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I will resolve conflict
Often we ignore conflict, hoping it will go away. Or we engage in a power struggle, arguing or debating in order to impose our will. Or we give-in, figuring it’s easier to give up what we really need in order to avoid confrontation or save a relationship.

The conflict is temporarily suppressed, only to reemerge -- sometimes with a Vengeance -- in the future.

When we pledge to resolve conflict, we commit to being courageous enough to face it, dedicated enough to stay with it until it’s resolved, and open-minded enough to allow agreement to occur.

Most of us were never taught dispute resolution skills. To move the world beyond war we must all learn them. It’s an exciting time in the field of conflict resolution. Cutting-edge revelations and brilliant, effective techniques are available for us to discover. Even within the most divergent of strong opinions there is the opportunity for understanding, reconciliation and harmony.

In conflicts in our personal lives we can begin to listen with open-hearted curiosity, to be fully present and to engage in dialogue -- a very different process from debate. By sharing this process, both we and the opposing party are changed. We learn something new. When this happens an opening occurs and satisfying, novel solutions can emerge.

As we practice and perfect these nonviolent techniques in our own lives, we will expect and insist that our governments do the same.
 
I will not use violence
Violence never resolves conflict.

The most cruel weapon in the arsenal of power struggle, violence may silence opposition for a time but it does not address the underlying source of any conflict. The dispute continues to simmer, now fueled by feelings of victimization, hatred and revenge. The conflict, instead of being resolved, eventually boils over into more violence.

In our personal lives, most of us have moved way beyond the use of physical violence to achieve our goals. However, this Beyond War Core Practice challenges us to observe our verbal and psychological habits and refrain from using much more subtle forms of violent behavior in our interactions with others.

As we increase our awareness of the role of such violent activities as intimidation, coercion, bullying or threatening in our own lives, we can decrease our willingness to engage in them. And as we hold ourselves to these higher standards, we will do the same for our governments, no longer allowing them to be exempt from the moral principles that guide our personal lives.