Define Peace

“If a billion people were thinking about Peace there would be Peace in our world.”
John Lennon 1940-1980

The above quote motivated me to jump on a scooter and travel America, coast to coast, border to border. I want to create a Peace sign on the U.S. map because it belongs on the map. Our maps help us navigate our territory. I wanted to meet my fellow Americans and say, hey, Peace isn’t just the absence of war. Let’s think deeper about. What does it mean to you? Not the most popular thing to do while our nation is at war, but what better time, truly, for us to question our fate, our future, our core values and discuss how we can prevent future wars. Defining Peace is how we can create a wave of awareness in our world, the very first step. I don’t think Peace is just a nice, pastel warm feeling. Peace is happening, and I believe more Peace will occur when people define it, become it, and teach it. The first, simple step obviously being-Speak YOUR Peace. I am exploring how individuals and communities in America define Peace. Please help me.

So far, 2,000 Postcards have been distributed. Feel free to print out the postcard, or make one of your own, attach to a firm surface and send it forward to someone. The more we talk about Peace, the more we will create it in our world. No matter what your political beliefs are, we can work towards personal peace and making our communities a better place, as well as creating a better future for our descendants.

You can read the definitions of peace left by people, here.

2008 P.E.A.C.E Postcard

2008 Tour

2008 Tour Back

2007 Postcard (click to download PDF)

PEACE Scooter postcard, click to download PDF

204 Replies to “Define Peace”

  1. If there is to be peace in the world,
    There must be peace in the nations.

    If there is to be peace in the nations,
    There must be peace in the cities.

    If there is to be peace in the cities,
    There must be peace between neighbors.

    If there is to be peace between neighbors,
    There must be peace in the home.

    If there is to be peace in the home,
    There must be peace in the heart.

    o Lao Tzu (570-490 B.C.)

  2. You’re becoming like a parrot forever repeating one word – freedom, freedom. But what does it mean? … Christ was free, and so was the Buddha, and both took upon themselves the sins of the world, they willingly entered into the prison of life on earth. And further than that no one has gone, no one. But you, but we – what of us? We’re all looking for freedom from our obligations to our fellow man, but that is precisely what makes us human beings, that sense of obligations, and if it weren’t for that, we would live like animals.
    =Maxim Gorky

  3. I took a walk the other day
    and I asked Peace to come with me.
    We walked in silence most of the way
    but then
    Peace whispered that she
    had something to say.
    She sang a song about Peace on Earth
    and held my hand in friendship
    She looked into my eyes
    in a compassionate way
    and asked me to tell her of my child’s birth.
    She danced like the wind
    on a calm summer’s eve,
    and then breathed a sigh
    which calmed my nerves.
    She made a wish that,
    by her hand,
    wars would end
    oppression would end
    And Justice would reign.
    Peace took me in her arms
    and rocked me to sleep
    And while I dreamed,
    Peace became me.

  4. I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love. -Gandhi’s Prayer for Peace

  5. Modern science, in the form of quantum mechanics, concludes that we manifest our reality. We all have the power to create either conflict or peace in this world. This practice of authenticity and love begins in our daily life.
    Let us raise the collective consciousness and see God in all living things. May we listen to our hearts and feel true compassion and understanding for all peoples of all nations.
    Aloha

  6. In the quiet moments when we slow down enough to reflect on our lives we wonder, how will I be remembered? You inspire me to make a difference in my own way. I wish you much luck. Love, Laura

  7. here now a quote from Krishnamurti:

    AS LONG AS WE HAVE FLAGS –
    THERE WILL BE NO PEACE!

    So it might a couple of generations!
    We need more courageous people like you!

  8. here now a quote from Krishnamurti:

    AS LONG AS WE HAVE FLAGS –
    THERE WILL BE NO PEACE!

    So it might a couple of generations!

    We need more warriors – not soldiers!

  9. This is a huge, beautiful world, and most people only see a tiny fraction of it. Explore your own country — meet your own countrymen — then go explore the rest of the world.

  10. I have given my body for desire
    and my humility for love
    but i have never
    given all of me
    for Peace.
    I have allowed myself to be changed
    by strangers
    and by lovers
    but never
    by Peace.
    so today, I will give all that I desire
    to Peace.
    And I will welcome the changes that come
    from answering the constant call,
    even when faced with adversity.
    And to ground me in my resolve
    I resolve
    That Peace begins with me.

  11. One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one.
    Agatha Christie

  12. “There are [at least] two ways to look at life and the world. We can see the good or the bad, the beautiful or the ugly. Both are there, and what we focus on and choose to see is what brings us feelings of joy or feelings of despair.”

    -Lloyd Newell

  13. If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can blossom like a flower, and everyone in our society, will benefit from our peace.
    – thich nhat hanh

  14. Dumocracy: A process by which the rich select who from among them can best coerce the poor that he/she represents them.

    -Urban Dictionary of Slang

  15. I am also sharing this with Ashley, Mike, and Tom on the March for Peace site:

    It is a wide, brave gap between knowing the right thing and doing the right thing. Sometimes, the bridge is there and all we do is walk across, but sometimes we must pave the way. -daphne comeau

    ALL MY GRATITUDE TO YOU WHO PAVE THE WAY, AND DECIDE THAT NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT, BECAUSE NOTHING ELSE IS. THANK YOU!!!

  16. If no tree remains to fall in a forest that once existed, would We have accomplished anything after all these years?

    -Funny Times Cartoon Playground

  17. It is no coincidence that the people of this nation are by and large, far too busy keeping their heads above water to take a stand against a government which acts against their will, on behalf of many, in the interest of few.

