Conceiving a Peaceful World
A Book by Susan M. Perz, PhD.
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Women’s Psychology, Leadership, and Peacemaking
Introduction: Women Have Led Most U.S. Social Movements. p.11
Footnotes p. 72-84
Questions That Can Be Used for Discussion 91
Potential Influences of Living in a Female Body on Women’s Psychologies and Leadership
Part 1 Women’s BodyWisdom and Cyclical Spiral Time
Chapter 1: Cyclical, Spiral Time 92
Women’s Sense of Time is Cyclical and Includes Patterns of Changes Each Month, Similar But Slightly Different Each Month Like Spiral Time 94, 99
Compromise–Women Share Control with the Activities of Our Female Bodies. 100
The Possibility of Becoming Pregnant Means Time is Relational103
Spiral Thinking That Cycles Between Details and The Big Picture 101, 346
Women’s Cycles Create a Balance of Work and Rest–Which is Not Honored In Our Linear Corporate Profit-Drive Workaholic Culture 104, 114
Through the Cycles of Our Bodies, Future Generations are Born 248
Latin American Women’s Mujerista Theology Works for Liberation Within Oppressive Structures 248, 308, 311, 389
Leadership Skills of Women in the Environmental and Anti-racism Nonprofit, The Newtown Florist Club 249
Navajo Changing Woman 250
Self-Renewing Systems in Nature, Plant, Animal, Human Life and Ecosystems and Disruptions of Them. 250, 253
Native American Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) culture and history 251
The Power of Love 251, 253, 345
Intentional Communities 251-2
Chaos Theory for Transformation 253
Footnotes 255-302
Chapter 2: Love Creates and Shapes Time–Priorities for Healing Our World 303
“I am sustained by my own power to love” Pearl S. Buck quote 303
Divine Love is the Source of All Love and is Life-Giving 304
Ancient Goddess Symbols of the Life-Giving Energy of Love 305
The Research of Archeologist Marija Gimbutas 305-6
Christian Saints and Mystics Hildegard de Bingen and Julian of Norwich 307
Feminine Images of God, Christ as Mother 307, 311
Biblical Scriptures About Love 307
Poverty Dims the Image of God in Human Beings 308
Love is the Life Force 308, 309, 345
Failure to Thrive 319, 1515
Theology of the Erotic Includes Desire and Friendship, Love for People and Community, Local and Global 303, 308
God Is Love 310
Religious Education for Peacemaking Theological Assumptions 310-313
God Liberates People From Oppression 210
Every Person is Created in the Image of God 310
The “Weighty Radiance of the Glory of God” in Nature 310
The Meaning of Life is to Love and Be Loved, Love and Purpose 310, 322
Love is a Central Unifying Theme of World Religions 311
Nonparochial Love 311, 321, 344
We are Co-Creators With God, Nature, and Others 311, 312
God Relies on Humanity to Do Good 311
Reverence for Ourselves, the Environment, God, and Others 312, 313, 389
We Experience the Pleasures and Joys of Loving Through Our Bodies As Whole Persons 313
Female Genital Mutilation 314
“Women’s Rights are Human Rights” Hilary Rodham Clinton at the UN Conference on Women 314, 315
Male Circumcision 314, 315
Partnership Society and Emotional Intimacy 316, 321
The Meaning of the verb “to know” in Scripture 316
Pleasure in Relational Connections Enhances Self-Esteem and Psychological Growth 317-319
Loving Others Enhances Human Health and the Immune System 319
Loving Relationships and Actions Create Positive Mood Boosting Brain Chemicals 319
Forms of Racism and Discrimination and Impacts on African Americans’ Health Outcomes 320
Mothering Involves Expanding Circles of Care to Community and National Concerns 344
The Beloved Community of Dr. Martin Luther King 345 – 346
Footnotes 347-358
Chapter 3: The Meaning of Time–The Value of Life 359
Our Female Bodies Have the Potential to Teach Us About the Value of Human Life 359
Women Risk Their Lives to Give Birth; Some Die; Our Culture Takes this Risk for Granted 360
Pregnancy is an Experience of Unconditional Love–The Value of a Child’s Life is Worth Risking One’s Life for 360
Ocytoxin enhances empathy and bonding during pregnancy and at other times 360
Mothering and also Breastfeeding Put a Child at the Center of a Woman’s Life for a Time 360
