What is the relevance of language in attaining peace?

Answer 1

Try interacting with someone whose language you have no idea of.

Didn't work, did it?

If there is to be peace, first of all there must be mutual understanding. People must be able to express themselves, their thoughts, their interests, their feelings, their intentions, their opinions, their emotions and everything else. This allows us to help one another and thus to be friends with one another.

I currently work at what used to be the old Expo 98 in Lisbon, Portugal, where we get visitors from around the world. (Come on over and we'll discuss discount possibilities! :P) I have to use some fixe or six different languages EVERY DAY. Besides my Portuguese native language, I often also have to communicate in Spanish, French, Italian, English and German, and that's not even half of it: I've started picking up words (or have at least seen people speaking) in Romanian, Greek, Russian, Polish, Czech, Dutch, Flemish, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Turkish, Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindu, Hebrew and a trunkload of other languages. We get people from all over the world visiting us, and I can tell you that it is a very awkward feeling when you try to talk to a person and you can't do it because you don't know the language well enough. We just stand there looking at one another for a few seconds and usually "escape" into English, which is more and more becoming the new international language par excellence.

Also, there was one time when I had to sell people a couple of tickets. But then I noticed I'd charged the wrong price and I had to explain that the tickets were more expensive. The problem is that they spoke Russian, or a similar language, and almost no English. I had no idea how to get my point across. If I could have actually talked to them, at least in English, I would have been able to explain that I'd make a simple mistake. But, as you can imagine, they were quite furious at me when I said the price was 4 Euros higher than I'd said before. I didn't even know how to apologize, for Christ's sake. They went away incredibly upset and I'm not sure they'll want to come back so soon.

I can also tell you, on the other hand, that you always feel an extremely rewarding sentation when you succeed in having a moderately fluent conversation with someone in their own native language. German, for instance. A lot of people walk up to me looking a bit serious and keeping their English to a minimum -- a predictable, natural reaction when you are in a country where your language is all but unknown and you must resort to a third language which is neither yours nor theirs. When they talk among themselves, however, or when I see their credit cards or identification with German words in them, I immediately ask, in German, "are you German?" then say "I can speak some German too!" and they immediately start smiling and even laughing.

Even my German teacher was there when I was selling tickets one day. We started saying hi and speaking in German as if we'd known each other for ages and the people who were coming with her were like "HUH??" It was so cool! LOL

These people walk away with a smile on their face, and even more so if I see a chance to engage in a longer conversation, for instance to explain where the lift, the cable car, the restaurants or the shopping center are. Speaking in their native language makes them feel much more comfortable than in any other case. This is also the case for English, French and Spanish speakers, who I can also have actual conversations with, even if a bit limited sometimes.

Overall, I seem to have a great deal more success with our visitors than whoever thinks that all people who come to Portugal should speak only Portuguese, or who just don't have the patience or the skill to even try to be a little courteous by speaking other languages.

Some people have called me an idealist and even a dreamer, but the practical truth is that I do better than they do when it comes to communicating and to being friendly to people, wherever they might come from, and to making them want to remember their experience. I'm doing my job and I'm doing it well, and with far better practical results.

That, my friend, is the importance of languages in attaining peace.

And I don't really approve of there being ONLY one language for everybody to speak. Not in this world. Not in this context where we have a massive ammount of history and evolution to consider, and where we must be proud of who we are.
I would therefore support the implementation of the following international communication model: there would be a single international language to be studied and spoken in all countries throughout the world -- I'd choose English in a heartbeat -- and each country would retain its native language(s) for internal, communitary use, as a symbol of national identity and of respect and pride in the nation's culture and past.
Besides, being able to speak more than one language is good training for learning other languages and helps to improve your social skills.

But languages should NEVER divide people.
NO language is superior to any other. That is to say, nobody should impose restrictions on certain languages, not even dialects, or forbid their use on behalf of another. Thus (if such a model were implemented), while English would be a universal language and therefore necessary, it should never be regarded as superior to the others just because it's the world language. It has its own culture and worth, just like all the others, and would be chosen only for the practical reasons of relative ease of learning and because of the fact that it is already a hugely widespread language.

If all people were willing to accept their differences and to learn from them, and to take real, useful, pragmatic, practical and usable benefit from that learning, they would be unbelievably happier. Learning languages is just one example among many, and I might also quote religion, race, football teams, and all the other things which divide people when they should unite people instead.
But the problem is many of them are just too lazy or too proud of their origins.

That's why I completely separate the concepts of "arrogance" and "pride".
Sitting on my laurels would be stupid arrogance.
Trying to make myself someone even better would be pragmatic pride. And you know what? It actually works. (Ask the people who visit the Expo.)

I, for one, am very proud of my origins, but that's never stopped me from learning stuff and being friendly to people who are different from me. In fact, it is because of being proud of who I am that I want to learn more. And that makes me even more proud of myself, which in turn makes more people like me even more. And it never stops.

Perhaps you should try it sometime. ;)

Answer 2

The Word of God. I declare the guarantees therein. An instance is Philippians four:6 and seven "Be apprehensive approximately not anything however in the whole lot via prayer and supplication with thanksgiving allow your requests be made identified to God. Verse 7 Then the Peace of God which extends past the brain's potential to fully grasp shall safeguard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." That is a fine promise to say. It is just a mystery to those that don't but realize or refuse to understand.

Answer 3

There is a book or CD out on The Language of Peace (or peacemaking).

But, one oft forgotten aspect is the role of translators and interpreters who hold much power. One word in one language may correspond to five words in another language, for instance. First, the translator must have a large enough vocabulary to know this and know the subtle meanings of words, they must choose the right word and often quickly. And, they must be honest and not have a hidden agenda.

Answer 4

IF people understaND EACH OTHER, THEY COULD EXPRESS THEMSELVES WELL AND TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT , WHATEVER RIVALRY, OR QUARREL THEY HAD UNDERGONE WILL BE SOLVED IF THEY UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER THROUGH COMMUNICATION AND THERE WILL BE COMMUNICATION IF THERE IS A COMMON LANGUAGE, THAT IS , A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE WHICH THEY BOTH UNDERSTAND.

Answer 5

People appreciate it when you can speak their language. I'm sure you appreciate it when they can speak yours.