War is not inevitable. Violence does not solve conflicts. In violent conflicts, everyone loses. While these assertions may be personal beliefs, they are well supported by facts. There are many ways to forestall violent conflict, many ways to approach disputes that lead to cooperative partnership and result in benefit for all. Nonviolent coexistence can happen and can open new pathways for realizing a more ethical culture.

There are, however, significant hurdles to nonviolent living and we – and our human cultures – have vulnerabilities that work against our building a culture of peace. It will take significant effort and determination to move away from violence and toward mutually beneficial cooperation but the potential rewards are huge.

The American Ethical Union has resolved to support efforts to build a culture of peace in our personal relationships, in our homes, in our local communities, in the work of our Ethical Societies, and in our nation. Let’s see what we can do to join that effort.

Join Leader Bart Worden to discuss this thought-provoking topic.

You can join on Zoom or in person.

Zoom also allows joining by telephone with or without a computer. To join that way, dial (646) 558-8656 then enter the meeting code: 473 702 460 followed by the # key. Use passcode 1876.

Phone users can mute and unmute their phones by pressing *6 to mute and *6 unmute. We will be asking participants to “raise their hand” electronically to be recognized before speaking. To do that by phone press *9 to raise your hand and *9 to lower your hand.
Contact leader@wsfec.org with questions.