The Value of Human Life as the Central Standard of Value for Society is Expressed in Women’s Pregnancy, Mothering, Breastfeeding, and Public Leadership 361
Sex Trafficking of Young Girls 361
The Environmental Anti-Racism Nonprofit Newtown Florist Values of Human Life Over Money 362-366
Women’s Recognition of Their Worth is Central to Global Change 366, 367
The Value of Human Life is Core Value of Women’s Leadership 368-371, 380, 382
The Value of All Living Beings is a Core Value of Women’s Leadership 368-387
Racism Dishonors the Value of Human Lives 375
Racism Can Be UnTaught and Unlearned 375
Structural Racism in Education and Public School Funding 376-377
Inclusion is a Women’s Leadership Value that Honors the Value of Human Life 387
The U.S. Was Not Founded on the Value of Every Person But Rather on Exploitation or Slavery of Native Americans, African Americans, Women, and Children 388
The U.S. Still Has Not Restored Full Rights to People Who Are Not White Men 389
Children’s Self-Worth is Influenced by the Amount and Quality of Focused Time They Receive From Significant Adults 393-394
8 Dimensions of Liberation for African American Persons Participating in Christian Education Described by Ann Wimberly Family and Community Relationships Help People Feel Loved and Valued by God 393, 394
Women Tend to See Themselves as Fundamentally Relationally Connected to Others. The Self is Seen as Being in Relationship with Others. Relationships are Central to Human Life. 394
Footnotes 394-401
Chapter 4: Moments of Truth–Dealing With Conflict, Reaching Consensus 402
The Menstrual Cycle Includes a “Moment of Truth” When Women are More Likely to Speak Up and Address Conflict Directly Often as Part of Self Empathy 403-404
Addressing Conflict Directly May Be Learned Through Mothering. It is a Characteristic of Maternal Thinking and Women’s Leadership 404
The Newtown Florist Club Addressed Conflicts Caused by Racism 405
The Right of Peaceful Protest 405-410
The Newtown Florist Club Teaches Advocacy Skills
410-411 Women Leaders in the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy) Addressed Conflicts Directly
411 Nations Must Address Their Violent Histories
411-416 The International Criminal Court Was Ratified in 2002 415
Oxytoxin May Reduce They Intensity of Conflicts for Women, Increasing Empathy, Promoting Bonding and Reducing Anxiety 416-417
Anger Management and Conflict Resolution Could Be Taught in Schools 417
The Problem-Solving Model 417
Consensus Decision-Making Has Historically Been a Characteristic of Women’s Leadership and Organizations 417
Consensus Decision-Making and Addressing Conflict Directly in Community Was Central to the Iroquois One Mind of Good Government Described by Barbara Mann 417-418
Newtown Florist Club Members Make Decisions Together Through Dialogue and Consensus 418
Synthesizing Skills Are Used by Women Leaders to Understand Multiple and Conflicting Needs, Perspectives, and Worldviews 418
News and Media: Honest Dialogue is Based on Accurate Information Without Conflicts of Interest, Hidden Agendas or Loyalties 418-435
The International Non-Governmental Organisations Accountability Charter (INGO) 426-428
NGOs Often Use Consensus-Decision Making 428
The Tampa Bay Times Fact Checking 428-429
Nonviolent Rage is a Normal Response to Structural Violence, Exclusion, and Oppression 435
Interlocking Layers of Oppression and Structural Violence Experienced by the Newtown Florist Club 435-436
Environmental Racism of Toxic Dumping in the South 436
The German Green Party Founded by Petra Kelly is Also Anti-War 437
Anger is a “resource for personal and global change” 437
The Freedom to Address Conflict Directly May Be Limited by Time, Finances, and Survival Needs 437-438
The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Communalism Economic System is Different From Capitalism and Communism 437-438
The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy) Great Law of Peace Was the Basis for the U.S. Constitution 437-438
Footnotes 438-445
Chapter 5: Remembering the Future–Making a Way Out of No Way 446
Imagining and Believing in the Impossible is Embodied in Women 447
Footnotes 459-463
Part 2 Women’s BodyWisdom and Relationships
