Peace and Spirituality: Self-reflection as the Key to the Authentic Peace Worker

Abstract

Spirituality has long been recognised as a valuable tool in peace work. It is clear from the many understandings and uses of the term spirituality that self- reflection is an inherent part of spirituality and that self-reflection inevitably motivates authenticity which in turn inspires a sense of fulfilment on the spiritual. Despite the obvious connection between spirituality, selfreflection, authenticity and fulfilment, and despite that the spiritual peace worker has been found to be significantly efficient, the connection between spirituality, self-reflection, authenticity, and fulfilment of the peace worker remains to be explored. This study aims to change that, and explores spiritual approaches that demonstrate the connection between these phenomena, and advances that spiritual approaches to conflict ensures authentic peace workers because they inevitably require self-reflection, which inspires authenticity. In particular, it highlights how the Transrational Peace Philosophy and the Transrational approach to conflict demonstrate the inextricable connection between these phenomena as they relate to both the professional and non-professional peace worker, and comprise a working method and training requirements that methodically and systematically demonstrates how a spiritual approach to conflict inevitably motivates self-reflection, authenticity, and fulfilment of the peace worker. It then concludes by addressing the benefits of integrating spirituality in peace trainings, and recommending the integration of spiritual training in peace training programs so that peace training programs fully and truly embody the attitudes and comportment required to produce efficient and competent peace workers.