  18. One of the many
    techniques of propaganda
    available to anyone
    is ‘reductio ad absurdem’.
    Often one of the more
    convincing ones, actually.

  19. “The legacy each of us leaves behind is not our material wealth, but the numerous ways we touch others in our world. The love we give, the stories we tell, the beauty we share.” ~April Patzer (a dear friend)

  20. Tolerance, for ideas, culture, religion, beliefs, each other, leads to peace (though I haven’t seen much lately).

    Happy Birthday!

  21. Each step outside our everyday lives is a step into the everyday lives of others. These are the steps-one by one, which pave the way to Peace.
    Community, Family, Peace.

    Touch one life and you touch all the lives that life touches. It’s the kind of powerful force that makes strangers into friends and friends into family. The force is strong with you, PeaceScooter.

  22. Our Greatest Fear By Marianne Williamson
    Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
    but that we are powerful beyond measure.
    It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
    We ask ourselves,
    Who am I to be brilliant,gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
    Actually, who are you not to be?
    You are a child of God.
    Your playing small does not serve the world.
    There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
    We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
    It is not just in some, it is in everyone.
    And, as we let our own light shine,
    we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
    As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

  23. It is my daily practice to seek Peace in my everyday life: among my family, among the people with whom I regularly interact, even in my thinking.
    And as often as I can, I try to visualize World Peace in specific ways. Justice, Understanding, Love. Join me.

  24. I teach The Grapes of Wrath to my high school students. I ask them to take at least this, if nothing else, from it: People are more important than things. I try to get them to see that we’ll never get anywhere unless we help each other out along the way.

  25. -TO RECIEVE PEACE, LET GO OF THE LIE, AND EMBRACE TRUTH-THE AWESOME PRESCENCE OF PEACE IS MERELY THE SIMPLE ABSENCE OF WAR-A MAN OF WAR CANNOT HAVE A PEACE OF MIND- A MAN OF PEACE IS THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR- LOVE LIFE- LIVE PEACE-

  26. To me, Peace is knowing that all humans are able to reap from life the seeds they have sown. That each life is as sacred as each other life and that whatever conflict arises between two or more lives is a fair fight which results in a just ending.

  27. Peace is first and foremost 1) taking your anti-psychotic medication (never forget! it’s very important) 2) it’s being kind and loving whenever possible (if you want this can be sexual) and 3) it’s about having the sort of bigness of mind and heart to see that everyone in the end is an amazing human being– that they deserve your respect, nonjudgement and compassion– because really we don’t what anyone has been through or is struggling with. Oh and it also mean getting off your booty and helping someone who needs it– because there’s no peace until others have it.

  28. May all beings be wonderfully, incredibly ridiculously happy. And peaceful too– all at the same time. (Variation on Hindu chant for peace and happiness.)

  29. CONGRATULATIONS TO P.E.A.C.E SCOOTER–FOUR WEEKS OF RIDING STRONG!! 11 VECTORS, 14 STATES, 4,000+ MILES, 28 DAYS!! There is no measurement for the lives you’ve touched, the seeds you’ve scattered or the Peace you’ve shared, but no doubt, that is the true heart of your journey. Beautiful job. Namaste.

  30. I’ve been asked to share my definition of peace on this site:
    To me:
    Peace means nonviolent struggles to transform systems of oppression into cultures, structures, policies, and practices which promote relationships of respect, honesty, cooperation, and equality. Peace is gently and firmly assertive. Peace requires resourcefulness, entails empathy. demands justice, shares compassion, and fosters hope.
    In Peace, Shalom, Salaam, Paz,
    Sam Diener
    Peacework Magazine Co-Editor
    P.S. Because there is a copyright mark at the bottom of this page, I want to make it clear that this contribution is licensed by Peacework through a creative commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike license.


    This work is licensed under a
    Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.

  31. …respecting our differences in a way that allows for complete coinhabitance to exist, where we all enjoy the fruits of one another and laugh at ourselves for having been so ridiculous.

  32. To those who support our current folly in the Middle East in the name of patriotism I ask: what’s so patriotic about sending our best and brightest into harm’s way simply to perpetuate what is perhaps the biggest strategic blunder in our nation’s history?
    War is weakness.
    Peace is patriotic.
    Peace is courageous.
    Peace is the way of the strong.

  33. hey Alix,
    Peace is a spiral – personal to political…and I think a challenge is that how we each personally define peace must include a way to respect the inevitable differences in those individual definitions and then inherently the values that definitions can imply. I like the idea of – change what I can, respect what I can\’t change, learn the difference…something like that..in a fluid manner..just cuz I can\’t change it now, maybe next year or next time I try I can have impact. Personally, choosing to live consciously – where and with whom, and how one approaches reproduction, consciously – that\’s peace. Knowing that conflict is part of life, but minimizing the risk and pain of conflict is peace. Making the effort to discover and share the world\’s resources without concern for boundaries or property lines, but with the need to meet basic needs for all, transcending the need for passports and visas = peace. Really thinking about those things we invest our time and money into and knowing that how you live and make choices is key, and that the corner of earth that you are currently living in, is the place that most needs your peaceful attention…peace is finding strengths in every person, environment and community.
    Love ya doll,
    Nancy

  34. Hi Alyx,
    Thanks for all you are doing, your journey sounds awesome. I am working with the Marchers for Peace who are heading across the country – SF to DC – and are now in W. Virginia. They hope to reach DC on Sept 10, where they will march on the White House, rally, and camp out for peace. Check out their open letter to the President, asking that he at least let them camp out on the White House lawn when they arrive. Seeing as how so many kind folks across the country extended this offer, it only seems fair 🙂
    http://www.notinourname.net/images/stories/mini/m4peace.pdf
    Anyhow, have a beautiful journey,
    Max on behalf of the March for Peace

  35. peace is freedom from both guilt and fear, not only internally, but also from those around you. It is when we are no longer afraid of what others might do to us, and when we can genuinely live without guilt for how we have treated another.

