What's better than an end-of-the-world prophecy that scares the wits out of millions but fails to come true? How about a peacemaking guide that offers a realistic blueprint to keep the human race from destroying itself within the next millennium? Such a blueprint is exactly what mediator, executive coach, and peace and human rights law expert George Michael Payne offers in his new book, "World Peace: The Guide to Reconcile the Children of Abraham," just released.
December 21, 2012 came and went, and the world failed to end. Yet according to Payne, the world as we know it must come to an end, and we must create a new one ourselves, if the human race is to survive. "Although not related in any way to the Mayan calendar prophecy that the world was ending, the timing of the completion of 'World Peace' was uncanny," observes Payne. "And though the book does not focus on a literal planetary destruction scenario, it promotes 'the end' of our old ways of thinking about ourselves and others, which must occur in order for peace to begin."
His message couldn't be timelier. Now that the latest end-of-the-world panic has come and gone, many people are gearing up for the next predicted apocalypse, or at least the much talked about crap-hitting-the-fan world crisis. "Preppers" are still frantically stocking up on canned goods, guns, and ammo (and some are even building bunkers), while fear-mongering entrepreneurs of all stripes are searching for ways to capitalize on these uncertain times. Religious "End-Timers" are preparing in their own ways for the final days and whatever they imagine will follow. Others are just biting their nails and wondering when the next World War (or the first War of the Worlds, for UFO fans) will begin.
But Payne has his own ideas about "prepping," and they are centered on peacemaking. "Laying the foundation for world peace is possible," he says, "but it must begin now. Without our generation taking action, humankind will not survive the next 1,000 years."
"World Peace" is written from the perspective of a mediator who has a strong spiritual bent. Though not an End-Timer or fundamental religionist, Payne does write from a spiritual perspective, and believes that world peace is essentially a spiritual issue. Accordingly, he lays out the conceptual building blocks and process for world peace by centering his book around healing the rift among the three Abrahamic religious traditions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Even those who are not religious will acknowledge that the Middle East, the birthplace of these three traditions, is an apocalypse waiting to happen. Though religious issues are not the only ones facing the region (and affecting the rest of the world), they play a major role. It seems only logical to work from the premise that our last best hope for achieving world peace, and preventing the wholesale destruction of the human race, is to work on developing interdependent relationships between the three Abrahamic religions. The idea is not to meld the three into one faith, but to have them operate as three organs of one body. This goes beyond the concept of just being a "good neighbor" and practicing religious tolerance.
"The yield is twofold," asserts Payne. "Not only will it foster world peace, but the act of learning how to operate together will also give us the tools to finally solve humanistic problems that we have not yet been able to overcome, thus laying the groundwork for a sustainable future."
This is essentially what Payne means when he says that the world as we know it must come to an end. "In order for peace to occur," he explains, "the human race must undergo an identity shift. We must transition from seeing ourselves purely as individuals, or members of a specific religion or tribe or ethnic group, to being a collective of individuals operating with - and acknowledging - our interdependencies."
As may be apparent by now, Payne isn't envisioning some creepy sci-fi "'Borg" scenario, nor is he rehashing 1960s hippie idealism or New Age cosmic-shift hype. His ideas are actually based on the Biblical prophecies that the world and humankind will come to an end when peace comes to the Abrahamic religions of the Middle East, thus ushering a new era of peace, interdependence, and future sustainability.
Payne explains that "World Peace" is not a philosophic or theoretical book, but rather is a guide based on organizational development and mediation practice and experience as models for change. "I approach the subject with realistic expectations that the actions suggested in the book will set us on the path to world peace, even if it takes several generations," he says. "The idea is to lay the foundation so that humankind will be able to survive the next millennium."
He adds, "One theory taken from organizational development is that the reason we are held back from becoming who we could be, or ought to be, is the way we tell our own story. 'World Peace' takes artistic license and offers an alternative view of how each of the three religions can begin to change the way they tell their own story, simply by re-writing those stories."
"World Peace" promotes an approach that includes prayer and meditation - God is given an important place at the decision-making table - but it also stresses practical processes. An ongoing theme in the book is to how to identify and remove all obstacles to peace.
After reading "World Peace," Payne says, people can organize, connect with one another, and begin peace projects large and small on the www.OurWayHome.net/peaceblog. To get readers started off on the right foot, the book's appendix contains Payne's OurWayHome Mediation Model.
Says Payne, "I am a problem solver, mediator, and messenger, but the true work of peace begins when the people who read 'World Peace' engage in any of the suggestions that are made in the book. It is my hope that people really will be inspired to engage in existing peace projects, or to begin their own."
He concludes, "Millions of people the world over are waiting for the Second Coming - or the first. They eagerly await the Messiah, the savior, or whichever term they choose to use for the One who will deliver humanity. But in reality, the savior we are waiting for is us. We don't have to wait any longer, and indeed we cannot afford to do so. We have to act." This book gives you hope for the future because it teaches us how to change the course of human history, or maybe just your own life.
$18.00 paperback ISBN: 978-145751-642-9 128 pages; $10.00 eBook ISBN: 978-145751-909-3
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A complimentary downloadable review copy for journalists, reviewers, and bloggers is available at www.OurWayHome.net/private (Please use the password "children" to complete the request form to gain downloadable access -- subject to authorization and approval.)
Reviewers are requested to state that "World Peace: The Guide to Reconcile the Children of Abraham" will be available at all major outlets, or through the author's Web site, http://www.ourwayhome.net/purchase.html
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About the Author: George Michael Payne has a Masters of Nonprofit Administration (MNA) with a specialization in Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco (USF), a certificate in International Human Rights Law from the l'Institute International des Droits de l'Homme (IIDH), Strasbourg, France, and has worked with nonprofits that are associated with peace, nonviolence, and social change. He is also a trained mediator and an executive coach.
Company Name: Our Way HomeContact Person: George Michael Payne
Email:Send Email
Phone: (713) 370-8576
Address:PO Box 541125
City: Houston
State: TX
Country: United States
Website: www.OurWayHome.net
Source: www.abnewswire.com
