Galtung in Nepali Times: “If you want peace, abolish hunger”
Interview-Excerpt: “If you want peace, abolish hunger”
Federica Riccadonna: You say different communities have varying abilities to overcome and transcend conflict which you call the ‘local potential of peace’. How do you assess the Nepali people’s potential for peace?
Johan Galtung: Nepalis have a capacity for negative peace. The 10-year-long conflict was a testament to their potential for excessive violence, while during the 18 days of Jana Andolan II in 2006, they toppled a 240-year-old monarchy without resorting to violence.
Nepalis are specially good at ‘negative’ forms of non-violence like civil disobedience, demonstrations, and non-cooperation, but they struggle when it comes to positive non-violence, like nation building and constructive
actions towards peace.
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