Tapestry of Faith: Resistance and Transformation: An Adult Program on Unitarian Universalist Social Justice History

Taking It Home: Just War, Pacifism, and Peacemaking

...the citizen, before fighting, is bound to inquire into the justice of the cause which he is called to maintain with blood, and bound to withhold his hand if his conscience condemn the cause. — William Ellery Channing

This week, when reading, watching, or listening to the news, pay attention to stories about wars or other armed conflicts that are happening in the world today. Do the news reports mention any of the peacemaking or peacebuilding strategies we discussed in this workshop? Do reports include any pacifist or nonviolent perspectives on the conflict? How much media attention do advocates for peacebuilding receive, in comparison to advocates for military strategy?

Talk with a friend or family member. Explain that you are learning about different philosophies of peace and war and ask if they favor a particular approach. Is war ever justified? If so, under what circumstances? Make the conversation an opportunity to reflect on the strategies this workshop introduced.