Edited Volume Read Along - Contemplation, Coda, Conclusion
If you have been following along with me, we have reached the fourth and final part. In this section, titled “Coda,” Michael H. Allen, Kate Seaman, and Hoda Mahmoudi introduce us to the ideas of the Coda in “Coda Introduction: Pushing Toward the Future.” They note the wide distance we have traveled throughout this book and the diversity and range of perspectives and topics we have encountered. They begin with a simple yet powerful statement no reader could disagree with after reading this volume “complexity can be overwhelming,” (Allen et. al., 2022, p. 293). It’s true that so much of understanding the challenges we face, especially on such a large scale, can be daunting. I have attempted to convey my thoughts and processes as I grappled with the big questions and subjects presented over the course of my reading. Here is validation that the authors also know that these topics require contemplation, questioning, and processing and are not easy to clearly define nor dissect.
However, they also go on to write, “understanding this complexity can then allow for the development of more inclusive and equitable global regimes whose work helps enable a more peaceful global society,” (Allen et. al., 2022, p. 294). Accepting that the topics are complex while still striving to unravel their complexity is the key to making strategic and effective steps forward in the efforts for peace. As each of the authors did in their chapters, readers must also examine biases, systems, root causes, consequences, mistakes, and triumphs. In the only chapter in this section “Peace in Pieces: Limits to Progress in Economy, Ethics, and World Order,” Author Dr. Michael Allen presents even more questions.
“If you are reading this volume, you are probably a leader in education, media, civic action, religious community, business, or government. If you are stirred by the urgency of the threats to peace, you are likely raising questions such as: where to begin? Who needs my help most immediately? Whom should I support with my time, skills, and resources? Who will listen? Is there hope, or are my actions futile? When do I do triage, and when do I commit to the long and exhausting dread of one particular surgery?”
(Allen, 2022, p. 295)
Perhaps someone has answers for all these questions, but I don’t, and this volume doesn’t seek to prescribe exact responses either. I believe that a path towards progress lies in encouraging the complex process of trying to find answers in itself. In my background as a Librarian and researcher, I see value in the experiences of learning, searching, debating, and comparing ideas, regardless of the end destination of these endeavors.
The final chapter contains some map work to help us navigate these big ideas. There are frameworks like Realism, Liberalism, and Marxism, that can be informed and transformed by critical theories like feminism, post-colonialism, critical race theory, intersectionality, and queer theory. Realism takes the view that people are motivated to survive and thrive, and thus naturally want to accumulate resources and power. In order to have organized communities, there need to be rules and consequences in order to maintain harmony. Liberalism accepts that people may be naturally aggressive, and may need restraints, but that they are primarily motivated by desire. It posits that a free market differentiated economy is the best way to make sure everyone has access to the things they may want, and therefore the best way to maintain peace. Marxism likewise looks at economics as a key component of social issues but sees unequal rewards for work as the main driver of conflict.
For me, Realism is a bit too pessimistic, Liberalism too optimistic, and Marxism is too simplistic. I don’t think that order and control are essential to keep down the inherently flawed nature of humans, but I also don’t think free markets lead to fair conditions as the systems are too easy to corrupt or manipulate. Additionally, in Marxism competition between producers and owners accounts for unequal resources, and unjust economic systems, but ignores important factors like gender inequality, identity, race, religion, and all the other factors that can be held deeply in the human mind and which may cause conflict that is not the direct result of rational analysis of economic disparities.
Allen presents each of these theories and how they can intersect with critical ideas as part of his road map. Categories like these serve a definite purpose, especially in academia. The theories that most align with your experiences and worldview will influence how you view conflict and therefore how you view solutions for peace. What is the root cause of conflict? Is it dissonance in authenticity and identity? Resource insecurity? Experiences of injustice and unfairness? Or are humans inherently violent? Is World Peace even possible? Yet many don’t subscribe to any one theory strictly. You can use your knowledge of them as a foundation, like knowing a recipe so well that you are able to deviate creatively to tailor your food to your individual tastes.
In concluding this volume, and this series of blog posts, I see threads that have run through and connected ideas from seemingly disparate topics, from the establishment of the UN to native American women's reproductive health to designing equitable financial institutions. The systems we have now lead to repeated cycles of conflict, they do not foster peace. Yet at the same time, they are extremely beneficial for many actors. Not only do we face the challenges of overcoming complex and delicate scientific, social, and political dilemmas, there is active opposition to transforming the status quo. Yet that transformation is necessary, as our current path as a world is simply not sustainable. Whether we transition with ample time to plan, analyze, and troubleshoot, or we change in the crucible of the inevitable climate crisis and war depends on the decisions we make now.
As Allen highlights in this chapter, and as so many of the authors have said in previous entries. There is a need for creativity, ingenuity, and unique perspectives. One significant way to bring in these necessary fresh ideas is to encourage as many people as possible to consider the question posed throughout this book. Each reader can bring their own insights, experiences, backgrounds, and skills to the conversation. I highly recommend that if anything written in these posts intrigues you, read further, think deeper, and share your perspective with others. While much of this volume has been demoralizing and overwhelming, it is the idea of the inclusion and potential of new voices that perpetuate hope.
About the Author
Stella Hudson is a Graduate Assistant with the Baha’i Chair for World Peace. She graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2021 with a B.A. in English. She is attending the University of Maryland and pursuing a Master’s of Library and Information Science.