Peace as the absence of violence
If you defined peace as ‘the absence of violence’, then we should try to define what ‘violence’ is. Watch this interview with Professor Johan Galtung, the “father” of peace science, in which he describes violence as the violation of ‘basic human needs’. Basic needs are requirements for living which are shared by all human beings:
- Survival needs
- Well-being needs
- Identity needs
- Freedom needs
These basic human needs can be violated by physical force or by use of power, and this is probably what first comes to our minds when we think about violence. This is what Professor Galtung calls “direct violence”.
Reflection point
Can you think of other ‘indirect’ forms of violence that harm or kill people?
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