Peacemaker (facilitator)

Peacemakers are people who help mediate conflicts . Since the term peace is defined very differently, this peculiarity is also transferred to those people who promote it. The narrower term for peace means the absence of war between states or peoples. In this sense, peacemakers prevent or help end war. Based on the Agenda for Peace of the United Nations , two basic approaches have emerged for peacemakers in this sense: Peacebuilding as a long-term process for the satisfaction of all parties concerned andPeacemaking as an active reconciliation process in a special conflict.

Historical analysis of peacemakers

Assessing the work of peacemakers faces a variety of challenges:

• The often confidential activities of peacemakers are not always easily recognizable as such.
• Even successful peacemaking does not always have directly measurable consequences.
• The weighting of different, complex influences on a peace process is often difficult to access.
• There are different ideas about peace between theorists and practitioners.

Contradiction between peacemakers and peacemakers

In our language today, the peacemaker is not also a peacemaker. Peace-making is not believed to be effective in making peace. Conflict is inevitable in human relationships. Therefore, arguing is a means of conflict resolution. The peacemaker is unable to do this because he submits. He reacts passively to what is happening in the world. In contrast, the peacemaker is actively involved in conflict resolution and therefore contributes to reorganization.

This contradiction also appears linguistically when interpreting the Bible. The German version of the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5.9) according to Martin Luther 1984 says: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called God's children." He translated the word εἰρηνοποιοί (nom. Mas. pl. eirénopoioi from gr. "eiréné" to make peace and "poieó") with "peaceable". Other translations (e.g. Elberfelder, Züricher, Neue Genfer Translation) translate here peacemakers. In the newly revised Luther translation 2017, it then also says "Blessed are those who make peace". Originally, “eiréno-poioí” were people who, wherever people are divided, create reconciliation and peace between them.

Peacemaker with distinction

There is an extensive list of peace prizes given to regional and international peacemakers. The best-known prize in this context is the Nobel Peace Prize, which is awarded once a year . In accordance with Alfred Nobel's testamentary wish , the prize is awarded to those people who have worked most or best for the fraternization of peoples, for the abolition or reduction of the standing armies, and for the formation and dissemination of peace congresses. The list of Nobel Peace Prize winners begins with the award of Henry Dunant in 1901. In addition, there are a variety of regional government, military or religious awards for people with a special humanitarian commitment in the work for peace. Up until now, institutions have given medals and decorations primarily for special military and political achievements, on the basis of merits such as bravery, to lifesavers or officials. Also worth mentioning here are those people who have made significant contributions to demonstrable peace treaties .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Lester Kurtz: Encyclopedia of violence, peace and conflict Elsevier, 2008, ISBN 978-0-12-369503-1 , Volume 2, p. 1589 (English)
2. ↑ Nigel Young : The international encyclopedia of peace , Oxford Press, 2010, ISBN 978-0-19-533468-5 , Volume 2, p. 407 (English)
3. ^ Fritz Pasierbsky: War and Peace in the Language , Fischer 1983, ISBN 3-596-26409-X , p. 15 ff.
4. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from July 18, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.