National Association of Social Workers

From the Director

Taking Time to Think About Peace

By Elizabeth J. Clark, Ph.D., ACSW, MPH

My column for the News always needs to be written about six weeks before publication. Therefore, I am writing this early while vacationing at Glacier National Park in western Montana. My husband and I have been coming to this same location for almost 20 years.

In many ways Glacier seems unchanged — the scenery magnificent, the wildlife plentiful, the hiking trails familiar. Yet, global warming is taking its toll. The glaciers have shrunk markedly; some no longer exist at all. In fact, there is now a program here called "Good-bye to the Glaciers" that gives an update on what the disappearance of the glaciers will mean to the park. It is so dry that forest fires have been a particular challenge this year, and several of the streams and waterfalls we usually visit have completely dried up. There is as much brown on the mountainside as there is green.

There are no TV sets or radios or Internet connections or even Blackberry service in Glacier Park. Entertainment consists of hiking, fishing or watching the progress of several grizzly bears and mountain goats on one of the nearby mountain peaks. And there is time for thinking, for a regrouping of ideas and ideals and a re-evaluation of one's commitments.

Each evening a forest ranger or local expert talks about the history of Glacier Park and the dedication of a small group of frontier visionaries and concerned citizens who wanted to protect our wilderness from piecemeal development. Their lobbying led to the development of national parks in 1910, almost a century ago.

Glacier National Park joins Waterton Lakes National Park at the U.S.-Canadian border. The 49th parallel is the boundary between the two countries. In 1931, a small group of 100 met in Waterton where they resolved to petition their governments to join the two national parks in the name of peace. In less than a year, the necessary legislation was passed in both countries to create Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, a place that represents a concept.

In 1995, the Peace Park was designated a World Heritage Site. At the dedication ceremony, Nelson Mandela said, "In a world beset by conflict and division, peace is one of the cornerstones of the future. Peace parks are a building block in this process." Currently there are 138 peace parks worldwide where people come to search for peace and hope.

Sitting here in this peaceful mountain retreat, my life in Washington, D.C., seems too complex, too contentious, too committed. The conflicts that bombard us on a daily basis about war, terrorism, immigration and environmental injustice seem pointless, certainly needless. We could take a lesson from the Peace Park where "two countries, two provinces, one state and the Blackfoot people share common boundaries and stewardship." What a wonderful model for international harmony.

Social workers have always promoted peace and environmental justice. We include policies on both of these topics in Social Work Speaks. Additionally, in October, NASW launched a Peace Policy Toolkit. The purpose of the toolkit is to provide members with information and resources to continue the tradition of speaking out against war and injustice and to work toward policies and programs at the local, state, national and international levels that reflect social work values and that reduce conflict and ensure human rights for all people.

Much of the time we are all so caught up in the day-to-day issues of our lives and jobs that we may not have time to stop and think about peace and about what we, as social workers, can do to further peace efforts. We hope the Peace Toolkit will give you both ideas and inspiration. It only took 100 people to establish the concept of a peace park and to make that dream a reality worldwide. Think what half a million social workers could do if we each take some action to further peace. The toolkit can be downloaded at www.socialworkers.org/diversity/peacetoolkit2007/.

To comment to Elizabeth J. Clark: newscolumn@naswdc.org

From November 2007 NASW News. © 2007 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. NASW News articles may be copied for personal use, but proper notice of copyright and credit to the NASW News must appear on all copies made. This permission does not apply to reproduction for advertising, promotion, resale, or other commercial purposes.