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"From some of the most horrendous chapters
in human history," writes Scott A. Hunt, "these
great leaders have emerged to show us a different path,
proving not only that the cessation of war is possible,
but that the removal of hatred and violence from our hearts
is possible as well... they show us that the promise of
peace remains intact. It is to these people that we can
turn in order to replenish our encouragement, hope, and
inspiration."
What does it mean to fight for peace today?
We all want lasting peace. But is it really possible, and
how do we achieve it? Defying military intelligence officers
in Burma, secret police in Vietnam, and combatants in the
occupied territories in Palestine, Scott Hunt spent three
years traveling across the globe -- often under arduous
conditions -- to seek out the wisdom of the world's leading
peacemakers.
In intimate conversations with these remarkable
leaders, recounting histories that are not taught in school
and uncovering important lessons that are often brushed
aside, Hunt skillfully coaxes out staggering stories, including
those of Burma's legendary pro-democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi, Tibet's moral authority the Dalai Lama, Vietnam's
leading dissident Thich Quang Do, famed primate specialist
and humanitarian Dr. Jane Goodall, Cambodia's Supreme Patriarch
Maha Ghosananda, Costa Rica's Nobel Peace Laureate Oscar
Arias, and other great leaders who have battled to end the
brutality against the people and causes they cherish. This
extraordinary investigation offers far-ranging insights
and invaluable lessons, changing the way we think about
the world and our responsibility toward one another.
These heroic figures are unwilling to accept
that our lives must consist of the tragedy of unremitting
conflict and warfare. They explain not only the basis of
the conflicts they are working to resolve, but what inspires
them to stay resolute in their commitment to peace. Engaging,
uplifting, and at times unexpectedly humorous, The Future
of Peace conveys both a message of hope and a call to
action, revealing what it means to hold an unwavering vision
of compassion, to be a leader and to preserve peace in our
own day-to-day lives.
Scott A. Hunt is one of the few writers in the world
to have gained access to the exceptional group of peacemakers
interviewed in this book. He is a graduate of Harvard University,
where he studied government, specializing in political philosophy.
He has written for a wide array of magazines and is currently
teaching Buddhism at the University of California, Berkeley's
continuing education program.
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