Security Crisis: As we use up our environmental margin and experience environmental stress, and as the gap between rich and poor grows wider, existing tensions between people and groups of people are intensified. The poor resort to crime, mass migration, war, and terrorism; the rich invest more and more money and energy in border control, war, anti-terrorism and spying, weapons, and pre-emptive war, together increasing the likelihood of catastrophic violence.

1. Discover and follow less-filtered news. Realize that many of our news media are already domesticated by the suicide machine. Learn the other side of issues.

2. Respect authorities, but doubt power. Practice speaking with honor for leaders, but don’t be afraid to speak the truth to or about powerful interests.

3. Resist the warrior trance. Notice and name when people use warfare language and seek to motivate by fear and increase us/them-friend/enemy thinking. Fear their fear more than you fear what they’re afraid of.

4. Don’t vilify. Try to see and portray those whom you think are wrong as victims of larger systems of deception and injustice. Speak of them in ways that you would not be ashamed if they were present. Imagine winning them over as friends and allies through your kindness and openness, since it is unlikely you will win them over by insult and argument.

5. Learn about people who are considered “bad guys” or enemies. Seek to humanize enemies in your thinking and in your words by making personal contact with them, reading books by them, enjoying their art and culture, etc.

6. Visit enemies. Consider joining or supporting groups like the Christian Peacemaker Teams or Witnesses for Peace.

7. Celebrate new heroes. For every war hero, find a peace hero. For every successful business leader, find a hero who helps the poor. For every politician or journalist who uses warrior rhetoric, find others who use wise and charitable communication.

8. Look for the covert security curriculum in political speeches, movies, etc.

9. Refuse to support wars you would not send your daughter or son to die in.

10. Refuse to support wars you would not send your daughter or son to kill for.

11. Refuse to support wars.

12. Respect the sincere people who work in the military, but vote against the expansion of military budgets whenever possible, and realize that a big military is a major facet of “big government.”

13. Raise your children to be children of peace – Be suspicious of video games that cheapen life and minimize violence. Talk about the news with your children. Encourage them to write school reports on peacemakers.

14. Vote all your values. Consult groups like Sojourners to learn about a wide range of candidates’ values.

15. Form a “peace group” to support peacemaking efforts around the world. Learn about the world’s leading peacemakers in each place of conflict. Pray for them. Write to them. Join them.

16. Travel and learn “why people hate America.” Don’t respond defensively, but sincerely try to see your nation as others see it.

17. Promote books and movies which do not glorify war. Expose and speak against ones that do.

18. Wage peace. Wherever there is conflict – religious, political, social, global – determine not which side you can help win, but how you can help both sides win what should be won.