As we watch our country turn against own citizens as it has turned on millions around the world, it is easy to get discouraged.  The Trayvon Martin murder by a troubled stalker with state sanction to murder is an apt metaphor for our descent.  Zimmerman holds up a mirror to what we have become. We are encouraged to be each others deadly enemies with the support of our own government and its corporate sponsors. 

However, though these events can lead to despair and frustrated anger, I had the opportunity to spend six days immersed in a conference with peace educators from around the world.  At the Sixth Annual Conference on Conflict Resolution Education, there were over 200 participants from some 21 countries there, sharing both the struggles and successes of their work.  Also, there were representatives from colleges, governments, intergovernmental organizations, and multinational non-governmental organizations.  Yes, to hear of what others face in dealing with the violence in their countries was hard, but hearing these stories struck me as a way to of qualifying my sense of American “exceptionalism”  That is, my despair that the United States Empire is the greatest purveyor of sickening violence around the world was strangely relieved is seeing that we are not alone. 

You can read more from Lonnie's report here.