The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict

The Anatomy of Peace uses a story to illustrate how we can achieve inner peace regardless of what is going on externally. Often our approach is to try to "change others". However, this will usually fail if we are treating them as objects to change rather than as people with particular needs. The book uses a case study to explain the process. An executive and his wife are having struggles with his relapsed drug-addicted son. They send him to a wilderness camp run by an Arab and an Israeli. However, there is a two day parent session at the start where they meet together. In this session they talk about how they have got along and realized their challenges. They had each grown up hating the other's group, in spite of knowing people on "the other side". They had lost family in the conflict and become hardened and desired nothing other than defeating the other side. However, they each meet somebody that helps them make the transition to peace. They find it too late to make amends to their "dropped friends". However, the process of reaching out and attempted to make peace help them. The executive realizes that he has been treating others as "objects" rather than people. His interactions with his son are often done in anger in an attempt to correct him. He doesn't treat him as a person. Their relationship is part of the problem. He also has a similar issue with his employees. His first attempts at making peace with others fails miserably. He requires more effort to try to think of people outside of the box and as real people. He gradually does make changes.
Some of the lessons here are directly applicable to current events. Political discourse and protests today often come with a strong us against them viewpoint. People see a wrong and want other people to change. They see others as objects with the "wrong" viewpoint or actions. Any "changes" that the other side does are often fleeting. They are doing it out of fear, rather than need. The "oppressed" are quickly turning to "oppressing" others when given the chance. Instead, everyone needs to get on the same level and make peace to make a better world. This is much harder, but will make for better results.