By Peace Education Team Tübingen of the Berghof Foundation

The war in Ukraine poses challenges for civil society actors. We provide food for thought for all those working for sustainable peace.

1. show solidarity and strengthen civil society

With regard to the war in Ukraine, the following applies to peace education in particular: solidarity with all those affected by violence and war is paramount. Maintaining and deepening direct contact with people in war zones is important. However, in order not to put local civil society actors in additional danger, the utmost sensitivity and foresighted action is required. This also applies to contacts with people and groups who are campaigning against acts of war in their own country. Their courageous actions often pose a great danger to them and their environment. Conversely, a country's civil society should therefore not be held jointly liable for the actions of its government. We are currently seeing contacts being broken off prematurely. This must not happen.

2. accompany refugees and offer support

It is particularly important to deal with people fleeing war and violence in a way that is sensitive to conflict and trauma. To this end, we should also reflect on our own actions. Through direct contact and active listening, the needs of refugees can be understood in a more context-specific way. Trust can only develop through respectful and appreciative encounters and dialog. A person's own needs, expectations and interests, which underlie their actions, as well as their own role, must always be brought to the fore and critically questioned. Only in this way can guidance and support be offered in a needs-oriented manner. As has always been the case, all people seeking protection from violence, war and persecution should receive equal support.

Anyone wishing to contribute should join existing groups or institutions in the field of refugee work or humanitarian aid. Their experience, professionalism and established organizational structures enable smooth processes and prevent duplicate structures.

Whether in the family, in the neighborhood or at school: in times of war, oppressive media coverage and direct concern, conversations in protected spaces are more important than ever.

3. facilitate conversations, listen actively, change perspectives

Whether in the family, in the neighborhood or at school: in times of war, oppressive media coverage and direct concern, conversations in protected spaces are more important than ever. Fears can be acknowledged, felt and expressed. It remains essential to actively listen to each other in order to establish trust and gain insights into other worlds of experience. This increases the chances of a constructive personal exchange on attitudes and social values. Words that offend or hurt others must be avoided. Opinions and attitudes should be criticized in conversation, but not the people who express them.

4. question information and differentiate points of view

Media reports from war and crisis zones often only offer selective insights, are snapshots or reflect subjective perceptions. Propaganda and disinformation also play a role. It is therefore important to be critical of one-sided, emotionalizing or sensationalist reports or images and to question their intention, objectives and background. It is important to compare several sources of information and to recognize and address group attributions and dichotomous juxtapositions in good-evil schemes and not to disseminate them.

5. analyze war and inquire into the background

In view of the brutal reality of war, a balanced analysis of the conflict is not easy. But it is important to examine the contributions of all sides to the escalation of the conflict, such as political, economic or identity-related causes. The war in Ukraine shows how events from the past and corresponding narratives can be specifically instrumentalized for war propaganda. There can only be lasting peace after a war if there are no taboos when dealing with the genesis of the conflict.

6. reflect on political reactions, expand diplomacy and non-violent alternatives

War is a crime against humanity. The responses of democratically elected governments to acts of war by authoritarian or dictatorial states must also demonstrate peace-oriented perspectives in emergency situations. Diplomacy and other approaches to civil conflict management must be maintained and expanded as quickly as possible. Military operations must not become the norm. Especially in the face of warlike violence, it is important to promote peace-oriented thinking and make non-violent alternatives more visible.

7 Organize dialogues and seek common ground

Just as talks and negotiations are indispensable as a means of diplomacy at government level, dialogues within and between civil society actors are of paramount importance for the development of mutual acceptance and for identifying ways out of violence. Rules for non-violent coexistence can only be developed together and not against each other. We should focus on what connects people with each other and what can create social cohesion in the future.

8. making value orientation visible and recognizing dilemmas

For peace education, the values of non-violence and peace are fundamental to how we feel, think and act. The confrontation with violence and war repeatedly forces us to reflect on ourselves and leads to serious dilemmas. We should disclose individual doubts and conflicts of conscience and discuss them in order to increase our authenticity and credibility and open up new perspectives. It is part of the claim of peace education to establish and raise awareness of contradictory connections between personal attitudes and the evaluation of political decisions. This includes weighing up processes, for example between the value of non-violence and the right to self-defense - both personally and politically.

9. preparing for peace and developing non-violent approaches to action

When people are currently affected by war and violence, it is difficult to think about ways to achieve peace. But it can also give courage and release energy. How should living together be organized after a formal end to the war? This involves both the reception of refugees arriving in Germany and the continuation of life in the former war zone. It is about relations with civil society in the country where the aggression originated. And it is also about the peace-oriented reform of international governance structures or the creation of a new regional security and peace architecture between states. The approaches to civil conflict management at (civil) society, national and international level must be reconsidered and realigned. The aim is to build trust, ensure common security and further develop peace processes.

10. recognizing uncertainties, enduring contradictions and protecting oneself

Peace education relies on joint and open learning processes, especially in the search for a personal standpoint and one's own attitude in extremely complex, volatile situations. Authenticity creates trust, especially with target groups such as pupils and young people. No one should put themselves under pressure to have one or even the right answer to every question that arises, especially in dilemma situations.

Direct or mediated confrontation with violence affects us physically, mentally and emotionally and requires us to set clear boundaries as well as active self-care and self-protection. It is more sustainable to specifically reduce tension and stress, seek distraction or take time out from our commitment than to try to persevere when we are exhausted or flooded with news that we can no longer process.

11. thinking peace preparation and climate protection together

There are currently many suggestions as to how people in this country can save energy in order to reduce the oil and gas revenues that flow directly into the war coffers. These and similar measures are certainly not enough to end the war in Ukraine or prevent a new escalation of conflict - but at the same time they have positive effects not only on an individual level for personal budgets, but also on a collective level for joint climate protection. We are convinced that we should think peace and climate protection together according to the motto "Peace for peace and the climate!".

This article was first published on the website of the Berghof Foundation. Many thanks for the permission to repost!