present , no country adopts pure non-violent defense , and instead a purely military approach is adopted and implemented more often . The fundamental problem , Galtung argues , is not the defense policy , but a deep cultural shift away from relativism and towards absolutism , and an inability to achieve balance .
The transformation of peace and conflict
Galtung defined peace as the absence of violence and the transformation of non-violent conflict , thus bringing about the concepts of " negative peace " and " positive peace ". Negative peace focuses on the absence of direct violence and the desire to resolve disputes through negotiation and mediation in an attempt to achieve security in the short term . However , the security environment created by negative peace is not stable , and the stability emphasized by collective security is usually based on power , so negative peace implies tolerance of structural violence .
According to Galtung , active peace is a non-violent form of conflict transformation , including the following aspects : 1 . Natural peace , cooperation among species rather than struggle ; 2 . Direct positive peace , caring for the basic needs , survival , happiness , freedom and identity of all people ; 3 . Structurally positive peace , replace repression with freedom and exploitation with equality by means of dialogue , integration and participation ; 4 . Culturally positive peace , replacing the legality of violence with the legality of peace . In short , peace knows no bounds and should be pursued with " peace for all " as the goal . Positive peace transcends the absence of war and means creating a social environment in which people can live with dignity .
Galtung believed that human beings are full of conflicts , and the transformation of conflicts is a never-ending process . According to Galtung , the conflict caused by structural violence can be transformed through four steps : confrontation , struggle , separation and combination . He argued that non-violence must be part of the public discourse , that conflict should be managed with nonviolence and creativity , that the creation of sustainable approaches acceptable to all parties , and that violence should be prevented through equality and justice .
On the whole , Galtung regards war as the manifestation of direct violence , structural violence can be externalized into direct violence under certain conditions , and cultural violence tries to legalize direct violence and structural violence . Democracies do not guarantee peace , but rather are often involved in war . The only way to prevent violence when conflicts and wars arise between countries , nations or other groups in pursuit of interests is to have proper defense . There are various factors that lead to war , and eliminating war can only achieve " negative
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