World Peace through the Town Hall

 

In the my recent book, The History of the Culture of War, I conclude that "state power cannot allow a culture of peace" because the primary function of the culture of war is its "support of the unity and power of the state."

In my two other recent books, World Peace through the Town Hall and I Have Seen the Promised Land, I argue that we should cultivate the culture of peace at the level of the city in preparation for a future time when cities can replace the state as the representatives of the peoples of the world to manage the United Nations.

The rationale for this approach is the following: except for the state, the most universal democratic institution is the city. And the city, unlike the state, has no vested interest in the culture of war. It has no army, no military contracts, no borders to defend or visas to give or refuse.

All of the eight areas of the culture of peace are relevant to the life of the city:

education
sustainable, equitable development
human rights
democratic participation
equality of women
tolerance and solidarity
free flow of information
disarmament and security

To cultivate the culture of peace at the level of the city, we need first of all to be able to measure it. I have recently attempted this for the city of New Haven, Connecticut, where I have lived, off and on, for almost 50 years. Click here for the results in PDF, including an executive summary, the full report and the methodology for the study.

 

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