Environmental and Anti-Racism Education–The Newtown Florist Club in Gainesville, Georgia 249, 252, 344, 362-366, 369, 389, 405, 410-411, 418, 435-436, 437
Poetry
Labia Blooming 305
TOPICS
Anti-Democracy Organizations and Actions
The corporate Plan to take over America–The Powell Memo 139, 143, 144
The Corporate War Against Families and Communities 143, 144
The Unholy Union of Far-Right Racist Christian Nationalism and Corporate Greed The Heritage Foundation 146
Other Corporate Agenda Propaganda Organizations and “Think Tanks” 147, 234, 423-424, 434-435
ALEC–The American Legislative Exchange Council, 378, 431-432
Corporations Have Overlapping Boards of Directors 234, 374
Reagan’s Role in the Corporate Greed War Against Families and Communities 1934 Attempt to Overthrow the U.S. Government by Corporations 888-896
Corporations Traded Illegally With Nazi Corporation During World War II 897-905
Corporations and Nazi Leaders Creating Global Institutions “The Sic Wise Men” 905-911
Libertarians Tried 3 Times to Seize an Island to Create an Independent Libertarian State, Sometimes Using Violence in 1972 896-897
The Use of Racism and “States Rights” to Divide the Country for Political Power 151
Using Sexism, Homophobia, Abortion, and Immigration to Divide Citizens for Political Power and Manufacturing Drama Police Brutality and Psychological Control 234, 405-410
The Corporate Takeover of American Media 234, 418-435
Using Authoritarian Tactics 151
Failing to Pass Campaign Finance Reform 153
Citizens United Legislation that Ends Limits on Individual Campaign Contributions Super Pacs that Hide Campaign Donations Billionaires Running the Country–Oligarchy and Plutocracy 228, 229, 234, 235
Political Democracy Cannot Survive Without Economic Democracy 239, 367
Structural Racism in Education and Public School Funding 376-377
The U.S. Was Not Founded on the Value of Every Person 388
Government Programs That Perpetrated Harm: MKULTRA, Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment on African Americans, Manhattan Bomb Radiation Experiments on People, Atomic Bomb Tests in U.S. West and Marshall Islands, etc. 411-416
Tea Party Climate Denialism 426
Performative “Town Hall Meetings” for Public Input When Back Door Decisions are Already Made Between Corporations and Government 433-434
Human Rights and Violence Against Women 539-540
Representation of Women, People of Color, LGBTQ, and Different Ability in Office 543-544
History of U.S. corporate greed 1800-1900. 140
Forms of Corporate Greed
Cutting U.S. Jobs by Moving U.S. Factories Overseas, Often to Sweatshops with Repressive Military Governments 149, 187, 367
Use of Sweatshops by Corporations 335
CEOs Avoid Paying Taxes by Taking Out Loans From Their Stocks 390
Attempts to Privatize Social Security Wage Theft 335
Opposing Minimum Wage Laws 335
Union Busting 335
Eliminating Government Agencies that Oversee Corporations and Enforce Safety for the Public 150
Lobbying for Cutting Funding to Government Safety Net Programs, ALEC–The American Legislative Exchange Council, 378, 431-432
U.S. Wars Over Oil and Gas and Pipelines Refusal of Fossil Fuel Companies to Meaningfully Invest in Renewable Energy 162
Oil Dynasty Families. 179
Tech Billionaires Women’s Underpaid and Unpaid Labor 198
The Devaluation of Care Jobs, Teaching, etc. 198
Care Labor and Volunteer Work Cannot Be Deducted from Taxes as Medical Expenses or Donations 198
Corporate accounting scandals. 125 Lobbying 335
Corporate Monopolies 335
Obscene CEO salaries. 200, 335
Shady Investment Schemes Like Credit Default Swaps, Derivatives, Hedge Funds, Bitcoin, and Crypto 337, 338
The Stock Market is a “Casino” (2014) 340-343
Huge Corporate Subsidies Even Though They are Making a Profit 335
Creating and funding “nonprofits” that advance their profit agendas. 125
Failing to Pay Pensions to Workers. Corporate Tax Loopholes and Tax Shelters and Offshore Accounts 200
Huge Income Inequality 200, 212, 217, 375
The “Free Market” Scam 335, 336, 367
The “Trickle-Down Economics” Scam Privatizing Government Activities 200
Hiring Part-Time and Temporary Workers to Avoid Paying Benefits The Working Homeless The Huge Military Budget That Guts Funding For Communities and Family Life 208
The Federal Reserve Bank Charges the U.S. Government Interest to Print Money 211
