Progress Toward Peace: Building Ceasefire Monitoring Mechanisms ...
A Journey Toward Peace
-
Upload
julianna-wolfe -
Category
Documents
-
view
221 -
download
3
description
Transcript of A Journey Toward Peace
a journey toward peace
Through our personal experiences we touched What is peace and could it ever truly exist in this world? We each spent time contemplating
this question. After all of our explorations, we interpreted our thoughts into the design of
a memorial structure dedicated to those who have made sacrifices in the name of this cause.
upon different arenas in which the idea of peace
is put to the test, physical walls, personal obstacles
and spiritual controversy.
no borders, no boundaries
Most of us take for granted the overall harmless
boundaries we place on ourselves as well as others
on a daily basis. We know that everybody is different,
but instead of embracing what makes us unique,
we try to restrict that with which we don’t understand.
While these rules that we have created for society’s
sake may be uncomfortable, they are harmless.
Imagine for a moment, a world where punishment
for a naive mistake was met with violence. A place
where walls divided neighbors and armed guards
were stationed at these same walls with orders to
detain anyone who approached. A country where,
depending on which side of this same wall, determined
whom you love. Surely a place such as this couldn’t
We all have boundaries in our lives, whether self-created
or imposed upon us by outside forces. Boundaries that
are so undeniably restrictive that they could take away
our freedom as well as our lives at any given moment.
really exist, right? Wrong. It can, it does, and unless
we do something about it, it will continue from
one generation to the next.
In 2001, I spent a few weeks in Cyprus, a beautiful
Mediterranean island located to the east of Greece
and south of Turkey. This is an island rich in culture
and history. So much so, that no matter where you
are, you could sift through the sand and find ancient
pottery pieces. However, they are as they have
always been, an island divided. But why you might
ask? This is the question that haunted me during
my visit. I mean, I was completely surrounded by
some of the most beautiful vistas I have ever seen,
then out of nowhere, a wall.
One look at this menacing structure leaves you feeling
unsure of what’s to come. A long time ago, the
Turkish government claimed half the island, while
Cyprus took the other. Similar to the Great Wall of
China, a long wall divides the two halves. This was
something that I just could not grasp. Here were
two separate groups of people, whose only difference
was a name, who hated each other so much, that
they built this wall. Not only that, as if it wasn’t
harsh enough already, guards were posted to keep
people from crossing over from the Cyprus side to
the Turkish. When warned not to get too close,
I believed them and kept my distance.
Back, though, to my original question. Why? From
a third party perspective, I can honestly say that
by looking at the two groups, there were no real
physical differences. I did learn that the republic
of Cyprus allows its citizens many more liberties.
For some this may appear to be a valid argument,
but not to me.
All I can try to do is imagine a world where every
person is appreciated for their insights and strengths,
and encouraged to be the best versions of themselves.
Because, when it comes down to it, we are all different
and should accept this in ourselves as well as in
others. Only then can true peace be reached.
My personal definition of peace is freedom. I know
that I am fortunate to have been born in the United
States. I feel blessed to live here without fear.
I don’t have to worry about planes flying overhead,
or tripping a hidden land mine. I know that I am
free to hop in my car at any moment and drive
across any state line without having to prove my
identity, religion, or citizenship. There are no walls in
my future, and I can’t help but wish the same for my
friends in Cyprus.
Stone and mortar blocked the road, a road that I felt I should have been able to walk down.
As one of five children growing up in a single parent
household, money was always an issue of great concern.
Although my mother did her best to shield us, the reality
of our financial situation was always lying at the surface.
the divisions we create for ourselves
Even as a young child, I quickly learned that living
on welfare, receiving government assistance, was
something that was not to be discussed and carried
a heavy social stigma.
This judgement, though real or imagined, was always
there. While standing in line for lunch everyday at
school, I would sometimes make excuses to my friends
and have to leave, returning to the back where I would
be last in and no one could see me hand over the
blue ticket that noted my need for a free government
lunch. After being selected for cheerleading squad,
my happiness was greatly diminished weeks later
when I had to tell my cheerleading coach I could not
afford the $32.00 required team shoes. Though these
experiences seem trivial to me now, at the time they
greatly shaped they way I felt about myself. Not
having what others around me had, triggered
feelings of inadequacy with a need in me for
secrecy and distance. Although I had always
been instilled with the values that money was
not everything and personal character was
paramount, I could not help but envy those
around me, believing my life would drastically
improve if I owned a pair of Doc Marten’s shoes
or drove a nice car to school.
As I began my first “real” job, I was making a
modest salary, however it was still more money
than I had ever known. I was able to provide
for myself and have money do all the things I had
never done before. However, slowly as I began
to compare myself to those around me, the
insecurity and jealously began to slowly creep
in. This discontentment, I have found is an
ongoing trend not only in my life, but in the
people around me as well. Instead of feeling
truly blessed by all the comforts and freedoms
we possess, we find ourselves longing for
something more; an illusive piece that will
make everything better.
This need for what we don’t have stresses far
beyond material things in our endless desire
for position, acceptance, and affection. This
need for what we don’t have stresses far beyond
material things in our endless desire for position,
acceptance, and affection.