    Alix,
    I don’t typically fit into the “peace activist” crowd, but I am glad you stopped in to get some coffee and told me a joke. My interest has been awakened by what you are doing, and although I know that we probably don’t agree on plenty of things, you have definitely made an impression. I guess that’s the beauty of our freedom to express ourselves. I wish you well on your travels down highway one (and I’m honestly a bit jealous).

  36. I haven’t written in a while, but I just want to say CONGRATULATIONS ON 7 WEEKS STRONG TODAY!!You’re doing an amazing job…look at all the Peace seeds you’ve scattered!!
    Peace exists when all people as individuals are able to realize their potential and follow the path that the universe has marked for them.
    Also: TO ALIX’S MOM: HI!!

  37. peace is living one’s life from a place of love, and not of fear. to make choices with the idea of abundance rather than scarcity.
    sometimes it feels like stillness, and i nourish the feeling with patience, and gentleness. it also moves like strength – the strength of water to wear away mountains. it is an emptiness – the absence of trying to control – the space that makes us useful.
    peace is in my sense of deep and abiding love with god in all her forms and by all his faces. peace begins in me, every moment.

  38. Today, I want to thank you for envisioning Peace and encouraging others to do the same.
    Through your determination, you have awoken a part of me that was far too still for far too long and for that I am grateful beyond words.
    Your existence is a miracle; your vision, a gift. Your perseverance is a testimony to the strength of your soul and brilliance of your light. Amor non discitur, amor cognoscitur, sed id non animadvertis donec amorem invenis.

  39. Peace is just a simple five letter words that defines one of the greatest gift of God to mankind. It speaks of everything; though itself connotes of unspoken mysteries that it brings to the world.
    Love is peace and peace is love..there would be no peace if there is no love that resides on us….love preceeds peace. Learn to love for us to have peace..

  40. The acceptance of diversity is intrinsic to Peace. So many conflicts result from intolerance and the blind belief that one’s personal ideas are “right.” Multiple beliefs can coexist, if only we would let them.

  41. Peace is not passive – it is the concerted and complex action necessary to bring about a sense of community, both within yourself, and with those around you.

    Desi B.

  42. When life gives you scurvy, Make Lemonade!

    Peace is a really good movie and a few beers.

    Oh yeah, and peace is a really well struck golf shot.

    And sometimes peace is a really good Italian Hoagie (and a few more beers)

    Most of all, peace is my cat “kneeding dough” on my back

  43. Peace is not just the absence of outward conflict, it is about the mind and heart as well. I am not at peace with anyone if I harbor hatred (or even just ill will) toward them. Peace requires that we love and value all our fellow humans regardless of their political views, geographical presence, religion, skin pigmentation, musical preference, age, gender, etc. Does this mean absolute equality for everyone? I don’t think so. I can never treat all humans exactly as I would my wife or daughter, but I can treat them with honesty and respect, and do it in peace.

  44. met you 10 days ago in sf with julie.. sorry i took so long to respond 😉 ~
    this is one i’ve heard that i love:
    peace is not the absence of chaos, it’s being in the midst of it, and finding stillness.

    but here is one from my heart:
    peace is the piece you thought you were missing, but was contained within you all along.

    thank you for spreading peace consciousness..
    .:d:.

  45. Metta Prayer

    May all beings be happy, content and fulfilled.
    May all beings be healed and whole.
    May all have whatever they want and need.
    May all be protected from harm and free from fear
    May all beings enjoy inner peace and ease.
    May all be awakened, liberated, and free.
    May there be peace in this world and throughout the entire universe.

  46. Peace (as an acronym): People – Evolving – And – Changing – Everywhere (P.E.A.C.E.)

    So Peace is definitely an Activity – it’s all about CHANGE – so let’s get with the program, and stop all the negativity!

  47. An unexpected uprising can be scary. However, it is much scarier to experience stillness when an uprising should be expected. External calmness mixed with internal rage has all the makings of a disaster waiting to happen.

  48. Peace to me is an knowingness, a drive, a trust, a state of being. It’s the place i go to when things are tough. The place where differences meet in hope and strive for a different outcome. Peace is what prompts the smile shared between two people from two different backgrounds who only see the similarities. Peace is what makes you notice the rainbow after you stepped in the puddle and soaked your brand new shoes. Peace is a breath, a sigh, an om … Peace is soft and strong and white and fuzzy and fragile. Peace propels you forward when ego pushes you down. Peace stands quietly and embraces all. Peace is what washes over you when the sun shines softly on your face while you stand in the river anouncing your arrival home.

  49. Peace can be many different things to many different people at many different times. But what is most important is what you do with it. I say PASS IT ON! Let your peace be the salt of the earth, it is catching.

