ABSTRACT

This chapter utilizes the language of war and conflict interchangeably. Indeed, peace as a concept has meaning only in relation to the concept of conflict, or war. The concepts of peace and conflict are relational in nature. The map of ecosystemic family therapy as a model for facilitating peace within families may therefore be a useful way to conceptualize the relationships between the family of nations and other social systems as well as the search for peace. Another important element in facilitating peace between systems in conflict is the recognition of the importance of stability and change within any system. The experience that most people aspire to in their lives may be described as peace. As a concept, peace may be defined in many ways: “Freedom from war; a cessation or absence of hostilities between nations; a state of harmony between people or groups. A rule of ecosystemic therapy and a rule of relationships is that one cannot change others.