Galtung and Gandhi

Peace appeals to the hearts; studies to the brain. Both are needed, indeed indispensable. But equally indispensable is a valid link between brain and the heart.

Johan Galtung

The world mourns the passing of Johan Galtung, the revered Norwegian sociologist in the realm of peace and conflict studies. Born on October 24, 1930, Galtung’s life journey was deeply intertwined with pioneering efforts in the pursuit of peace. His passing on February 17, 2024, at the age of 93 resonates globally, highlighting the profound impact he had on peace research. During his career spanning 70 years, Galtung authored and co-authored over 1,600 articles and 160 books on peace issues, making groundbreaking contributions to conflict analysis, peace theory, comparative civilization theory, and development theory. He also formulated a new approach to economics that integrated peace, development, human growth, and ecological balance.

Galtung’s immense contribution to peace research is evident in his founding of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and the Journal of Peace Research. His dedication to understanding and mitigating conflicts has left an indelible mark on the academic community. His impact extended beyond academia as he applied his expertise to peace in over 150 conflicts globally, across religions, local communities, and civil society, earning him the 1987 Right Livelihood Award and the Jamnalal Bajaj International Award for Promoting Gandhian Values in 1993.

Galtung’s peace-building legacy includes his methodology based on diagnosis-prognosis-therapy and his triangular interrelated theory of violence: structural-cultural-behavioural.

In his 1969 article, Violence, Peace, and Peace Research, Galtung emphasised the need to define violence. Violence, he stated, is any avoidable assault on basic human needs, such as survival, well-being, freedom, and identity. The threat of violence against these needs is also considered violence because individuals can establish a meaningful relationship with their environment only by meeting their basic needs. This relationship with the environment can also be at an emotional and spiritual level outside of the physical level. Galtung then categorised violence into direct, structural, and cultural violence. According to this, structural violence is caused by unjust political mechanisms, processes, and institutions. In contrast, cultural violence is fed by anger, fear, and hatred for others.  To Galtung, structural and cultural violence is the source of invisible conflicts; this violence directly turns into violence and becomes visible. Thus, understanding violence becomes a prerequisite for achieving peace.

Galtung’s writings reshaped our understanding of peace and provided invaluable insights into the complexities of conflict resolution. Central to his work are his groundbreaking theories on the dual nature of peace: negative peace and positive peace. Negative peace, defined as the absence of violence and warfare, contrasts with positive peace, which represents a more profound and sustainable state of harmony built upon equitable economic development, robust institutions, and societal values. Negative and positive peace also form the basis of Galtung’s concept of peacebuilding, which he first addressed in 1976. According to Galtung, peace should be built after the problems caused by structural violence are eliminated, so positive peace should be targeted, not negative peace.

The Conflict Transformation approach, expressed as TRANSCEND method, introduced by Galtung in 1998 has gained prominence since the early 2000s. He developed this method inspired by the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment (DPT) process of a disease. Conflict Transformation aims to resolve the differences of individuals and communities through win-win (collaborative) problem-solving. It consists of structural change-oriented and long-term peace-oriented studies. Conflict Transformation aims to transform the events, people, and relationships that create it when a conflict occurs. Overcoming fear and insecurity, and learning to communicate effectively are essential to redefine relationships between parties in conflict and contribute to establishing sustainable, positive peace.

Johan Galtung’s concepts echo Gandhi’s doctrines. This may be coincidental, or there may be a causal link. While Galtung freely acknowledged Gandhi’s influence on his thought, others seem to downplay or miss the Gandhian connection. In comparing the writings of the two in peace-related areas and by examining Galtung’s references to Gandhi, it becomes clear that there is a strong causal Gandhian underpinning to Galtung’s peace research. As modern peace research is not understandable without Galtung’s contribution, Galtung’s work is not fully understandable without understanding Gandhi’s influence on his thought.

(The writer is an honorary professor at Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University, Gadag)