It was in my early adulthood that I became fully
aware of the consequences of this pattern in
my life. So many experiences had been tainted
by these negative thoughts, impacting my
behavior and relationships with others. The most
difficult realization I had was that the darkest
times were the periods where I had chosen
to feel inferior and alienated. I had built my own
walls and the true struggle was, and continues to
be, overcoming my own barriers. Though I cannot
control all the elements in my life, I have the ability
to adjust how I view and react to them.
The world is an incredibly complex place and there
is no simple route to attaining peace, however if we
each made the effort to strive for solitude within
ourselves and commit to positively impacting those
within our reach, the result would be significant.
I was the architect of the walls that were holding me back. The true struggle was, and continues to be, overcoming my own barriers.
For those of you who have been raised in a religious
environment are probably extremely familiar with
this passage, or if not this one exactly, then at least
the golden rule. “Do unto others as you would have
them do unto you.” Listening to this, one might
begin to wonder why the world can not get their
act together and live in peace already. I mean, it’s
spelled out for you right there. Any small child can
understand this simple statement, so as adults, why
do we find it so difficult?
spiritual controversyIn the book of Psalms it is written,“Turn from evil and do
good; seek peace and pursue it.” I grew up in a religious
household, and I can honestly say that I have found moments
of individual peace because of it. Unfortunately, though, I am
not contemplating personal peace, but peace on a wider scale.
The answer is as diverse as the people who inhabit
this world. Literally. Each religion and culture are
held back by the same snake, pride. Now, I’m not
saying pride is always bad, but like most things in
life there is a time and place as well as an amount
that can be comfortably endured. Each culture thinks
that their way of life and how they think is in some
way better then all others. We’re human, that’s just
how we’re made. Right? Well, not according to this rule.
Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, whatever you
happen to be, we have a responsibility to ourselves,
as well as the beliefs that we claim to follow, to make
a greater effort to bring about peace. Because at the
very essence, love is the foundation for any religion.
Love for God, ourselves, and the people surrounding
us. We get on our high horses and claim that our way
of practicing is better than another, and in numerous
instances violence is the outcome. What is difficult
to understand, is that if love and compassion are the
foundation to what we believe, why are we causing
so much conflict? “Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you.” I personally, do not know
anyone who wants violence directed towards them.
Not violence, or intolerance, or hate, or disrespect.
So if we are claiming to follow this rule and the love
that comes with it, why are we doing the things
that we’re doing?
Why do we have terrorism, Holocausts, or prejudices
of any kind? Yet not only do they exist, but we go so
far as to justify it in the name of God, Buddha, Allah
or any other respective deity. We have so much
pride in what we believe, that we are ignoring
our most basic belief, love. If love is what it’s all
about, can we truly believe that these actions are
sanctioned? No, I think we must admit to ourselves
what no one wants to hear. We are lazy. To love and
be compassionate as the Bible (or any other religious
book) calls us to be is hard. It is a ton of work. It is
so exhausting, that at the end of the day we collapse
in a chair with nothing left of ourselves, and wonder
if it was really worth it?
One would think that doing the right thing, or being
good, would be easy. It should be, but it’s not. Just
like vegetables should taste good because they’re
good for you, but they don’t. It’s hard to step outside
of our personal little bubbles, and think about how
to make someone else’s bubble a little better. We
might actually have to stop being self-centered, and
listen to what someone else is saying, and not make
it all about me. As it states in the Gospel of Matthew,
For where two or three are gathered together in my
name, there am I in the midst of them.” Two or three,
not one or me.
“
We have a responsibility to ourselves, as well as the beliefs that we claimto follow, to make a greater effort to bring about peace.
To attain true peace is to exercise tolerance and to be fearless in embracing
diversity. We must live the lives we choose respectfully, while allowing others
to do the same for themselves. Personal peace comes about when you are
calm in your heart in the midst of chaos. To fully appreciate peace we must
reflect on times of conflict and suffering.
defining peace
our process
28
interpreting the conceptMany different solutions were considered while
designing the bridge form. Details such as the
location of the structure on the Potomac River
and visitor ease were also examined.
28
29
refining the formA model was created to further understand the scale
and dimensions of the structure. This was successful
in exploring how light will interact with the form.
bridge locationnThe foot bridge will be located on the Potomac River connecting
Lady Bird Johnson Park with the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial.
This position is ideal because of its proximity to parking and access to
existing pedestrian trails. The length of the bridge is roughly half
a mile. This structure will connect major Washington D.C. landmarks
including the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, the National Mall
and Arlington National Cemetery.
environmental explorationRenders were created to illustrate how the structure will
interact with the landscape. The renders also show the
various perspectives that a pedestrian will experience as
they cross the bridge.
The journey over the bridge should lift us up,
This structure will be a reminder of the price paid by those who served in World War II and is to be
a memorial in their honor. As this bridge reminds us of the sacrifices made to resolve this great
conflict, it should also embody the qualities of peace. This structure will strive to bring people together
bend our hearts, dissolve our walls, and provide
a personal experience as our senses are engaged. with a focus on openness and flexibility. It will show how something beautiful can come from war.