  50. Peace! I’m for it. Now for the nitty gritty. How do you propose to achieve it? After you withdraw all US forces from combat zones, emasculate our military, confiscate all handguns from lawful citizens, and elect a peacenik for president, just one final issue…
    What will you do about the thousands of “insurgents” who are (they believe) commanded by God to destroy all non-believers, who are now free to bring their roadside bombs and car bombs, and suicide bombs into the streets of our cities?
    What you seem to forget, is that just because WE are reasonable, and peace loving, doesn’t mean that those who hate us feel the same way. A sheep cannot negotiate a peaceful settlement with a pack of hungry wolves. Our opponants believe that true peace can only be achieved by complete elimination of their enemies. And believe me, whether you are holding a rifle, or are on your knees begging for mercy, you are still considered the enemy. I want peace. Spell out your plan to get there. Slogans, chants, posters, wishes, dreams, hopes, are all fine. But they don’t change anything on the other side. What do you propose? Don’t worry, I’m not foolish enough to believe this will be posted.

  51. The thing that confuses me about the Golden Rule, is that we don’t use it. Peace is allowing a dialog to happen, where you don’t assume to know what someone thinks, but you take the time to listen. I published the below post, because it is a belief. But I noticed that person didn’t take the time to offer me their personal definition of Peace, which is the whole point here. Don’t point one finger, POINT TWO.

  52. The road to a peaceful world is lead by those brave enough to propose it. To often it is said that we can’t have peace because our enemies won’t allow it. It is a false promise to say the best defense is a good offense.

    All men and women are created equal and the injustices on this earth are terrible. And these injustices are witnessed by more people than ever because technology has made the world smaller.

    These injustices fuel fears, hatred, grossly out of balance economics, and lead to battles for equality.

    If there is any chance for a peace, it is that leaders will be brave enough to dream of it and wise enough to understand that weaponry and a good offense isn’t the key, but rather global policies that take steps to lessen these inequalities.

    The only reason independence worked before is because the world was so vast and life wasn’t witnessed by all as it is today. Independence isn’t the key as it once was. The only chance is equality.

    And before someone accuses my post of coming from someone who isn’t a patriot, let me say that of course this is the greatest nation on earth, and our freedom of speech is precious, but our waste and selfishness is our achilles.

  53. Today my Peace is hearing the heavy breathing of my love-filled child- knowing that upon her waking, she will cover me with kisses. It is also knowing that we are pointed in the direction of light and love and that though we grow weary from our travels, we can push on because at the end of that road, is wonder to behold.

  54. Too bad I just learned of your journey today, Saturday, too late to drop by as you come nowhere near GWBush. Well, maybe near. Say hello to the guards for me.

    But I am writing about Dan Browns opinions posted on your web site. I have a friend who talks fear just like Dan. The tragedy is that my friend and I, at a deeper level are talking about the same thing but he can not see a world where people are not afraid. I agree with some of what he says. Expressing our opinions is not enough. We do not have a chance for peace unless we are brave enough to do more than talk. We must take actions that will work. He and I could even discuss these actions, if he were only brave enough to listen to what other people have to say and for a few moments stop believing that he already knows everything about all the options. And then we could both try listening to the people we so fear.

    If we would listen among ourselves, we would find that we all want more or less the same thing, and then we could set about researching the causes of war — there are causes, and they are not easy fixes. He is right that your wishes and dreams do not address the causes — but he is very wrong to narrow his mind to the realities and waste his imagination on fear-talk and hate-talk, believing in answers we already know do not work. Unless we want to live forever in fear.

  55. Peace? Piece? Peas? It’s eating your peas. No, it’s thinking a single thought through to the end before you allow your imagination to run wild with Earnings, Profit, and call girls. If every person stopped to complete a thought, they’d realize an empty brain makes enough room for the complex cosmos we belong to. Now go eat your peas and let live!

  56. Pingback: Susan
  57. peace in heart
    peace in home
    peace in community
    peace in state
    peace in country
    peace in world
    peace in universe
    peace in heart
    everything in balance

  58. Peace is hearing a song in your heart and knowing that it plays wide and far in the heart of the one you love. And recognizing that the same rings true all over the world so that if we are still and kind, we can hear the songs of lovers and be filled with music from the hearts of others, and dance together as ONE.

  59. the simple fact for peace and happiness is to CHERISH OTHERS. If you cherish all creatures big and small, those with a heartbeat and those without. If you refuse to harm others our world will be joyus and peacful. Instead if you are full of desire and want and greed our world will continue down this ugly path of destruction. It is up to you, will you buy that widescreen tv or hug your mother???

  60. Peace is an inner experience. An awareness that, the I that is I, has no end. That that ‘I’ is connected to the whole universe. The uni-verse, one voice. Peace does not depend on events ‘out there.’ Peace depends on becoming conscious of my thoughts, then I can consciously choose creative thoughts of love instead of destructive thoughts of fear. Our thoughts truly become our reality.

    As each one of us consciously change our thoughts, our collective consciousness of ‘one voice’ changes. The’I AM’ is crucial to peaceful coexistence. Then we KNOW that WE are crucial to the whole of existence. But only by being peace, not by dictating peace, or forcing peace, or demanding peace.
    Be peace. Blessings.

  61. When I speak my peace, it means that I have removed my attention from all the fleeting stuff–looks, clothes, the things i own–and remind myself that, rich and famous or penniless & unknown, every single one of us has been a child, every one of us has cried and laughed, and each of us has a body that will one day die. Because of this, we all are truly the same. Inner peace doesn’t come from trying to prove yourself better than anyone else; it stems from becoming a better person than you used to be. When we realize this & focus on these truths, peace spreads to others. And it’s then that we can happily live without fear, jealousy or anger.

