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Culture of Peace

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Psychological Components of Sustainable Peace

Part of the book series: Peace Psychology Book Series ((PPBS))

Abstract

In this chapter we explore how the Culture of Peace can be and in some cases is being actualized. First, noting that the United Nations resolutions on a Culture of Peace call for shifts in values, attitudes, and behaviors, we give attention to values that are supportive of peaceful attitudes and behavior. Second, we consider the nature and flexibility of social identity and how it relates to promoting a Culture of Peace. We suggest that humans are fully capable of forming multiple social identities, and drawing upon this ability, the promotion of a global identity in addition to lower levels of social identity can facilitate the development of a Culture of Peace. Third, and not totally separate from a consideration of values and identity, we focus on the role of interdependence and cooperation in promoting a Culture of Peace. A key point is that the promotion of a Culture of Peace does not exist merely in social science theory or in utopian dreams: The creation of a Culture of Peace is already an ongoing real-world process, and we consider several examples, such as the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) and the European Union (EU) as a regional peace system, to highlight this point.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Peace, Mediation & Conflict Research, Developmental Psychology, B-5, Åbo Akademi University, 311, FIN-65101, Vasa, Finland

    Douglas P. Fry & Marta Miklikowska Ph.D.

  2. Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Douglas P. Fry

  3. Department of Law, Psychology, and Social Work, Örebro University, Fakultetsgatan 1, 70182, Örebro, Sweden

    Marta Miklikowska Ph.D.

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  1. Douglas P. Fry
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Correspondence to Douglas P. Fry .

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  1. Columbia University, International Center for Cooperation and, Teacher's College, West 120th Street 525, NEW YORK, 10027, USA

    Peter T. Coleman

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Fry, D.P., Miklikowska, M. (2012). Culture of Peace. In: Coleman, P. (eds) Psychological Components of Sustainable Peace. Peace Psychology Book Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3555-6_12

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