Who we are

For a quick look: Civilization captures much of our origins.

An overview can be found on Peace Via Nature's Way
A more in-depth study appears on Browser's Hub.

Our mission is to search out the fundamental reasons for terrorism, violence and war, and work toward fixing them with equal opportunities for peace among all peoples regardless of ethnicity, belief system, gender, national origin, or station in life. We must figure out the causes of violence and devise strategies to remove them.

Conceived on 12 Sept 2001, Roadtopeace is a site individuals can study and use in trying to make a difference in our violent times. Roadtopeace is, and for the foreseeable future will be, a work in progress.

Trends already identified show by their complexity that there is no quick fix. They lead us to the following briefly stated strategy statement for achieving peace:

From our research so far, it seems certain that grass-roots society changes are needed everywhere to counter extremism and its offshoot fundamentalism. It will take a new world order to effectively control these threats. Sooner rather than later, all this should drive serious and extensive research into the root causes of terrorism in order to devise appropriate diplomacies and reformations to deal with them. Nuclear proliferation is a serious and immediate threat. Population pressures may be longer in term, but ultimately are a threat to survival.

Tentatively we find that if there is a root cause for violence, terror and war, it is in our genes, and the Authoritarian Personality and Extremism are its manifestations. In other words, it is our "jungle/savanna genetic heritage." The authoritarian personality is particularly vulnerable to radicalization. It is expressed by rigidity of views, a strong desire to be told what to do, an equally strong desire to tell "lessor mortals" what to do, and to see all things in a black and white context. Most terrorists fit this mold closely.

People in all societies share this natural tendency and they achieve very different results, depending on how they nurture each new generation.

How we are nurtured early on also influences our later attitudes. Authoritarians are particualarly vulnerable to radicalization in one direction or another. It is the extreme personality fringes that cause problems. That several societies at local and national levels have tempered their violent tendencies gives us hope that a solution may be found that can and will be implemented.

The dynamics of terrorist development along with the existence of peaceful and violent societies provide us with a map of the turf. Yes, poverty is an issue. A more important issue is one society humiliating or subjugating another. These in turn are byproducts of civilization disparaties that have widened substantially over the last four centuries. Imperialism in particular, in it several forms, contributed heavily to today's problems.

Terrorism in its current manifestation is an attempt by one society to change the behavior of another society. Both sides of this critical issue require deep objective studies. This site has begun that task.

All this and more is described on our pages. We provide numerous links and references to many sources and resources. Where this will end, no one knows. But what is certain is that violence will not go away soon, nor will it happen until all peoples, all Homo sapiens, aspire to peace enough to insist that our leaders unite and start doing something about it. That something has two precepts:

• reasons for proceeding with actions must be sound and
• we must realize and believe in our hearts that all men and women are created equal and deserving of love and respect accordingly.

Following these precepts will:

• retain the positive features of the authoritarian personality as we limit its extreme expression.
• bring imperialism and plutocracy to an end.
• find ways for all humanity to live comfortably in a limited and delicate biosphere, using only such energy that can be replenished.
• find ways to prevent a nuclear holocaust.
• find ways to accomodate people's need for mythos and spirituality with the practical needs to govern society in its free and endless quests for peace and comfort through knowledge -- recognize and accept mythos and logos as legitimate but different features of living.