the Columbia teacher emailed him out of the blue. Coleman was grieving the loss of a good friend and heard an interview with Ó Tuama on the On Being with Krista Tippett reveal broadcast on NPR.
Listen to Pádraig Ó Tuama checked out “Song for the Turtles of the Gulf” by Linda Hogan on Onbeing: Poetry Unbound. Image: Letterpress prints by Myrna Keliher|Photography by Lucero Torres
” I was truly taken by it,” said Coleman. He reached out to Ó Tuama, who, ironically, happened to be right down the street on a see to New York City, and they struck up a friendship and creative partnership. Coleman immediately looked for methods to bring Ó Tuama to New York as a collaborator, and this years residency was made possible with support from the Climate School, Columbia Universitys Teachers College, and 2 confidential donors.
” One of the things Ive been fortunate to be able to do in the last 20 years is work in these multidisciplinary groups, which bring together extremely different kinds of people,” to study the planets multi-faceted, complex problems, stated Coleman. “I constantly discover when dealing with coworkers who are coming at problems from a fundamentally various perspective. Its revitalizing to me. Its crucial to comprehending the various natures of phenomena and to advancing our understanding of intricate topics.”
Most just recently, at Columbias Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict and Complexity, Coleman is leading the Sustaining Peace Project– a team of multidisciplinary researchers devoted to bridging the space in between the academic understanding and practical applications of lasting peace. The group is working to develop agreement around what types of language represent “peace speech”– the reverse of “hate speech”– in order to investigate how language might be utilized to repair and heal violent or damaged neighborhoods.
” What data science can reveal in some cases are sort of fundamental cultural distinctions in how individuals interact that may be harder to find when youre studying language at the micro level,” stated Coleman. “And what were finding in the mining of this language between these societies is that there are various lexicons that are operating in extremely serene societies versus less serene societies. The structure of the language is various.”
Using “peace speech” is extremely important when it pertains to going over controversial matters connected to the environment like environment change, according to Coleman and Ó Tuama. Ó Tuama will explore this concept further in the work released after completion of his residency in May.
” The question as to what language is working and what language requires to be prevented is a fluid one, depending on the space. In some groups, for circumstances, you know, climate deniers might be an expression that even if you think is accurate, is in fact just going to hinder the possibility of communication and is going to cause somebody to feel insulted,” said Ó Tuama. And how can your language be focused on and workable and attainable and essential for resolution rather than attempting to win every little fight?”
Throughout Ó Tuamas residency, he will also host numerous public readings and workshops, available to Columbia University students and the public. The hope is that these events will work for communicators and writers as well as well as for students of narrative medication, environment change, dispute and faith resolution, he said.
Upcoming Events
Poetry Lab: Exploring dispute intelligence through the lens of a single poem
Fridays, 2.30 pm. ( Feb 4, 11, 18, 25; March 4, 11).
Open to all. Register here.
Poetry and Climate: Bringing a poet together with an environment expert, these three online sessions will check out environment change, location, art, lament and demonstration. Sessions will be offered on Youtube following the series. Times and dates TBD. Check our events page for updates.
Times and dates TBD. Examine our occasions page for updates.
