Assumptions

My Monday night class (Peacemaking, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding) has given me quite a bit to think about. Not specifically about what we're reading but, more importantly (to me anyway), about what we're *not* reading. My friend acap brought up a good point last night: There seems to be a lot of literature about what to do as conflict managers, how to manage conflict, steps to take when someone calls you, techniques you can use to help build peace, and so on, but there is little said about the personal growth necessary to help us become peacebuilders.

How do we get here? What motivates us to become peacebuilders/conflict resolvers? How do our personal stories and journies contribute to the ongoing evolution that can make us effective? I could ask the same question about engineers, software programmers, public planners, etc., but those fields seem heavily skill-based. There is definitely a need for a talent or inclincation in the area you choose, but there are skills you can learn that will help you accomplish your task regardless.

In the fields that require massive interaction with other people, however, little is said about what needs to happen in our personal lives so that we can be more effective in our work. Social work, counseling, teaching, conflict management - people in these fields have a great deal of direct influence over the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of the poeple they interact with.

So what do the practicioners do in order to take care of their own issues? At this point, that seems to be an extremely relevant question. What does a CR practitioner do in her own life that would indicate her preparedness for involvement in the lives of others? What does a teacher do that helps her constantly adjust and work with her students in a loving and careful manner? How do social workers and counselors manage their own emotional duress so that they are able to continue helping their clients?

Most of the 'answers' I've seen to this kind of question are surface and fairly shallow. "Take time off", "don't take it personally", "Nurture yourself", and so on. That's all well and good but what do those things MEAN? Does everyone who goes into any of these fields (or the many others I didn't mention) automatically know what to do in order to not just maintain some semblence of emotional/mental healthy but how to continue their personal growth?

I think I should be clear that I'm basing this whole discussion on my belief that personal growth is vital to our ability to work and interact with other people in a professional or personal capacity. It's another facet of my personal interest in connecting a spiritual practice with our ability to work, function, and cope in our public/professional lives. For people who are in professional positions that require an immense amount of emotional output, compassion, listening, understanding, and facilitation, it seems to be *vital* that they have some sort of practice to replenish their own resources. What that practice is, and whether or not they have one, seems important.

Is this talked about during the education process? I don't know, but I think it should be.