Blessed are the Peace makers

photo by GUILLAUME BONN


Somewhere, on someone's post (I believe Zee's), I made the comment, we need another Ghandi! But, most of today's peacemakers are not famous to the general public. Here is one, Lazaro Sumbeiywo , former Kenyan top general:

As a boy, Sumbeiywo would walk past one of the biggest trees in his rural village and see his father, the chief, sitting under its sprawling branches, surrounded by neighbors. His dad would listen for hours as people aired disagreements over such things as who owned a particular cow. Then he'd dispense his wisdom. Like many African chiefs, he'd stay under the tree until every villager had spoken.

Decades later, standing at the front of a conference room at a Kenyan resort hotel, Sumbeiywo drew upon his father's ways: He let the two sides vent.

Click on quote for the full article
If you are inclined to think 'peace' and mediation, check out this site. But, I do think that aside from all the professional training in the world, it is not really just a profession, it is a life style choice of sorts. It determines the way you look at people(s) around you, and how you deal with the ever present conflicts. No flipping the bird at anyone!