This presentation gives the foundation of peace and nonviolence theory and explores the connections between humor, laughter and peace. Presented at the Humor Academy peace lunch at the Association for Applied Therapeutic Humor in Philadelphia, PA.

1. Peace is Every
Laugh:
The role of laughter & humor
on the path to peace
Stephanie Knox Cubbon
San Diego City College
Metta Center for Nonviolence
AATH Peace Lunch
May 28, 2015

2. What did the Dalai Lama say to
the hot dog vendor?

3. My path to peace

5. I am my mother’s daughter –
Peace Clown

6. Intentions for my talk
• Deeper understanding of peace
• Negative & positive peace
• Direct, structural & cultural violence
• Culture of peace
• Nonviolence
• Connections Between
humor/laughter & peace
• What you can do to promote peace

7. "We cannot solve our problems with
the same level of thinking that
created them.”
–Albert Einstein
7

8. “Sincewarsbegin intheminds ofmen, itis inthe
minds ofmenthandefenses ofpeace mustbe
constructed."
-UNESCOConstitution,1945

9. What is peace?

10. What is peace?

11. Earth Charter definition
Peace is the “wholeness created by right
relationships to oneself, other persons,
other cultures, other life, Earth, and the
larger whole of which all are a part.”

12. What is violence?
“An avoidable insult to human needs” Johan Galtung, 1969
“…actions, words, attitudes, structures or systems that cause
physical, psychological, social or environmental damage and/or
prevent people from reaching their full human potential.” Fisher
et al., 2000
Key characteristics:
Dehumanization,
Separation
Direct:
Physical
violence,
war
Cultural:
Beliefs,
values
Types of
Violence
Structural:
Racism,
poverty

13. Negative and positive peace
• Negative peace – the absence of direct (physical) violence
• Positive peace – the absence of structural (& direct) violence
and the presence of human rights, equality, social justice,
dignity, ecological sustainability
Negative
Peace
Culture
Positive
Peace
Structure

14. What is a culture of peace?
“The Culture of Peace is a set of values,
attitudes, modes of behaviour and
ways of life that reject violence and
prevent conflicts by tackling their root
causes to solve problems through
dialogue and negotiation among
individuals, groups and nations."
UN Resolutions A/RES/52/13: Culture of Peace, and
A/RES/53/243, Declaration and Programme of Action on a
Culture of Peace

15. Culture of War vs. Culture of Peace
– Adams/UNESCO

18. What do you call a food fight
with Gandhi?

19. Naan-violence ;)

20. Nonviolence as our greatest
potential as human beings
“Nonviolence is the greatest
force at the disposal of
humanity.”
-Gandhi

21. What is nonviolence?
Etymology
• From the original Sanskrit, ahimsa: अह िंसा
a = non
himsa = the desire to harm
ahimsa = the absence of the desire to harm
positive = love-in-action

22. (Principled) Nonviolence
“Nonviolence means avoiding not only the external physical
violence, but also the internal violence of the spirit. You not
only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.” –
MLK Jr.

23. Constructive & Obstructive
From the Metta Center for Nonviolence: www.mettacenter.org

24. Conflict escalation curve
www.mettacenter.org

25. Gandhi on humor

26. Making the connection…
• Inner peace
• Interpersonal peace
• Intercultural understanding
• Conflict resolution
• Nonviolent resistance
• Challenges

27. Laughter & Inner Peace

28. Laughter and Interpersonal
Peace

29. Laughter and Intercultural Peace: “If we
can laugh together, we can live together.”
-Ray Hanania, Israeli/Palestinian comedy tour

30. Humor as Nonviolent Resistance
Otpor! Serbian movement to overthrow Slobodan
Milosevic, 2000

31. Humor as conflict resolution
• Conflict generator
• Process tool (dialogue, mediation, negotiation)
• Healing
• Relationship building
• Social protest
Zelizer, Craig (2010). “Laughing Our Way to Peace or War: Humor and
Peacebuilding” [online article] Journal of Conflictology. Vol. 1, Iss. 2. Campus for
Peace, UOC.

32. But…humor can fan the flames
of conflict
Charlie Hebdo memorial,
Paris, January 2015
Kenyan election violence, 2007

33. How can YOU promote peace
through laughter and humor?

34. Thank you!
Contact:
stephknox24@gmail.com
education@mettacenter.org
facebook.com/stephanie.cubbon
@stephaniecubbon
Metta Center for Nonviolence
www.mettacenter.org