  62. so what does peace mean?

    clearly, it has a slightly different meaning/feeling to everyone of us.
    i imagine this is based on many things, culture, education, family values, experience, & history (to name a few) but the basis is the same-to co-exist without war, killing, & overpowering a fellow.

    the question i ask myself on many levels of my life is – can peace = tolerance?

  63. How do I define peace? When guys like me, who willfully put themselves into harm’s way through military action, are no longer needed.

  64. Peace is a way, not an endpoint. We can choose it every day, each of us. I invite everyone to visit yopeace.org to see images from the Yo! What Happened to Peace? art show and check out our blog which covers issues relating to art & peace activism.

  65. “Peace is not only an opportunity but an obligation.”

    Antonio Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

  66. Peace is knowing there is a better way and of finding it together. Peace is knowing the answer to the question, “What is it you REALLY want?” So many of us don’t even know where we would be if we could be ANYWHERE-and that’s because we’re afraid to DREAM, afraid to wish for something, and in effect, afraid to HOPE. Peace is finding HOPE and having FAITH in the fact that we are worthy of having hope and dreams that come true. If you don’t know WHAT you want, and if you don’t know WHAT Peace is…How will you know it when you see it? And how will you work for it until you do?

  67. “When a human being truly realizes that there is an absence of truth and happiness in his life, an absence of peace, then a fire comes from within. A real fire to find peace burns for that person from the heart, not from the head.
    Look for peace inside. Even if all the other wars end, as long as the war within us is still raging on, we will not be in peace. If we are at peace with ourselves, then we will have that peace, no matter what outer war is going on.
    Peace is in the Heart, waiting to be felt”
    – Prem Rawat http://www.tprf.org

  68. PEACE
    It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work, it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.
    -unknown-

  69. Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they are.
    -Hafsat Abiola

  70. he True Peace

    The first peace, which is the most important,
    is that which comes within the souls of people
    when they realize their relationship,
    their oneness, with the universe and all its powers,
    and when they realize that at the center
    of the universe dwells(the Great Spirit,
    and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.
    This is the real peace, and the others are but reflections of this.
    The second peace is that which is made between two individuals,
    and the third is that which is made between two nations.
    But above all you should understand that there can never
    be peace between nations until there is known that true peace,
    which, as I have often said, is within the souls of men.

    Black Elk, Oglala Sioux & Spiritual Leader (1863 – 1950)

  71. “The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them.”
    – Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

  72. World peace is a metaphysical goal that conflicts with the nature of our being. To impose peace against violence is hypocritical. The active struggle between peace and violence will only breed war and that undermines the ideology of peace.

    True peace is a subjective experience that cannot be imposed or is tangible by physical means.

    If you have nothing no one will want what you have. Be tranquil in your thoughts and actions. Sometimes inaction is better than action.

  73. Peace will exist when we won’t need to define it anymore.
    It will be in everyone’s heart and mind.
    You’re an important element of this struggle, Alix

  74. Peace – grows from empathy, self worth,knowledge, and connection. Stereotypes, fear, and self-loathing will kill it.
    Thank you for reminding me to seek my own peace.
    scoot on

  75. “We have now sunk to a such a depth, that the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men [people]” – George Orwell
    Thank you for restating the obvious in such a beautiful way!
    My Name is Erik and I met you as you were leaving NoHo Scooter (9/26) I sensed you had a great spirit but had no idea until I came to your blog and was tearing up (almost, I’m a guy for chrissakes) reading it for the last hour or so.
    I mentioned I own a video store in downtown L.A. and I hope in own small way we are helping enlighten people to the state of the human condition by carrying and reccomending movies that adress the world in wich we live in a serious and honest manner.
    Anyway, my idea of peace is a good movie (and a world that allows them to be made) a few cold beers.

  76. Alix:
    Great work, and how inspiring!! Your ride is the song Let There Be Peace On Earth (and let it begin with me) in living form. Thanks for believing and inspiring others.
    For those who visit your site…I have just completed a 5 year journey with a documentary called FINDING OUR VOICES that profiles 8 couragous Americans and their quest for justice and peace and their outrage of the war in Iraq. Blessings to you and your readings and look for us on the web. DVDs available 5/1.
    Holly Stadtler

  77. “The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly that wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows.”
    -Martin Luther King, Jr. (as quoted by Peace Cereal)

  78. Yahoo reports today that Americans are more concerned with the economy than the war. Interesting. They are both so intertwined. Peace is a foundation-it affects our health, our culture, our economy, our environment. Peace is not just the end, it is the way.

  79. peace begins inside of us, with the knowledge that we wish happiness for our fellows. if that peace is there, it spreads to our actions, and how we treat others. if that peace spreads to our actions, it spreads to other people. so to quote an old shampoo commercial, you tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on, and so on…(for you oldsters).

    have fun alix!

  80. PEACE is when everyone accepts each other to live in FAMILY LOVE…living in one place called EARTH…and belonging to all people as HUMANITY…from “the little one”

  81. It is easier to wage war against nameless, faceless strangers than it is to raise weapons against friends.
    Make as many friends in as many corners of the world as possible.
    Make communities across oceans.
    Wage peace in your home and with folks you don’t know.
    Tell all your friends here about all your friends there.
    We have a human responsibility to know more than we are fed on television,
    The powers that destroy life FEED on all that we don’t know.
    Know more.
    Pass it on.

