For a society to be truly at peace, it requires more than the lack of war.

Peace is an active process, and not always an easy one. It requires a basic level of trust and good will extended from each individual to another. It is tolerance, acceptance, forgiveness, understanding, community. It is learning to recognize the humanity in each of us, and knowing the difference between your fellow human and a demonized enemy. It is the responsibility to look upon your neighbor with the helpful eye of a friend.

Passivity is hopelessness, distrust, and defeatedness. It is the result of giving up on your fellow human, of characterizing them as Other.

When conversing with a member of a different political identity, remember to treat them peacefully, rather than passively. Remember that political identities don’t have to be anything more than a single part of a larger whole. They are a part of what it is to be human, and being human is much more about community and friendship than isolation and distrust.