Principles

Some of the principles of peace that guide SEP include the following:

• Differentiating between positive and negative peace. Negative peace refers to the absence of direct violence but positive peace refers to the presence of ‘shalom’.

• Nonviolence. Following the teachings of Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr., it aims to act with nonviolence in response to conflict and challenges.

• Compassionate communication. As described by Marshall Rosenberg, Shalom seeks to practice compassionate communication within the organisation and all those it interacts with.

• Holistic approach. Shalom works with the whole community, on every level, bringing peace to young people, educators, parents, leaders and other community groups in a variety of ways.

• Walking alongside communities. Shalom believes community members know how to bring about peace in their own communities. Its role is not to tell communities what to do, but to facilitate their own peace process.