How Do Countries and People Achieve, 
and Maintain, Peace?

The world is a constantly changing place, with new ideas and ways of life emerging every day. However, along with these new ideas come conflicts that can lead to war if not settled peacefully. There has been an abundance of creations through the ages, some improving the general way of life, and others endangering it. For example, the atomic bomb was a creation that greatly impacted the world when used against Japan in WWII. Albert Einstein once mentioned that had he known the destiny of his equation e=mc² , he would have become a plumber. Other inventions that are loved by some are the television and the computer; yet these release radiation, inflicting damage on human beings. Due to these creations and their purposes or side effects, it seems inevitable that our world would be devastated by constant warfare and conflict. However,  people have been discovering peaceful ways of living life for centuries. So now the query is, how do countries and people achieve and maintain peace? Explore our web site to find out.

The following world map contains links (hotspots) to other parts of our web. You can use this map, or the links above, to reach your destination.  Each of the symbols relates to information about a specific country or idea: Mount Fuji = Japan case study,  White House = United States case study, South African flag = South Africa case study, Acropolis = Greece and the beginnings of democracy, Amnesty International symbol = Peace organizations,  and Nobel Peace medal = the Nobel Peace Prize.

(illustrated by Yuhki)

A Brief Introduction to our Website:

The middle school students of our school took a survey concerning their ideas towards peace and its connection to democracy. The replies we received from our peers were varied in quite interesting ways. Please try answering the questions yourself first, and then see the replies we received from our peers.  

Democracy Tour

Democracy is a system of government used in many countries around the world. Let Solon the Greek philosopher guide you through the history and significance of democracy today. Accompanying the history tour is a timeline, a mind map detailing all of the finer points of democracy, and answers to two important questions concerning peace and its connection to the existence of democracy.

Organizations

How do peace organizations go about making the world a more peaceful place? A knowledgeable tour guide and an inquisitive tour group will take you through a tour of two major organizations.  Learn all about the United Nations and Amnesty International and about their past successes, current endeavors, and future hopes. 

Case Studies

Different countries have achieved relative levels of peace in different ways. Visit our case studies page to experience the Hiroshima bombing in Japan, apartheid in South Africa, the birth of America, and the life of Martin Luther King Jr. All of these pages contain detailed tours of various aspects of each case study. You can visit them through the links at the top of the page, or by clicking on the hotspots in the map above.

Nobel Peace Prize  

An expert will explain what this prestigious award signifies, and how it came to be. Find out about past winners, what they did to receive their award, and  the award itself.  Other aspects of the Nobel Peace Prize include such aspects such as its characteristics, its effect upon our world, and the process of selecting a prize winner. 

Peace Poem

Peace is a well known concept that most wish for, yet some may never have. Is war a necessary predecessor of peace? Will peace ever be attained in this world of ours?  Here is a poem written by Yurina K. (a student at our school) that illustrates the universal need for peace.    

Peace

by Yurina K.

White doves, two fingers, four-leaf clovers
Drawing peace signs over-and-over's
Crosses on your heart with double crossed fingers
A million-dollar concert with peaceful singers

Suspension and superstitions these may be
That people all over are here to see
No matter what happens they chant on
"Let peace come over," all until dawn

Grotesque scenes coming over their hearts
Every tear drop hurting like darts
Praying to God for what they believe
No more blood they wish to seize

A thousand cranes to heal true love
For a frozen child's hand, a warm little glove
To help one another in such little ways
May overcome fear for the passing days

If there is such thing as peace
Let us all come around and release
All our wishes on our hands
Bringing the same chants over the lands:

"Let peace come over us today."

Important aspects you need to know about our website:

• You will notice that some of the words are in bold.  We have highlighted the most important aspects for you so that if you are looking for a particular point, you will be able to skim through the text and find it easily.

• We believe that one of the most striking features of our website are the many graphics we have created.  This means that the pictures may take a little time to load, but once they have loaded, things will move quickly from then on.

• In order to see the layout as intended, you should be using a browser that was released in 2001 or later, have javascript enabled, and have 800x600 or higher resolution.

Website Last Updated March 14, 2003

E-Mail: noconnor@asij.ac.jp
All contents copyright © 2003 N. O'Connor-Palacios. All Rights Reserved.
Written permission is required to electronically, mechanically, or otherwise store, reproduce or transmit. 
Links to other sites not subject to above copyright information.  For these sites please look at individual bibliography pages.