  82. For me peace is finding inner peace and sharing it with a friend or a neighbor. Eventually we are all brothers.

  83. “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other”

    You have to forgive and be forgived to be at peace.
    Peace starts in your heart, spreads to your home, hen to your schools and work places, then to your cities, then to the nations, and then to the world. it’s process that has to be completely genuine and slefless.

  84. Peace is when people live and let live. The absence of war predicated upon corporate profiteering. The absence of Laws that protect the special interest and not persons. The absence of subjugation prescribed and sanctioned by personal beliefs. The absence of inequality perpetuated to uphold inequality–that is Peace.

    Peace

  85. At times it can be more difficult to change my own mind then it is to prove to someone else that I am right.

    Given the choice, I would rather destroy the other side peacefully, then win a war.

    Kaz

  86. Peace is more accessable when you stop asking why, stop trying to understand the details of someone else’s beliefs. Accept and respect differences as a function of the diversity of the human mind and experiences. One can’t possibly fully understand the why of someone else’s thoughts and actions. For example, a chosen partner can be so different than his mate, a neighbor has even more marked differences, then globally speaking a culture of people that has vastly different experiences than yours and your neighbors’ create huge implications for the differing beliefs and behaviors. How can a judgement possibly be made.
    take care of yourself, your community, accept and Let It Be.
    It’s not a definition of peace but a way to experience peace of mind for yourself and among our fellows.

  87. Peace and Faith are hand in hand. Faith in the shared consciousness, that we are ONE. And though you may find yourself with your back toward your destination, Peace in the belief that you will reach your goal. One step closer every day.

  88. My definition of peace is very simple… three words:
    1) Infatuation – You must live life with passion
    2) Commitment – You must do it the best you can
    3) Belief – You must believe in what you do and have faith

    -Rich

  89. Peace is the strength to defend what is right even if by conflict.
    Peace is the knowledge that not all conflict is wrong.
    Peace is the wisdom to determine when there is no alternative.

    When a person, group, or nation has such strength, knowledge, and wisdom they will be able to avoid conflict because it is only a weak or evil adversary that seeks conflict, and such creatures shrink in the face of the resolute afraid for themselves should they choose other than peace.

  90. Personally for me, Peace is a frame of mind. It’s something we single-mindedly decide that we are going to be, do and give to the world and everyone around us.

    I think Morihei Ueshiba, founder of the martial art of aikido (“the Art of Peace”) nailed it when he wrote:

    “The Art of Peace begins with you. Work on yourself and your appointed task in the Art of Peace. Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here for no other purpose than to realize your inner divinity and manifest your inner enlightenment. Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter.”

    Much love, *Paul

  91. To my favorite instrument of peace:

    Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
    Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
    where there is injury, pardon;
    where there is doubt, faith;
    where there is despair, hope;
    where there is darkness, light;
    where there is sadness, joy;

    O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
    to be understood as to understand;
    to be loved as to love.

    For it is in giving that we receive;
    it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
    and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

    -St Francis of Assisi

  92. “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”
    John F. Kennedy

    “Yes, we love peace, but we are not willing to take wounds for it, as we are for war.”
    John Andrew Holmes

  93. When you witness compassion,
    When you feel the riveting humanity in another
    Swell the humanity in yourself,
    When you’re reminded, yet again,
    That we share one heart, really,
    That the best we can be is there, in us all,
    Ready to rivet your humanity to mine,
    And let our souls settle in peace once again.

  94. “Isn’t it wonderful that none of us need wait a moment before starting to change the world.”
    Anne Frank (1929 – 1945)

  95. Peace to me is when Muslims care more about their children living, than in dying for allah, when Christians care more about the lives of the living, than the sins of the dead. When liberals care more about the rights of the innocent than the guilty and maximizing individual liberty rather than busybodying people for their own good at the barrel of a gun, and republicans care more about conservative principles of small government than building a global christian empire. When statists recognise that government is rarely the best solution to anything, and individualists recognise that communities can do wonderful things together voluntarily.

    I may be my brothers keeper, but you all need to stop, mind your own business, and let me fulfill my destiny of virtue in my own way and fashion.

    This is what peace is to me, and how to obtain it: Stop, mind your own business, leave me alone, and them too, only help if help is requested.

  96. The greatest accomplishments in recorded history, whether by Blood or by Deed, are not reached because you are told to…

    …But because you Want to. If we Want it, so much that it hurts to not have it, we will accomplish it.

    Because we Want to.

  97. Peace is serenity.
    Each individuals inner work for peace
    is serenity despite circumstances.
    As in the inner
    so in the outer.

  98. when war ends…..we might have PEACE

    People are free
    End war
    A walking and non-driving country
    Come lets make peace
    Easy and non fighting universe

  99. When my life has ended
    And my time has run out
    My friends and my loved one’s
    I’ll leave there’s no doubt

    But one thing’s for certain
    When it come’s my time
    I’ll leave this old world
    With a satisfied mind

    -Johnny Cash

  100. peace is achieved when we gain the ability to find tranquility and quietness within ourselves, then we will radiate this out to the world.

  101. Peace is accepting people for who they are and not what you want them to be. Peace starts with one person and ripples through the rest of society.

  102. Peace is helping strangers in need….and knowing in your soul it is the right thing to do.

    Take care Alix…it was nice that your journey crossed ours.

  103. The genisis of Peace occurs when, with humility, I begin to truly see others as my brothers and sisters.

  104. I have become convinced that I have the power to transform the world into one that is free of domination. I believe that all it takes to transform the world is for me to transform myself into a more mature, responsible, and loving person. That’s all I have to do, nothing more than that, nothing less than that, and nothing is more important than that transformation. When I change my inner world, my external behavior shifts to match, and I become a creative source of systemic change.

