10 Ways to Bring Peace to the World

By Susan Skog

Everyone is lifted up by one individual choosing peace. One person can create something that ignites all of our collective hopes, energies, and dreams. What if you could do that? What if you are destined to be your generation's peacemaker?

"We have before us the glorious opportunity to inject a new dimension of love into the veins of our civilization," Martin Luther King, Jr. said. Here are 10 real ways you can cultivate inner peace to help create the loving, international peace you want to see in the world.

Click Here for the First Way to Create Peace

Susan Skog is an author, freelance journalist, and presenter. Her latest book, Peace in Our Lifetime: Insights from the World's Peacemakers," shows how we can resolve our deepest conflicts, personally and globally, with stories and suggestions from more than 50 peacemakers. Skog's upcoming book is "The Give-Back Revolution: How You Can Transform the World with Your Travel, Time, and Talents." Susanskog.com

Wherever You Stand, Make It Camp David

"The only way we can make peace is for each of us to be the peace we want to see." -- Susan Collin Marks

It's up to us. We can't wait for someone more powerful or wiser to deliver peace. We are the wise and powerful ones who choose peace in every thought and action.

King showed us that even the simplest acts tilt the world toward peace. When his house was burned during the civil rights movement, he raced home not knowing if his wife and young daughter were safe. And he knew whatever he did could affect the anger brewing in the country. He stepped onto his porch and said, "Remember, this is what God said, 'We are not advocating violence. We want to love our enemies. I want you to love your enemies. Be good to them. Love them and let them know you love them.'"

Global peace is a personal choice, hour by hour. Ask yourself, "Am I going to add to the fighting in the world? Or offer up something greater?"

Heal a Piece of Your Anger

"Peace is as much about getting the bombs out of our own hearts as out of the Pentagon budget." -- Colman McCarthy

It's normal to get angry. But as peacemakers, our challenge is to channel that frustration into something greater. Think of your anger as rocket fuel that can launch your dreams--not scald people around you. View it as a surge of energy to create what you really want and need. Practice breathing deeply, disarming yourself and asking, "Why am I so angry? What do I really want?"

If we can transform our anger into a higher dream, as King did, we take a stand for peace. We step away from the vise of anger and step into the lives we really want.

Creatively Resolve One Conflict

"Conflicts are a call to creative problem-solving." -- Louise Diamond

Whether you're hosting a family gathering or conferencing with your staff, conflict will pop up as surely as that annoying neighbor who wants you to vote like him. Intensity will always percolate in any community. Conflicts can't be avoided. But we can learn to navigate them more confidently and use the tension as an opportunity to express our views honestly and peacefully.

The next time conflict surfaces, keep breathing, stay calm, thoughtfully speak your truth, listen to others, and try to find some shared ground. Realize that your frustration may be about the situation, not the person. Set the intention to find a resolution. Try to find the humor. Agree to disagree, if necessary.

Peacemaking Resources

Organizations to help you extend your peace reach.

The King Center
The online home of the nonprofit that educates the world about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s philosophy of nonviolence.

Compassionate Listening
A nonprofit that teaches skills for peace-building and reconciliation, including communicating from the heart, even in the heat of conflict.

Learning Peace
Site of author, speaker, and consultant Naomi Drew, a world-renowned expert in conflict resolution, peacemaking, and parenting.

Search for Common Ground
This group works to transform how the world deals with conflict through collaborative problem-solving.

The Center for Nonviolent Communication
A global organization helping people connect compassionately with themselves and others through nonviolent speech and listening.