Community making and peace

Quotes from the different drum 
by M. Scott peck m.d.

"...the one constant I have found wherever I go - the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, or the West Coast - is the lack of - and the thirst for - Community"

"... A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE LEARNED HOW TO COMMUNICATE HONESTLY WITH EACH OTHER, WHOSE
RELATIONSHIPS GO DEEPER THAN THEIR MASKS OF COMPOSURE,
AND WHO HAVE DEVELOPED SOME SIGNIFICANT COMMITMENT
TO 'REJOICE TOGETHER, MOURN TOGETHER,' AND TO DELIGHT IN
EACH OTHER, MAKE OTHERS' CONDITIONS OUR OWN."

Major characteristics of community: 
INCLUSIVITY, COMMITMENT, AND CONCENSUS

"...the reality is that we are inevitably social creatures who desperately need each other not merely for sustenance, not merely for company, but for meaning to our lives whatsoever."

Our (western) society that practices 'denial' is sustained only by pretense; encourages us to hide our weaknesses and failures: "teaching us to be utterly ashamed of our limitations. Relentlessly demands that we keep up appearances and also isolates us from each other - makes genuine community impossible."

"The spirit of true community is the spirit of peace - "

"Genuine community is inclusive - competitiveness is always exclusive - if community has enemies, it has begun to lose the spirit of community - if it ever had it in the first place."

'COMMUNITY-BUILDING FIRST, PROBLEM-SOLVING SECOND'

"...THAT OUR PURPOSE IN BEING TOGETHER IS TO FORM OURSELVES INTO A COMMUNITY, AND NOT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF OUR CITY" ...until we get to  know each other as different human beings, we're just clobbering each other in the head with our 'fine ideas' ...."

"...most groups beginning to form a group setting up committees and sub-committees can never become a true community - - it is the first step that is doomed to failure"

First step is to empty ourselves of pre-conceived notions, prejudices:
allow for our hearts to open so that compassion becomes possible.