Oklahoma's Culture of Peace
Oklahomans for Global Solutions
Envisioning a future in which people work together to abolish war,
protect our rights and freedoms, establish a culture of peace, and
solve the problems facing humanity that no nation can solve alone.  
"I salute the flag of the State of Oklahoma.  Its symbols of peace unite all people."
Our Oklahoma
Heritage of Peace

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational
Scientific and Cultural Organization, is sponsoring a worldwide campaign to
promote a global “Culture of Peace.”

In UNESCO’s parlance, “culture” is a broad concept.  It includes tangible and
intangible elements – including significant places, sites, songs, stories, history,
performing arts, rituals, events, etc.  

The folks at UNESCO remind us that cultural heritage provides people with a
sense of identity and continuity.  Furthermore, cultural heritage “is constantly
being recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment,
their interaction with nature, and their historical conditions of existence.”

Since culture is constantly being created and transformed, it makes sense to
promote and lift up those aspects of our culture that are appropriate for the
global, interdependent world that we live in.  

That’s what the “Culture of Peace” campaign is about.  As defined by the United
Nations, the Culture of Peace is:

“A set of values, attitudes, modes of behavior
and ways of life that reject violence and prevent
conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve
problems through dialogue and negotiation among
individuals, groups and nations.”  

As part of its Culture of Peace campaign, UNESCO has designed a project
called, “Peace in Our Hands Through Local Heritage.”  The project encourages
local communities to use local cultural heritage as a tool for promoting the
Culture of Peace.  

I’ve been thinking about how we might support this project in Oklahoma.  How
can we use elements of our state’s cultural heritage to illustrate how we have
overcome conflicts and divisions through non-violence and peaceful change?  

I’ve come up with a few ideas, but they aren’t fully thought out.  Primarily, I have
thought about these elements of culture:

< >        Ritual – for example, the salute to our State Flag;
< >        Culturally significant places –
     for example, the Oklahoma City National Memorial;
< >        Stories – for example,
     the history of Oklahoma’s courageous peacemakers.

Here’s what I’ve got so far.  (I could use some help on these, so feel free to add
your own comments and ideas) …

RITUAL.  One of the symbolic objects in our Oklahoma culture is our State Flag
– which we salute with the following words:






"I salute the flag of the State
of Oklahoma.  Its symbols of
peace unite all people."



The flag features a sky blue field with a central device: an Indian war shield of tan
buckskin.  It is notable that the shield is a symbol of protection; it cannot be used
as an offensive weapon.  Other symbols of peace on the flag include an Indian
peace pipe (calumet) lying on the shield, and -- above the Indian peace pipe -- an
olive branch, the European settlers’ emblem of peace.

PLACE.  Another object of our cultural heritage is the Oklahoma City National
Memorial, which the Oklahoma peace movement has adopted, informally, as a
symbol of peace.  These words are inscribed on the memorial:





“…May all who leave here know
the impact of violence.  
May this memorial offer comfort,
strength, peace, hope and
serenity.”  



UNESCO suggests that communities should undertake efforts to formally
recognize such special places as intentional symbols of our commitment to
understanding, tolerance, solidarity, and respect for human rights.  

STORIES.  Finally, stories from Oklahoma’s history are important in showing
how we have overcome many conflicts and divisions through non-violence and
peaceful change.  Our state has suffered through some horrific events – the Trail
of Tears, the Battle of Washita, the Tulsa Race Riot, the Oklahoma City Bombing
– and yet we are a people who have learned how to live in peace with one
another.  

Throughout our history, we have enjoyed the presence of many heroes of peace
(some who are famous and others who are not well-known).  Here are a few that
I know of:

< >   Black Kettle,
the Peace Chief of the Cheyennes who
demonstrated his commitment to peaceful
co-existence and international law (but whose
life ended tragically at the Battle of Washita);





< >   Dr. Charles William Kerr,
a Scottish pastor and missionary who
founded the First Presbyterian Church
in Tulsa and who is remembered for his
attempts to stop the lynching of a black
teenager during the Tulsa Race Riot;





< >    Will Rogers,
the cowboy philosopher who poked fun at the
“foreign adventurism” that  America was drawn
into during the early twentieth century (in Panama,
Nicaragua, and elsewhere).  For example, he said--

“You know, we haven't got any business in those
faraway wars. Seven thousand miles is a long way
to go to shoot somebody, especially if you are not
right sure they need shooting, and you are not sure
whether you are shooting the right side or not.”


< >    Hannah Diggs Atkins,
whose contributions to peace and public life
have included service as an Oklahoma state
representative, cabinet member, Secretary of State,
and delegate to the United Nations.  



For a listing of more Peace Heroes, please visit the ...

     Oklahoma Cultural Hall of Fame

I know I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, and my educational background isn’t
in anthropology or history or any of that good stuff – so, if you feel like you’ve got
some better ideas about promoting “Peace Through Local Heritage,” please feel
free to add your thoughts on our OK-Global Message Board.  

Thanks!

Bill Bryant  
Chief Instigator
Oklahomans for Global Solutions
Visit the website of our
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Education Center

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This website is maintained by Bill Bryant, dba Small World Business Services ... Page created December 25, 2006.
If you want peace,
work for justice.

If you want justice,
support fair and
enforceable laws.

If you want fair and
enforceable laws,
build a democratic
government.

If you want a
democratic government,
participate in a
vibrant civil society.  

If you want
a vibrant civil society,
respect the humanity
of all people.  
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"The structure of
world peace cannot
be the work of one
man or one party
or one nation.  
It must be a peace
which rests on the
cooperative effort
of the whole
world."
--Franklin D. Roosevelt
Think Globally ...
Act at the
appropriate level
of governance.