By Sr. Annie Killian, OP
Pax Christi USA National Council
Pax Christi Young Adult Caucus
Nonviolence working group
The Gandhian principle of nonviolence, satyagraha, literally means “clinging to truth.” Truth is the sine qua non in the quest for justice, peace, and liberation. As peacemakers, we proclaim the truth that all people are endowed with inalienable dignity and the right to life, which extends not only to human beings but to Earth and our fellow creatures. Truth can be difficult to assess because we live in a culture of fear and distrust, which distorts our perception of reality. Admittedly, we have valid reasons to be afraid. Climate change threatens the health of our planet, as human activities rapidly deplete natural goods. Nuclear weapons compromise the very existence of life on Earth. The global trade in military arms fuels violent conflict in Haiti, Palestine, Sudan, and Ukraine. In the US, unarmed citizens, including children, are being killed in grocery stores, schools, and places of worship – victims of gun violence and police brutality. Militarization of borders and brutal extra-judicial arrests of anyone suspected of being undocumented continues to escalate. Mass incarceration rips families asunder and condemns over six million US Americans to second-class citizenship (two million in jails and prisons, 4.5 million on parole).
In the face of systemic violence – poverty, racism, and militarism – we as peacemakers must speak the truth that violence only begets more violence. Building more bombs will not make the world safer. Today, the state has extended the Cold War logic of deterrence to justify more systemic violence. Consider the rationale underlying mass incarceration: Some public leaders claim that punitive measures like mandatory sentencing and the death penalty function as deterrents against crime. Research in the social sciences, however, has disproven this claim. Similarly, some lawmakers call for arming teachers in schools, as if having more guns would decrease incidents of gun violence. Who benefits from manufacturing these weapons? While most of us wait in dread for news of the next mass shooting, who profits off our fear?
The systemic injustices that catalyze violence, such as generational poverty, unemployment, racism, environmental degradation, and militarism, inflict harm upon our bodies, minds, and spirits, demeaning our sense of self-worth and human dignity. Trauma and despair can drive us to misdirect our anger and take out our rage upon others. Using violent means to deter people from destructive behavior only perpetuates cycles of violence. By contrast, Restorative Justice opens up an alternative way to address harm. Restorative Justice practitioners acknowledge that “Hurt people hurt people.” In other words, people who harm others have themselves suffered harm. If our children learn only violence at home, how do we expect them to behave differently as adults?
The threat of punishment is not making anyone safer. We need to imagine a different way forward, a way that addresses the root causes of violence and that centers the needs of people who have suffered harm. Restorative justice envisions a society in which those who have experienced harm can heal, and those who have harmed others can make restitution, seek reconciliation, and be restored to their communities.
Catholic Social Teaching as a framework of study
Catholic Social Teaching calls us to build a society based on justice, solidarity, and the common good. In Pacem in Terris, Pope John XXIII lays out basic human rights and responsibilities, which today we understand to extend to Earth and the whole community of life. As human animals, we depend on Earth’s bountiful gifts to survive. Our physical health, mental resilience, and spiritual well-being are interconnected with nature’s flourishing. Justice for Earth must be at the center of our peace-making efforts. So, here is an adapted version of the rights and responsibilities that Pope John XXIII teaches as the way to a just peace:
- Dignity of the human person and integrity of creation: Earth and all creatures, including human persons, have a right to life and freedom.
- Right to have basic needs met and to live in a healthy environment. These include the need for universal healthcare, affordable housing, fresh food, clean water, clear air, as well as education and training, arts and culture, and choice of profession. Earth has the right to be free of pollution and environmental degradation.
- Right to meaningful work and a just wage. Workers have the right to rest and leisure time, social services, and disability pay. All citizens are due a basic income. Earth has the right to heal from the harm humans have caused. The land has the right to rest from production, to be protected and preserved from development.
- Right to provide for family and future generations. Humans have a responsibility to adopt sustainable practices so that our fellow creatures can provide for their young.
- Civil rights. We have the right to organize, hold meetings, and form associations with decision-making power; we have voting rights so that all can exercise their civic responsibility. Decisions must be place-based and site-specific to consider the needs of Earth.
- Migrant and refugee rights to emigrate and immigrate. Animals have the right to migrate between habitats.
- Right to participate actively in public life and contribute to the common good of society. Our fellow creatures have the right to play their part in sustaining healthy ecosystems.
Pacem in Terris emphasizes that each person has a duty to recognize and respect the rights of others, including (I would add) the rights of Earth and other living creatures, to ensure that all have the freedom to contribute to the common good. A just society provides abundant resources for people to fulfill their responsibilities, free of coercion or force. Pope John XXIII envisions citizens “animated by such love” that we will “feel the needs of others as [our] own,” “share [our] goods with others,” and “assume responsibility for [our] own actions” (PT 35).
Acting with love and liberation
Animated by love, peacemakers seek the liberation of all people and all Creation. We strive to transform social structures by asking questions such as: How do we build children’s resilience so that they can heal from traumatic experiences? How do we communicate and resolve conflicts nonviolently? Can we imagine ways to keep our communities safe without relying on armed police or the threat of imprisonment? How do we reintegrate citizens returning from incarceration into our communities to break the cycle of recidivism? Can we devise policies that will make quality education and mental healthcare accessible to all? What changes need to be made so that the working poor can find full-time employment with benefits while earning a just wage to support their families?
In other words, peace-making demands intersectional thinking about the many interconnected injustices that lead to violence. Though it sounds challenging, the work is also simple. It begins with one’s own personal reflection: Are my behaviors or patterns of thinking doing harm to my personal integrity or to the people with whom I’m in relationship? If I have experienced trauma, what will support my healing? What practices might I adopt to cultivate peace of mind and heart? Such practices might include prayer, silent meditation, listening to music, making art, joining a communal vigil or demonstration, and spending time in nature. Doing the inner work of peace-making provides the spiritual foundation to handle interpersonal conflict. Peacemakers strive to resolve conflict through dialogue; for example, Restorative Justice circles bring together all who have been impacted by harm to hear what happened, what are the needs, and what action will transform the situation. When we engage in restorative dialogue, each person shares their piece of the truth and listens to the truth of others so that together we can arrive at the fullness of truth based on mutual respect and understanding. On that basis, we join together to build collective power and work for systemic transformation.
Love impels us toward liberating encounters with our beloved neighbors and the natural world. Encountering the beauty of Creation, we experience the goodness of life, which flows from Divine Love. Beauty awakens our desire to care for, protect, and nurture life. The truth, though, is that nature doesn’t need humanity to produce fruit; as the Gospel says, the seed grows though the farmer knows not how (Mark 4: 27). On the contrary, it’s we humans who need nature to sustain us. Just as God first loved us, so Mother Earth first cared for us and provided all we need to flourish. We respond best by doing no more harm so that Earth can heal herself.
If the vision of a just peace, grounded in truth, animated by love, and oriented toward liberation, seems impossible to realize, it only reveals the poverty of our imagination. In bondage to violence, we dream of freedom. The times that we’ve glimpsed its possibility become touchstones on our peace-making journey – touchstones that re-energize us for the work of resistance.