Peace Child Analysis

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M2A4: Peace Child Discussion
Why was a gift of a child needed in this story? Why not a sum of money or some other less extreme sacrifice? The gift of a child was needed because the writer, Don Richardson, needed to use it as an analogy to communicate that Christ is the perfect child and God was willing to give his only child for the sake of peace. It was also significant because money is not something of extreme sacrifice or value to the Sawi people, or other tribes within that area. What was important and valued were their own children, whom if they were willing to give up a child to another person’s care, they were proving they trusted them and that the peace would remain intact. The peace child was the ultimate sacrifice and that needed …show more content…

Effective communication is how I resolve the conflicts I encounter in my family, work, and community culture. By speaking honestly and clearly, my position and interests are shared. When the other party decides to also take part in the effective communication, they are open to listening to me. However, if they do not listen to what I have to say, rather than escalate the conflict, I listen to their positions and interests. By doing this, I can then show I am open-minded enough to respect their cultures and viewpoints in order to reach a reasonable solution. Richardson employed the same method when he decided to listen, openly, to the significance of the peace child, then related the holy peace child in terms they could relate to and understand.
What lessons about the necessary elements of peacemaking do you get from Peace …show more content…

Richardson developed mindful awareness, increasing his understanding of the Sawi’s point of view. He built cultural fluency, an essential element of peacemaking, in order to help solve the conflicts he faced with the Sawi people. He learned the Sawi language, in order to better communicate and understand their culture, and he discovered important cultural patterns. He familiarized himself with the cultural dynamics of the Sawi people in order to bridge their differences. Richardson realized the low-context communication style of the Sawi people and learned to use it affectively. As he attempted to build his cultural fluency, he did not fall in the cultural traps that can cause miscommunication and failed thinking. Richardson explored both the cultural differences and similarities, rather than focusing on or the other or failing to see both as equally important to peace building. He also developed conflict fluency, understanding the conflict, knowing it was essential to bridging the differences between the various tribes. Richardson was then able to take what he had learned from observing and interacting with the Sawi people, fostering dynamic engagement, in order to build a new relationship on understanding and dialogue. Richardson also understood the fact that unless he realized and accepted the differing starting points and currencies, of both himself

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