Actions | War and Peace

Stop War In Pakistan:

To: The U.S. House, The U.S. Senate and The President of the United States

Started by: Dr.A. Khan

Culture can be defined as a society’s accepted basis for responding to external and internal events.Culture is the human-made part of human environment-the sum total of knowledge, beliefs,art,morals, laws,customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by humans as members of society.Even though the nuances of a culture can be observed, one cannot expect to fully understand a society’s actions and point of view without an appreciation for the influence of the geographical uniqueness to which a culture has had to adapt and historical events it has experienced.If a U.S. government is to interpret a culture’s behavior and attitudes,it is essential to have some idea of a country’s geography and history.The goal of this article is to introduce the policies maker’s to the impact of geography and history on the peace process.As element of geography, the climate and physical terrain of a country are important environmental considerations when appraising the foreign grounds.The people we were advising kept bumping their heads against an invisible barrier.We knew that what they were up against was a complete different way of organizing life, of thinking, and of conceiving the underlying assumptions about the family and the state,the economic system , and even Man himself. (Anthropologist Edward Hall)

Report close
You must be signed in to report content.

Sign the Letter

Peace for Pakistan

Dear Representative,

Most problems encountered by the foreign environment result from the strangeness of the environment within which programs or policies must be implemented.Success hinges in part on the ability to assess and adjust properly to the impact of a strange environment.The success of international policies possesses the best qualities of the anthropologist, sociologist,psychologist, diplomate ,lawyer, prophet of peace. There are many ways to think about culture.Dutch management professor Geert Hofdtede refers to culture as the “software” of the mind and argues that it provides a guide for humans on how to think and behave.The cultural differences are often invisible and if the policy makers ignore them it often hurts the front line contacts. Education, one of the most important social institutions, affects all aspects of the culture from economic development to peace process.The literacy rate of the country is a potent force in economic development and peace process.Numerous studies indicate a direct link between the literacy rate of a country and its capability for rapid economic growth.According to the world bank, no country has been successful economically with less than 50% literacy rate,but if U.S. invest in education development, the economic rewards will be substantial. U.S.policies makers can reduce conflict and improve communications and thereby increase success in collaborative relationships by just being cultural sensitive. It is necessary for the decision maker’s to investigate the assumptions on which judgement are based,especially when the frames of references are strictly from his or her own culture.As products of our own culture we instinctively evaluate foreign cultural patterns from personal perspective. The success or failure of operations abroad depends on an awareness of the fundamental differences in cultures and the willingness to discard as excess baggage cultural elements of one’s own culture. A characteristic of human culture is that change occurs.That people’s habits,tastes,styles,behavior, and values are not constant but are continually changing can be verified by reading 20 -year old magazines.However,the gradual cultural growth does not occur without some resistance;new methods,ideas,and products are held to be suspect before they are accepted,if ever.

[Your name here]

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

Address:

City:

Zip Code:

Allow my signature to be seen by other community members.

*AnimalSpirit ~ Diana* Martz Acton, IN

Sent letter to Barack Obama , Dick Lugar , Evan Bayh , Dan Burton and Andre Carson

Nov 19
Paul Hester Neptune Beach, FL

Sent letter to Ander Crenshaw , Bill Nelson and Barack Obama

Nov 17
Deborah "Dusty" Debandi Greensboro, NC

Sent letter to Howard Coble , Mel Watt , Brad Miller , Barack Obama , Richard Burr and Kay Hagan

Nov 16
Nick Hardy Clearwater, FL

Sent letter to Gus Bilirakis , Bill Young , Bill Nelson and Barack Obama

Nov 16
Elisabeth Kelly Washington, DC

Sent letter to Eleanor Norton and Barack Obama

Nov 15
Mia Huolman Vaasa, Finland

Sent letter to Dianne Feinstein , Barbara Boxer and Barack Obama

Nov 13
Susanne Tyler Kiel, Germany

Sent letter to Johnny Isakson , Saxby Chambliss and Barack Obama

Nov 12
Ann Cawley Saint Joseph, MO

Sent letter to Sam Graves , Barack Obama , Kit Bond and Claire McCaskill

Nov 11
Kelly Cleveland Denver, CO

Sent letter to Diana DeGette , Ed Perlmutter , Barack Obama , Mark Udall and Michael Bennet

Nov 11
Lily Rocco New York, NY

Sent letter to Carolyn Maloney , Barack Obama , Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand

Nov 10