Who Are The Best Examples of Peace in Mankind?

[The Voice of Reason]

I just wanted to start a thread about examples of mankinds best efforts in the area of Peace. I'll start with the same two that came to my mind in another thread:
Mahatma Ghandi
Mother Teresa

I'm sure there are others, please help me develop the list.

Thanks
TVOR

 

[Master Vigil]

The Dalai Lama is constantly fighting for peace. I wish I could meet him.

 

[Sunstone]

Martin Luther King, jr. Without him, the civil rights movement of the 50's and 60's would have been a lot bloodier than it was.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I agree, Master. I omitted him. I'm sure he's not the only one I overlooked.

I have to say that it would be neat to meet any of the people that will make this list before it is through.

TVOR

PS - I'm sure it is just a matter of time before someone mentions all of the contestants in beauty pageants that "wish for world peace".

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Martin Luther King, jr. Without him, the civil rights movement of the 50's and 60's would have been a lot bloodier than it was.

I agree Sunstone. I started to put him in with my original two, but I wanted to see how long it took before we got to him. Answer: not long!

TVOR

 

[Sunstone]

I think Miss Alabama should be on your list, Voice. She said she'd "work for world peace" when she gets to be Miss America. Woa! I just realized you've already anticipated me.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Sunstone -

I think you misunderstood Miss Alabama - she didn't mean that spelling of the word "peace".

TVOR

 

[Sunstone]

The people who work for the organization, Doctors Without Borders. I think they're a pretty good outfit for promoting peace.

 

[Lightkeeper]

Ronald Reagan

 

[Sunstone]

Ronald Reagan

I bet that's controversial, Lightkeeper. Nevertheless, I'm in agreement with you. Reagan helped end the Cold War by, among other things, outspending the Soviets on defense. I've got to give him credit for that. What about Gorbachev, too?

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I'm not bashing Reagan, but I don't see him as an example of someone outstanding in furthering Peace for mankind. As far as him being the person to bring about the end of the Cold War, I'd say that at the very best, that belittles the efforts and sacrifices of a great number of individuals over a 50 year span. Not to mention the American people as a whole.

TVOR

 

[Sunstone]

I'm not bashing Reagan, but I don't see him as an example of someone outstanding in furthering Peace for mankind. As far as him being the person to bring about the end of the Cold War, I'd say that at the very best, that belittles the efforts and sacrifices of a great number of individuals over a 50 year span. Not to mention the American people as a whole.

TVOR

Voice, I think you're right to point out the efforts made by others beside Reagan -- he certainly can't be credited with winning the Cold War single-handedly (and neither can America be credited with being the only country crucially involved in winning that war). But I nevertheless believe that Reagan should be given credit for his leadership in bring about an end to the war. It was Reagan, after all, who pushed through the budgets that outspent the Soviets on defense -- even Gobachev has admitted that was key to the Soviet collapse.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Voice, I think you're right to point out the efforts made by others beside Reagan -- he certainly can't be credited with winning the Cold War single-handedly (and neither can America be credited with being the only country crucially involved in winning that war). But I nevertheless believe that Reagan should be given credit for his leadership in bring about an end to the war. It was Reagan, after all, who pushed through the budgets that outspent the Soviets on defense -- even Gobachev has admitted that was key to the Soviet collapse.

Sunstone -

Your point that America was not alone in winning the Cold War is excellent. In my opinion, the fact that the USSR went broke trying to stay in the arms race was an effect that took place over that entire 50 year span - not just the first 6 years of the Reagan presidency. Gorbachev made that statement, and I would expect him to say that - it was in his time frame. I would posit that if Kruschev were still alive today, he might give some of the credit to the Kennedy administration. We'll never know what the other Soviet leaders might say, but I would think each would feel the pressures on him were no less significant than the others'.


For my money, if we are going to use any American president in this argument (which I don't think we can), I would submit Jimmy Carter for his efforts in the Camp David Accords. I think Carter was one of our weaker presidents when you consider the effectiveness of his administration overall, but in the realm of supporting and furthering peace, I'd have to give him the nod.

TVOR

 

[Sunstone]

Thanks for reminding me of Jimmy Carter! I agree he was one of our weaker presidents, but don't you think he's been one of the best retired presidents we've ever had? In addition to the Camp David Accords, the services he's performed in the cause of peace since he left office are extraordinary. It was worth electing him just so he could retire and become a statesman!

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I agree 100% with everything in your post. If the rest of mankind did one half the good deeds that Jimmy Carter does, this would definitely be a better world.

On a side note, I heard Carter discussing (on NPR) the fact that elections in America don't even come close to meeting the criteria for what is considered a "fair election" in the third world countries. He made several points that I was unaware of, and it was remarkable, to say the least.

TVOR

 

[Sunstone]

The more I hear about Carter, the more I like him. He's a great American in a day and age when that can be said of far too few American politicians.

 

[robtex]

The Dalai Lama is constantly fighting for peace. I wish I could meet him.

sorry to play the word game with you but he is not fighting for peace, he is an advocator for and propogator of peace...but yea he is a loving kind giving, moral amazing man.

fighting for peace is like voting for apathy or umm.cant think of anymore right now....
:bonk:

 

[Scott1]

I bet you are all thinking: "I wonder who will Scott choose?"

Yes, prepare to be shocked with my choice of:

Pope John Paul II

 

[Sunstone]

Wow, Scott! You caught me off-guard with that one! I was thinking you're first pick would surely be Nelson Mandela.

I'm not very familiar with Pope John Paul II, so could you fill me in on a little of why you chose him?

 

[Scott1]

Thanks for the question Sunstone.

John Paul II is an example to the whole world of genuine holiness and peace. From his earliest days working against the Nazi's in WWII, to the world shaping influence he used to liberate Poland from Soviet rule, I don't believe any other single person in the last 100 years has done more to promote peace and the dignity of the human person. Some say that his influence in Poland was the turning point to the end of the cold war... I am sure that there were several other important factors, but none can deny that his influence played a large part.

As faith is very important to me (as you know) JP II has succeeded in comprehensively restating the contours of the Catholic faith in the light of Vatican II and in relation to postconciliar developments in the Church and the world. With his keen interest in contemporary culture, philosophy, economics, and international affairs, he has been
able to give fresh relevance to the Catholic tradition.

His encyclical letter Ut unum sint in 1995 will be viewed as the blueprint for the Catholic Church in the area of ecumenical relationships for 100's of years. I also believe that he has moved the faith forward post Vatican II towards a true repair of the broken relationship we have with the Eastern Churches. For the first time in almost
1,000 years, the faith has a real chance to once again "breath with both lungs" in a large part due to the beauty and brilliance of his encyclical letter Orientale lumen (1995).

I also believe that his defense of the dignity of human life is the fullness of the message of peace. To defend the innocent is the basic theory of peace, and I don't think many have done more to open awareness to the holocaust of abortion in this country.

Peace,
Scott