Reframing Peace: Conceptual Ambiguity to Practical Application to Sustainable Solutions

Author : Geoffrey West

Abstract :A global shift in human and planetary consciousness is underway. Many sense it—an unshakable feeling that the ground beneath our social, political, and spiritual foundations is changing—yet few can fully articulate it. Long-hidden truths are emerging, and the comfortable narratives we have been told are beginning to unravel. For over a century, leaders, institutions, and organizations have proclaimed their intent to “bring peace,” “negotiate peace,” “measure peace,” or “teach peace.” Yet the world remains far from it. The reason is as profound as it is overlooked: peace has never been clearly, holistically defined. Without such a definition, the word has become a convenient banner—spoken, marketed, and funded—without demanding systemic change. In reality, peace was never possible within our current paradigm. A debt-based banking system keeps humanity economically enslaved. Legal structures quietly reclassify people as corporate entities bound by commercial rules. And perhaps most importantly— peace is simply not profitable in the geopolitical marketplace. This presentation draws from my experience at the UN-mandated University for Peace and the evolution of the Greenprint4LIFE framework, which proposes holistic definitions for both Peace and LIFE. It will explore why the current paradigm resists true peace, and how entrepreneurs, communities, businesses, manufacturers and companies can participate in the transition toward a LIFE honouring, self-sustaining, and truly peaceful future

Keywords :Redefining Peace: Toward a Holistic LIFE-Based Global Paradigm

Conference Name :International Conference on Peace and Conflict Resolution (ICPCR-25)

Conference Place Calgary, Canada

Conference Date 12th Sep 2025