Pacifica Means Peace

Pacifica Means Peace (PMP) is a project to use participatory futures methods to envision a peaceful coexistence between the USA and China.

Images of the future have the power to shape the imagination of the public and policymakers. As well, images of the future come with cognitive bias, for example a military think tank will envision conflict more readily, as defence is their mandate. A state apparatus will envision the future from the interests of their nation or national leaders. Today however we get a steady drumbeat of war from both analysts and media.

What’s missing has been a way for citizens to envision a peaceful future between China and the United States, rather than become consumed by short-sighted fear based visions.

People need a way to imagine a peaceful future that has autonomy; and a way to image a peaceful future that can communicate with the broader public. Participatory futures is a way to intervene in the public imagination of the future. Right now, the image of the future between China and the United States is replete with images of conflict, antagonism and war.

Yet anyone with a real understanding of war would know that a war between the US and China would be devastating for both countries and for the world. There would be no victors, and any so-called “victory” would be a pyrrhic one. 

Unfortunately the way in which the mechanisms of statehood play out and the emotional forces of nationalism play out seem to lead us closer to conflict or war. They are like tectonic plates, unconsciously moving towards each other, unaware that the consequences of their ideas and actions will lead to suffering.

There are some very clear truths and principles that we can begin with.

• The first is that we are better off with peace between these nations. 

• The second is that the way in which the dynamics are articulated diminish peace as a possibility. Think tanks, states and pundits, unconscious of their cognitive biases, usher forth images of future conflict based on the presumptions of realism or pragmatism. 

• The third is that the image of the future has real power to intervene in our thinking and our actions. Images of the future can provide new pathways for us to take that lead us to better directions. 

• Finally, the fourth is that these images of the future that envision peace will need to come from somewhere. They can come from citizens, both from the citizens of China and the United States, but as well they can come from citizens around the world.

It’s time to envision a peaceful existence between the United States and China, look for the pathways that will make this future possible, and influence or nudge our societies toward this better future. The core idea is to use citizens to envision a peaceful future between China and the United States. And to also provide pathways to peace, the building blocks that we have to put in place to make peace possible.

The way in which peaceful existence can be imagined is quite diverse. But following from participatory futures practices, it’s important to begin with the idea that many people should be enabled to participate to create this future image and vision. 

This should not be a unitary vision, but a vision that is constructed by many people, relational and connected, and in a way provides a demonstration of the will and desire of many people from around the world, no matter how big their differences and no matter whether they are citizens of the US or China, to imagine and create a future of peace.

We cannot leave the image of the future up to state departments, military and strategic think tanks, or half-baked armchair pundits on YouTube. We need real vision by the people and from the people.