La Paz

For so long, I've heard the word "peace" mentioned. Naturally, I do hold a Bachelors degree in International Relations with a minor in Peace Studies... so hearing the word "peace" is a part of my everyday life. But what does peace really mean and how does it translate into our every day life?

As young professionals, most of us go to work do our best and if we aren't enrolled in graduate programs, we find some avenue of getting involved and engaging ourselves. Yet it's quite clear that many of us feel dis-empowered. We feel that change is an illusion that crumbles when tested in the real world. The recent election of Barack Obama as the presidential nominee for the Democratic party, however, destroyed the idea that peace and change are merely illusions. He made the issues very real and refused to be undermined by the status quo.

What can my generation do? How do we create peace within our own lives and then spread these ideas to our family, communities and societies?

The definition of peace is as follows:

1. The absence of war or other hostilities.
2. An agreement or a treaty to end hostilities.
3. Freedom from quarrels and disagreement; harmonious relations: roommates living in peace with each other.
4. Public security and order: was arrested for disturbing the peace.
5. Inner contentment; serenity: peace of mind.

So how do we achieve peace and is it just an inevitable dream that we all harbor somewhere deep within us?