About Repeace B

 

Change begins by appreciating the urgency to question methods that don't work. Criticising directly the elites for all our problems, doesn't work as desired. it's time to question the methods of resisting, how they are organized. We believe that reframing our grievances around constitutional human values, can be louder and more efficient than hundreds of specific demands.

Repeace is an intuitive, practical strategy for social engagement and global solidarity, centered around values, not issues. Repeace uses modern communication techniques to reorganize activism, and offers to agents of change a global identification, that breaks down the natural barriers of language, political preference, ideology, religion or cause.

As a broadly framed, positive “CAMPAIGN OF RESPONSIBILITY,” Repeace suggests to reorganize Activism as a global campaign, whose aim has always been to relieve, resolve conflicts. Repeace has been a pioneering approach to Activism, on a new communication platform for leaderless agency since its inception, back in 2009, before the waves of public outcry seen in Egypt (Tahrir Square), USA (Occupy), etcetera. Repeace and the proactive strategy of gathering all public outcry behind the 3 repeace commitments, can unite a very divided world of progressive action, without protests, fill the void left by the dissolution of Occupy Wall Street, and unstuck global Activism with a strategy that is cohesive, efficient and replicable for most countries.

The urgency to revisit the entire institution of social change, is due to the lack of formal results by our largest organizations and the appreciation that traditional methods of Activism simply fail to deliver change. As noted by Chris Hedges, the largest, past U.S. movements, and all current forms of social resistance / popular uprising, were unable to produce formal reforms (*). Activism, as it is currently organized, struggles to motivate and mobilize sizable resistance. Repeace can do it, by offering to international Occupation movements a viable alternative of proactive social engagement and immediate benefits, without direct confrontations and the resulting violence.

The logic behind this approach, simple and timeless, is expressed in the narratives of our vision (here). The frustrating state of pervasive institutional corruption, paired with a growing sense of helplessness, felt inside global activism, give to the #Repeace strategy a relevance that keeps growing by the month.

Repeace employs applied social psychology and communication techniques (see: “Framing,” usually used by corporate, governmental and political entities) to reorganize social change, reunite, and empower a humanity in distress. Repeace frames all social activism under the name Repeacement, Repeacing, an activist as “Repeacer.” Repeace shifts thousands of different causes and conflicting political views behind the values, we all share. This is perfectly in sync with the observations about the "physical" Occupy movement, made by professor George Lakoff in 2012.

I think it is a good thing that the occupation movement is not making specific policy demands. If it did, the movement would become about those demands. If the demands were not met, the movement would be seen as having failed.

Consistent with Sheldon Wolin’s suggestions and George Lakoff’s beliefs, Repeace focuses on the values shared by citizens, and implements them with the 3 Repeace Commitments:

  1. I will support businesses that focus on sustainable, local products and services, not on buying influence.
  2. I will support representatives who are accountable to me, not to private interests.  
  3. I will support countries that promote and defend freedom of expression.  

Repeace is unconventional, unspecific, therefore global

Repeace aim is international in vision and scope, while its fast, simple engagement method is NON-issue-specific, independent of nationality, language, political, ideological or spiritual views, and able to adapt in time. 

Different from traditional forms of organized resistance, The values of ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, SUSTAINABILITY, COMPASSION, FREEDOM OF DISSENT/EXPRESSION are implied and reflected in three simple commitments. Every U.S. citizen/resident can actively stand behind the values above, and join in on the 3 major US counters. German, Austrian and Swiss citizens and residents, can do the same at repeace.de

 

 

* Chris Hedges speaks eloquently about the real possibilities of radical change. Based on the achievements of past popular movements (here, at 27:00) Hedges reminds us, that no matter how well organized American popular movements in U.S. history were (The Liberty Party; The Suffragettes; The old Progressives party (Roosevelt); The Civil Rights Movement), none of them achieved formal and lasting change. All they managed to create were “openings” in American Democracy. Hedges points out that "the Liberal class is functioning inside a system of Capitalism, which grants just enough reforms to keep the underclass acquiescent." A recent NYT Poll, referring to the achievements of Equality reforms of the Civil Rights Movement, proves Hedges' point: 50 Years After MLK's Assassination, Most Americans Think Inequality Reigns (here).

