WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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Today’s show is “Driving the Peace Train.” And perhaps unsurprisingly our opening song tonight is Richie Havens’ version of Cat Stevens’ “Peace Train.” And while this song asks us to ride the peace train, our show today asserts the need for engineers of peace.
Our GUEST today, Eric Dawson, is one of those engineers, and one who has spent twenty-five years training others to take up the burden of peace. He’s just published a book called Putting Peace First: 7 Commitments to Change the World that distills some of those decades of work and wisdom.
We live in a culture that celebrates the flamboyant leader, the great orator, the creative dynamo, the celebrity—some version of the Hero Myth–someone to follow and so relieve ourselves of the burden responsibility. But peace isn’t about leaders and followers, it’s about you and me making all our choices serve the very idea.
You might remember the words of A. J. Muste, radical labor leader and pacifist, who said of Organized Labor, that when it undertakes to write and produce its own movies, to do its own radio broadcasting, then it gives notice that it expects to do its own dreaming. And this is of great importance, for the dreams that people dream, the visions that they see….determine how they act.
Muste wanted labor unions to become holistic communities united in building the good society–not just at work, but at life. The same lesson applies for building a world without war and aggression; that is committing to building pathways to peace in our communities. It’s action (and the reaction it engenders) that brings us into being–that make possible new worlds. Do your thing and I shall know you, says Ralph Waldo Emerson.
SEGMENT ONE
We begin first with taking stock–how our “circles of concern” have been shrinking and our moral imaginations have atrophied…asking mostly, what do I get out of it if I do this?
SEGMENT TWO
We talk about the ways we disempower our youth and how often adults are obstacles to peacemaking activities. A Pink Floyd song comes to mind here; But also we hear of a great example of Commitment 6: Work with your enemies.
SEGMENT THREE
Dawson talks about “culture change” — how can we adjust the cultural norms that tell us a gun in every hand is normal and that boys shouldn’t cry? Eric Dawson’s answer: Young people have an amazing sense of the possible.
SEGMENT FOUR
We hear about the distinction between Peacemaking and Community Service projects; and we hear about failure, the necessary fact of commitment…failure is a large part of the process–Commitment 7 is “Keep Trying.” Finally Dawson reminds the adults in the room that the question we all need to ask of our children is “How Can I Help?”
RELATED
Peace First
A. J. Muste (Blessed Are the Peacemakers)
Fred Rogers (What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love, and Mister Rogers?)
MUSIC
“Peace Train” – Richie Havens
“10,000 Years (Peace is Now)” – Live
“Peace Will Come” – Tom Paxton
“Peacekeeper” – Fleetwood Mac
“People Have the Power” – Patti Smith
CREDITS
Producer, Host, Editor: Doug Storm
Executive Producer: Wes Martin