The Fossil Fuel Industry is the Most Powerful Industry in the World Greed as an Addiction 241, 321, 334
Exploitation of women’s labor and community resources by corporations. 114
How big corporations limit small businesses and grassroots rural efforts–“the steel ceiling.” 122
Corporations Direct Attention Away from Their Actions and Focus on Individual Behavior Change 323
Failure to Prosecute White Collar Crime by Corporate and Banking CEOs 326
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce 139, 143, 144, 326
The Corporation as an Economic Structure is Unsustainable, Undemocratic, and Based Solely on Profit, It Is Easily Corrupted to Act as a Psychopath with No Regard for the Harm or Killing of People, Wildlife, or Ecosystems. 123, 210, 386
Many of the Most Important Jobs that Serve People Do Not Pay Well 334, 382
Sex Trafficking of Young Girls 361
Elite Schools for the Rich 373-375
Attempts to Privatize Public Schools and Use School Vouchers 369-373
Structural Racism in Education and Public School Funding 376-377
The Private Medical Insurance System 380-386
Some States Have Refused Government Subsidies for Medicaid 386
Economically Just Solutions to Replace Corporate Greed Corporations Paid 90
Percent Taxes on Profit Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. 204
Wealth Tax Socially Responsible Investing 227
Socially Responsible Banking, Home and Car Insurance Basic Standards of Community Health and Family Supportiveness The Nordic Model 226
Reform Banking and Economic Theory to Create Full Employment, Fair Wages, and Low Inflation
390-391 Nonprofit and Government Banks, 329
How Fractional Reserve Lending by Banks Could Be Harnessed to Benefit Communities if Banks Were Nonprofits, 327-329
Timebanks and Legal Local Currencies 329
Political Democracy Cannot Survive Without Economic Democracy 212, 239
The Promise of Nonprofits and Cooperatives as Economic Structures to Replace Corporations 240, 326, 333
The Promise of Regenerative Organic Small Farmer Cooperatives to Replace Agribusinesses Renewable Energy is Now Cheaper and Faster Than Oil, Coal, and Gas President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Second Bill of Rights.” Intentional Communities 251-252
Fair Trade Goods Made by Grassroots Communities 322
Reducing Overconsumption 322, 323, 324
Re-Imagining Money 330-336
Mother’s Centers and Parents’ Centers 336
Vocational Education for Care and Generativity 336-337, 343
Local Laws Outlawing Chain Businesses 343
Farm to Table Programs 343
Land Trusts that Keep Housing Prices Low 343
Retraining and Transition Assistance for Veterans Returning from War 343
Mayors’ Collaboratives 344
Peace and Justice Centers in Every Community Protect and Properly Fund Public Schools Instead of Privatizing and School Vouchers 369-377
Medicare for All 380-386
Mental Health Care 382-383
Pro-Democracy Organizations, Models, and Actions The Public Good is the Primary Responsibility of the Government 367
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Second Bill of Rights”. 111, 143
The Nordic Model The Human Development Index Economic Democracy is Needed to Maintain Political Democracy 239, 367
Socially Just Actions Advocated by Women Researchers, Etc. 217
Communities and Political Power 228
Peace Education, Peacemaking as a Profession, and Peace Colleges Working Together as Citizens and Organizations 323
Citizenship Literacy About our Constitution and Government Democracy is a Public Trust 367
Protect Government Programs Like Social Security and Medicare 382
Protect Government Safety Nets Like Medicaid, SNAP, Meals on Wheels, etc. Pro-Democracy Nonprofits Supporting Social and Environmental Justice, Human Rights, and Peace Have Positively Influenced Government and Global Decision Making for Over 100 Years 392
Conflict Resolution 334-335
The Right of Peaceful Protest 405-410
The Checks and Balances Project 423-425
Town Hall Meetings That Take Seriously Public Input and Goals 434
The German Green Party Founded by Petra Kelly is Also Anti-War 437
Women’s Diplomatic Styles and Successes 625
Climate Change
Climate Change 246
The Need to Reduce Oil, Coal, Gas Pollution by About Half by 2030 according to the IPCC.