    Moreover, if I can do it, with my history of dysfunction and wounding, certainly you can do it. The ripple effect from this transformation is immeasurable, and it has the power to stimulate the largest institutions of repressive domination to implode. This turns conventional thought on its head, and would appear to be insane to most people, a kind of megalomania, which it is not, it is the exact opposite of megalomania. It is acknowledging our critical participation in energetic systems far larger than ourselves.

    I do not accept that I am the victim of the military-media-corporate- government conspiracy. I am 100% responsible for it, another apparently “insane” idea, and yet what I mean is that I am 100% able to respond to it. I have an answer. I have more than one answer. Having a better idea is far more effective for producing social transformation than recrimination and revolt. Very soon the world will be ready to hear hundreds of thousands of people who have transformed themselves internally to be the change, and not demand the change from some external source.

  105. Peace is when you can appreciate and respect someone’s point of view, not because it is the same as your own, but because it is different.

    Alix, I’m inspired by your journey and adventure. I know at the end of your days, you will have this to look back on and know you have done something incredible. Press on and good luck!

  106. I’m told the hebrew word for Adam (adamah) means “creature of earth” or something like that. We are at peace when we are most at one with our nature. We are creatures of earth, of humus. Humus, humans, humor, humility, it’s all from the same root. When we are most rooted in that soil we find our commonality, we are most at one, most at peace.

    Ride on, Alix. I’m going to be a new owner of a Buddy and just found your blog. I’m thrilled it can go that distance, and am looking forward to future rides. I posted a comment on a picture, and gave you my work contact information. Please feel free to email me, as I live in Chicago and could maybe host you if you need a place to stay while in Chicago (small place, and my 20 year old daughter will be with me a few days, til July 29, but you could have a sofa and access to a washer/dryer in my condo).

    Nitza

  107. Peace is not having to worry about being intentionally harmed by another human being. If no one had that worry, can you imagine how far we could come in a short amount of time?

  108. Take One: Peace I would define as that force which encompasses us in all her tranquility – achieved specifically at the point where we can genuinely and authentically see, feel, and appreciate the We of whom we had momentarily forgotten (or, passed over).

  109. “They” say that one person can’t make a difference. Well Alix is doing something to prove “them” wrong. If we all work together, then the difference we make could be felt all round this great country.

  110. World Peace Through Individual Happiness. It takes one person to change their human revolution and others naturally follow with the Law of the Universe. Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Devotion to the mystic law of cause & effect through sound or vibration. The universal law of the universe. Nichiren’s Buddhism.

  111. I believe that peace is the absence of fear; the fear of oppression, tyrany, terror, prejudice, bias, hate, and the many other fears humans have chosen to inflict on fellow humans thoughout our history.

    I believe this absence of fear is every person’s right; and like all rights it is worth striving for – and, yes, at times fighting for. Like many Americans not generally associated with “modern” concepts of peace, I have spent much of my life fighting to help bring the absence of fear to people in many parts of the world.

    While I would hope my efforts have contributed in some small way to achieving peace for a few, Alix I believe your efforts have brought not only the concept of peace but the reality of peace to many.

    Alix, I salute your efforts and your dedication to peace.

  112. Alix-
    You are truly inspirational. Like you said, many people should take a moment (a long one) and truly cogitate the meaning of peace. It is not simply the opposite of war. I believe that each one of us have a desire for peace and dont believe in hurting others to get peace in our lives. We should pursue alternative ways to achieve true peace on earth. I wish you well in your travels. Scoot safely.
    -Alex

  113. I must say Alix is a champ in the riding department, and her Buddy is a trooper with the miles that have been put on it!

    But I don’t know how environmental issues can be pushed when lighting up a smoke is the first thing Alix does after getting off her scooter.

    Ill leave on that note….

  114. That’s kind of like saying that just because she has a female partner, she couldn’t possibly have a relationship with God since some people have decided the two don’t go together. And yet, she clearly invites God into her life through her actions and her compassion for others. I’m glad she’s out there riding and challenging you to rethink those boxes people like to build around what’s real and what’s possible. Do you seriously believe that the additive-free cigarettes she smokes when she gets off the bike (the filters which she does not throw on the ground, if you noticed.) REALLY undo the good she’s done by encouraging alternate transportation, and stewardship to one another and to the planet? I don’t.

  115. Thank you for your comments. Can we please leave this wall as a sanctuary for Peace (and peaceful) definitions. Maybe I’ll set up a forum on the site.

  116. Definition of peace: Actively seeking out the good in each and every person, regardless of their traits and habits you may not understand. I have always felt that if every person thought for THEMSELVES instead of letting a govt, media outlet, religion, or other person or persons think for them, the world would be a better place.

    I learned this first hand. My parents were of the type that if you made less money, you were lazy and if you made more, you were somehow crooked or greedy. If you drove a different type of car than my parents you might be criticized. You can only imagine what my folks think about different races and homosexuality.

    Please understand the hurdle of NOT hating folks like this. I love my parents and fully understand that they are just working with the knowledge they were provided, never having the opportunity to leave the small town and predetermined thoughts that go with the long established community. The best we can do is try to put “dents” in their armor of status quo. My father has met minority friends of mine and has shook the hand of gay men.

    I have no agenda towards this beyond meeting and enjoying as many souls in this world as I can before I check out. Life is too short to hate someone because they might have darker or lighter skin, different musical tastes, homosexuality, etc. I might draw the line at being a Dallas Cowboys fan (JUST KIDDING!!!)

