Peace and Spirituality: Self-reflection as the Key to the Authentic Peace Worker
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Date
2017-06-13Author
Roche, Haddy
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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.