Editorial July 19, 1999 Issue

Toward a heartfelt peace

Russ Gerber

Media attention has been focused on the thousands of people involved in peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo, together with the ongoing and complex task of making the region secure.

Movement toward stability and peace in any part of the world, no matter how difficult or fragile it may seem, is welcome news. Even if deeply held animosities are still stirring below the surface, the absence of all-out war gives everyone involved an opportunity to reassess his or her motives, to think carefully about future actions, and, one would hope, to make a deeper commitment to establishing a permanent peace.

Over time, the challenge is not to mistake the absence of fighting for genuine peace; not to become complacent and allow leftover hurt or anger to smolder for a period, ready to ignite. For greater stability and progress, we need to keep pursuing the kind of peace that reaches all the way to people's hearts, healing deep hurts, eliminating long-standing animosities, and mending broken relations.

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