30/12/2023
√ Do you know that you're the community because the community came out of you?
As a community, we need to live in peace and love each other for that reason, our lives will be so awesome in the way that God want.
Living in peace is about living harmoniously with yourself, others, and all sentient beings around you. Living in peace is both an outward and an inward process.
And here are some rules we need to follow in life
1: TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WISH TO BE TREATED.
The good old Golden Rule says it all: empathy, tolerance and peace. This principle teaches you to love yourself and love others. It spans cultures and faiths and is a universal age old concept which can’t fail! For information on the golden rule across various faiths see here.
2: LISTEN TO HEAR WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY, NOT TO SPEAK
Engage in dialogue with an open mind and the real will to listen to others. Only then will you be able to understand each other and build bridges. Change cannot happen and peace cannot be established if people are unable to communicate with others; to listen to their experiences and views and show empathy, understanding and compassion.
3: ACCEPT DIFFERENCE OF OPINION
We all have different opinions and we may not all agree on the same things. Building compromise and mutual understanding is incredibly important. Sometimes we simply need to agree to disagree and recognise that there are different beliefs and forms of expression other than our own.
4: DO NOT FIGHT VIOLENCE WITH VIOLENCE
Violence is never the answer. Peace can only be brought through free will, dialogue, empathy and forgiveness. Do not stoop to same level as someone who is violent and therefore continue the vicious cycle. This does not change anything.
5: APPROACH THE MEDIA WITH SKEPTICISM
Don’t just believe everything you see on the TV, in the newspapers or on the internet. Think objectively for yourself. Get to know the people and facts behind any story and don’t fall for media scapegoating. Stand united.
6: BE CAREFUL OF THE LANGUAGE YOU USE
Your choice of language, alongside tone of voice and intonation all convey a message. Make sure that that message is positive. Be mindful of the language you use, avoiding anything with misogynistic, racist, Islamophobic, homophobic or anti-Semitic overtones. Do not underestimate the power of language – for better or for worse! And remember, it’s not always what you say, it’s how you say it.
7: LET GO OF THE PAST
You can’t move on if you’re stuck in the past. Learn lessons but also learn to move forward for the greater good. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you agree with everything, it means you’re able to move on without grudges and resentment. Only in this way can communities heal and move forward together.
8: STAND UP FOR OTHERS – NOT JUST YOUR OWN COMMUNITY
If we only fight prejudice and injustice against our own friends, family and community groups then we ultimately fail to protect the wider community and society as a whole. Discrimination, bigotry and prejudice know no boundaries. For a community to live in peace and harmony, everyone’s rights and freedoms must be respected.
9: CELEBRATE DIVERSITY: LEARN ABOUT AND ACTIVELY ENGAGE WITH THOSE DIFFERENT TO YOU
Learn about other communities, religions, nationalities and people. If you don’t learn about others, you’ll never understand them and therefore miss out on the opportunity to build bonds, friendships and common goals and interests. If you don’t know your neighbours, then how can you come together as a united community? Learn about other people and have fun. After all, diversity is what makes the world so interesting!
10: Seek to love, not control others.
Ceasing to seek power over people and outcomes in your life is the first major step to living peacefully. Trying to control people is about seeking to impose your will and reality on others without stopping to see their side of things. A controlling approach to relationships will keep you in conflicts with others. Replacing a will to control with a broad approach of loving others instead, including their faults and differences, is the way to a peaceful life.
11: Be tolerant.
Tolerance in all that you think and do will make a difference in your life and in the lives of others around you. Tolerance for others is about appreciating diversity, the plurality of modern society, and being willing to live and let others live too. When you fail to tolerate others' beliefs, ways of being, and opinions, the end result can be discrimination, repression, dehumanization, and ultimately violence.
12: Be Peace.
A peaceful person does not use violence against another person or animal (that includes small obnoxious insects too). While there is much violence in this world, make a choice to not let death and killing be a part of your philosophy of living.
13: Reflection of thought.
If someone hurts you physically or mentally, do not react with anger or violence. Stop and think. Choose instead to respond peacefully.
14: Seek forgiveness, not revenge.
Live in the present, not the past. Dwelling on that which should have been and reliving past wounds will keep the negativity of the past alive and bring constant internal conflict. Forgiveness allows you to live in the present, to look forward to the future, and to let the past settle gently. Forgiveness is the ultimate victory because it lets you enjoy life again by making peace with the past.
15: Live in joy.
Choosing to see the wonders of the world is an antidote to violence. It's hard to be violent against that which you see as beautiful, wondrous, amazing, and joyful. The greatest despair arising from wars comes from the destruction of innocence, beauty, and joy. Joy brings peace to your life because you're always prepared to see what is good in others and the world, and to be grateful for the wondrous aspects of life.
16: Be the change you wish to see in the World.
Violence starts with your acceptance of its possibility as a solution. It’s within yourself that you need to stop violence and become peaceful. Change yourself before you can change the world. At the end of the day, living in peace will be your own conscious choice. You're free to choose your own path, but whatever way you go, keep in mind that all your actions will affect those around you.
17: The community will be in peace unless you make peace by yourself first!
If you love yourself, love your community and bring the Change you want to bring in yourself at your own home.
You will never be good in the community if you are not good in your own house.
Don't seek to be a kind person in your community while you're the bad person in your own family, make change first in your family and you will be able to bring the Change in your. Community and later spread to the world wide.
NOTED: When you love your community you will bring the development into your community too!
( Prepared by John Chuol Yoa)
✓ Professional Skill in community developments