 

 

Activism is a movement of movements, an endless process of change, which can't be separated from its very own purpose: peace. All previous assumptions about peace, are essentially flawed. Changing the way we think will change the way we act.

Repeace is a different way to do what U.S. culture calls "Activism." Repeace is not a repetition of the "Peace Movement," and the symbol of responsibility is not a desire to replace peace iconography.

It's responsible behavior that prevents conflicts, any kind of conflicts. Demanding governments or expecting our institutions to end their illegal, profit driven military interventions is just plain naive and futile. Repeace is an alternative strategy of social empowerment/unity, that challenges what is proving to be a profoundly flawed approach to "Peace." "War&Peace" has become a dogma, based on the myth, that somehow, the main condition for the presence of peace, is the "absence of wars."

"Peace movement" is almost exclusively perceived and referred to in terms of "Antiwar/Anti nuclear weapons-efforts."(here)
"Peace process," as seen in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is defined as the "steps that are taken by countries or groups trying to end a war." This simply doesn't make sense, because it doesn't allow all of us to control and impact the use of this word. Only those who have the authority to speak about it, determine the use that is made with the term "peace."

Can you honestly say that you have anything to contribute to the Middle East peace process, or to the policies of NATO? What about those who do have the ability to write, speak in the name of peace, to promote it? Are they delivering... anything? What about Democracy? Does your voice matter at all, in any decision (here)? If neither governments, medias, nor major advocating organizations can deliver any tangible progress, who on Earth is left out there to represent your grievances, your legitimate concerns about our shared future?

Repeace is based on the plain fact that all citizens, engaged in social change (of any kind, political or not) "realize peace." For lack of a more apt term, they are "Repeacers". Pipelines; GMOs; Lobbying; lack of access to affordable Healthcare, or Education, etc. ARE ALL CONFLICTS. War is NOT the only factor affecting the existence of peace. What determines people's longing for peace, is the presence of ANY conflict. Perceived by an individual, or a group, conflicts produce apprehension, fear. Human beings organize to "fight," to relieve conflicts. Activism is THE REALIZATION OF PEACE. This is just common sense, or logical deduction. The joint efforts of millions of activists worldwide are more deserving of the term "Peace process" than all the theatricals of our irresponsible, inconclusive leaders.

If, like us, you wish to do something truly different, you may begin by reclaiming the definition of peace, and shifting control of its narrative, from those who don't deliver, to those who are delivering change and solving small or big conflicts daily... You.  

"Peace is the absence of fear, and the purpose of social action" is a far more productive definition.

A different definition can change the way we think about social change and the methods we use to promote it. Language, and the way we frame it, profoundly changes the way we think. This is a known fact and has been subject of much scientific research (here, here, here).

The powerful and unifying impact of a different approach to peace requires inquiry and debate, but if we look at the shape of the world and today's dire state of our institutions, we can't say that Martin Luther King's call to "those who love peace, to organize as well as those who love war" is being implemented any different than during his times. Those who love war are waging war on just about anything and every social group that challenges the powers at be, but the strategy, the methods and the forms of resistence offered by organizations and new political movements are not delivering any substantial change. If you are not open to changing the way you think about peace, you will be hard pressed to explain why so many authors keep using the term "war" in the unconventional ways linked here: [1],[2],[2b],[3], [4],[5],[6],[7],[8],[9],[10],[11],[12],[13],[14],[15],[16],[17],[18],[19],[20]. (There are dozens more)

When Gandhi said: "The enemy is fear, not hate," he didn't just provide a nice sentence to design fancy memes for Facebook pages. Other great icons of social change (see image above) pointed out humanity's inefficient assumptions on peace. We never quite knew what to do about their words. Maybe now you will able to connect the dots.