Better Ways to Respond for Syrians Now

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A thoughtful agent of peaceful action in our world is John Franklin Hay.



He offers his thoughts on what the President of the United States should say and do now to help with the conflict in Syria.


His words offer deep insight for our consideration on A Better Way than Bombs and Militarism.

Please read his full entry from the link above - though his abbreviated thoughts are shared here:



1. Provide vigorous relief and support to all who are victims of violence . . . .

2. Pivot . . . and vigorously make the case for freedom and human rights. . . . 

3. Contemplate deeply the failed and costly military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq . . . .

4. Stop saber rattling . . . Using violence to end violence has lost its effectiveness.

5. Demonstrably reduce the role of the Defense Department, the military and militarism across the board . . . .

6. Change the role of the military to a more purely defensive posture . . . . The word “defense” describes what it should be.

7. Develop and consult with an independent panel on creative international nonviolence. . . .

8. Define "national security threat" to include only direct threats. . . .

9. Continue to appeal to and work for common ground with all UN Security Council members. . . .

10. Reset and invigorate all diplomatic efforts . . . to influence a negotiated settlement to their civil conflict.

11. With a delegation of diverse world leaders, personally meet directly with Assad and rebel leadership to appeal for a cessation of conflict and a brokered settlement.

12. Call upon all Middle Eastern nations to work directly with Syria to broker a cessation of conflict and settlement. Respect and encourage intra-regional capacity for settling regional issues.

Toward eupan ~

~ marty alan michelson, ph.d


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