Risk to Life on Earth
The Crucial Necessity of Protecting the Amazon Rainforest Deforestation, Rainforests, and the Wood Pellet Industry 423
Renewable Energy is Now Cheaper and Faster Than Oil, Coal, and Gas Electric Vehicles The Promise of Regenerative Organic Small Farmer Cooperatives to Replace Agribusinesses Nonprofits Addressing Climate Change 248
The “Weighty Radiance of the Glory of God” in Nature 310
50 years of Climate Denial Funded by Exxon, Google, and Other Corporations 378-379, 422-435
Tea Party Climate Denialism 426
Environmental Racism 312, 320
Racism in Disaster Response 320
Fossil Fuel Practices Like Removing Mangroves In Louisiana Made Katrina Damage Worse and Propose Fossil Fuel Drilling in the Arctic Opened Up by a Warming Climate 433
Environmental Democracy 367
Rights of Nature, GARN
Greenpeace
Fossil Fuels–Oil, Coal, Gas, and Liquified Natural Gas
Pollution
Pesticides
Plastics
Polyester
Refusal to Meaningfully Invest in Renewable Energies 247-248
Lying About Climate Change for Half a Century
The U.S. Petro Dollar
Peacemaking and Peace Education
The U.S Institute of Peace Global Peacebuilding Center Teaches Peace Education 580
The Effectiveness of Nonviolent Peaceful Resistance and Strategies 687-692, 696-698
Women Understand National Security as Social Justice Among Nations and Decry Wars Over Power and Greed 878
Disarmament The Promise of Diplomacy Women’s NGOs are Central to Protection of Earth, Its Creatures, and Peoples 1142-1144
Ending War
Patterns of How the U.S. Has Entered Wars Illegally 996
False Flag Incidents 1006
Failure to Use Diplomacy by Most American Presidents 637-673
Almost All U.S. Wars Have Been Over Oil, Gas, Pipelines, Money, Corporate or Banking Greed 882-996
War Does Not Solve Conflict–It Creates New Conflicts 681-687
Militarism Nuclear “Close Calls”–Nuclear Weapons Accidents and Incidents 868-870
Horrific Consequences of Wars 1027
War as Genocide
War Increases the Illegal Drug Trade 698
Use of Illegal Drug Trade to Finance War by Governments Including the U.S. Government 699
Food and Farming
Organic Regenerative Farming by Small Farmers and Cooperatives
Food Labeling and Genetically Modified Foods 189
Safety of the Global Food Supply
Agribusiness Destruction of Rainforests
Threats to the Amazon Rainforest by Corporations
Why Agribusinesses are Unsustainable
Vanda Shiva’s Work with Indigenous Women Farmers 253
Pollution
Dioxin 253
The Environmental Anti-Racism Nonprofit Newtown Florist Values of Human Life Over Money 364-366
Environmental Racism and Self-Esteem 369, 437
Radioactive Nuclear Waste Dumped in Native American Communities 388, 437
Dirty Uranium (DU) Pollution From Wars
Protecting Wildlife and Preventing Mass Extinction 503-506
Pro-Environment
American Sustainable Business Council 326
Global Corporate Greed
How Structural Adjustment Guts the Resources of Nations 184
The World Bank, The World Trade Organization, and The Inter-Monetary Fund
The Private, For-Private Central Banking System and the BIS, Bank of International Settlements in Switzerland 234
How the Global Elite Live in a Separate World 375
The Corporate Global Sweatshop Agenda–“Global Apartheid” and the “free market” 209
Corporate and U.S. Government Support for Overseas Oppressive Regimes 196
Global Poverty 340
Global Medical Crises of Ebola, AIDS, and Malaria–Problems and International Cooperation 612-621
Global Social and Economic Justice and Cooperation
The United Nations
The United Nations Economic and Social Council
Respecting the Self-Determination of Nations 391
Landmine Ban Treaty Created by Cooperation Between Nonprofits (NGOs) and Small Nations (Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty) Jody Williams and Veterans For America 391-393
The International Criminal Court Was Ratified in 2002 415
The International Non-Governmental Organisations Accountability Charter (INGO) 426-428
Council on Foreign Relations 374
Bilderbergers 374
Trilateral Commission 374
Globally Just Organizations and Actions
The United Nations
Reputable Nonprofits that Work Internationally
Self-Renewing Systems in Nature
Life-Giving Spirituality–Divine Love is the Source of All Love and is Life-Giving.