  117. Understanding that amongst the gays, blacks, whites, jews, Muslems, Christians, and other “dividers” in our world are just a bunch of souls doing the best they can to get through another day. It’s amazing how many good people you can meet when you make an effort to assist them in that goal instead of being an obstacle.

    I would also say that the minorities of this world, and we are all a minority in some way or form, need to resist the urge to “get back” at the majorities that have suppressed for so long. It disappoints me to say this is just as much of a problem as discrimination from the majority.

  118. I have many long and short definitions for peace. Today, it is each moment that I am so still inside that everything outside of me is a beautiful expression of that which I also am, no matter what. Loving the expression of needs met and unmet and awaiting spirit’s prompting as to what my response in each moment shall be.

  119. Peace is opening your mind and heart to change!
    Alix, You must realize that you have signified change in people across the nation,…we have kept you in our thoughts and hopefully if you are ever in our neighborhood you’ll stop by….you have not only opened our mind by our heart to peace for everyone. Keep it up and hopefully it ripply in the the individuals thoughts across the nation.
    Faith Simonelli

  120. Awareness and Intent.
    It seems so easy, but so sloppy and graceless, to live without these things and therefore they become, for me, keys to peace.

    It is with these things in mind (of mind) that Alix has found her peace and the strength to keep it.

    I support her. I support you. You are peace.

  121. Peace to me is, simply, empowerment to follow what is in your heart, given by and shared with those around you. It requires mutual trust and respect and selflessness to cultivate and blossom.

    Peace is hard because fully practicing it leaves one vulnerable, and that makes many of us feel uncomforatable. I think that explains a lot of the non-peaceful actions committed in our world. Those who work on behalf of peace rarely achieve what is commonly defined as riches and rewards but, I suspect, earn something far more valuable.

    Peace is not just an act or a state of being but it is also an embodiment. Peace is you, Alix. Thank you for following your heart and sharing it with all of us.

  122. Peace is being here now, paying attention, and knowing that every move, every thought, feeling, action can be a choice toward peace. At the funeral this morning for my neighbor’s mom, I saw peace in the loving embraces and tears that brought us all together to celebrate the life of Dorothy. She inspired everyone with her peace and love. Just days before she died, she had a dream and woke to say, over and over, “It’s so beautiful! It’s so beautiful!”

    Thanks, Alix, for asking us to write what is peace. Thanks for riding your scooter all around the country, and for being here now. Beautiful!

  123. Personal peace is feeling content and happy in the moment. More difficult to obtain is the larger peace, in which everyone is able to feel this way.

  124. Peace
    “Just What It Is”
    Silence,Serenity,Stillness
    of Hate
    Eager to Love
    Accept & Relate
    to Everyone
    without Debate
    Regardless of Race
    Religion & Regulation
    Peace is the Ultimate
    Form of Elation!

  125. Even during the wrath of the myraid cosmic winds, the attacks by earthly being’s desires, or the depths of eminant death and despair, one mind stays perfectly still and bright, this is everlasting peace.

  126. Peace is the absence of obsession. When absent objectivity blossoms and a doorway opens to connect with each other as well as with that which could not previously be seen. Work to identify obsession its root and its influence in our life and those we can care for.

  127. “Peace exists when different desires are in 1 agreement. when desires refuses compromise, the clash of desires can escalate to the clash of arms and clash of civilization” -Austin Bay, a nantural security specialist.

  128. peace is acknowledging the sentience of all living things and doing my best to support a climate of welcome and understanding for the place each sentient being holds on our beloved planet. I cannot force my ideas of equality on others, but I can encourage organizations and official representatives to also adopt a spirit of understanding and non-violent resolutions. I practice this idea with my sons and with all I encounter. I like to think/hope that peace is contagious. 🙂

  129. peace is the science of right human relations; living in right relations with self, others and the environment; peace is not the absence of violence, nor is it the opposite of war; peace is the dynamic presence of truth, justice, and loving cooperation; peace is a world that works for everyone

  130. I’ve been asked for “my” definition of PEACE. Peace–to me–is the absence of chaos. It–is not peace between nations, continental powers, political movements. My control over those is insignificant.

    Peace is you and me. It is a loving meeting of my mind and yours. It IS, in fact–love. It is thinking of you first, before me. It is caring, nurturing, supporting another. Peace and love are “action” words. I have experienced a huge amount of this love at home and away from home the past five weeks. I experienced that “peace which surpasses all understanding” while traveling and meeting people (scootering) through five states.

    On my final ride, the last 50 miles home, I was overwhelmed with the feeling, the knowledge, that I had been so loved in so many ways…accepted, tolerated, fed, “coffee’d”, housed, and treated as an equal among equals, no matter what.

    Again, for me, “peace” and “love” are so closely related as I might think of the genetic togetherness of identical twins.

    The following quote sits on the desk of a long-passed friend of mine. It was meant as a definition of “Humility”. As I read, it usually produces a benignancy, replacing immediately any disturbances which found their way into my heart.

    “Perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me.

    “It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised, it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and pray to my Father in secret and be at PEACE, as in a deep sea of CALMNESS, when all around and about is seeming trouble. “

  131. Peace…
    I have to borrow in part from MLK.
    Peace is not the absence of tension; but the presence of balance in our lives. It’s that balance that we feel when someone smiles at us from across the table as we share a meal… we experience a quiet moment that fills our heart with Hope for Humanity.

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