Glenn D. Paige (28 Jun 1929 – 22 Jan 2017): A Giant for Peace Leaves Behind an Indelible Mark – In Memoriam
OBITUARIES, 30 Jan 2017
Johan Galtung – TRANSCEND Media Service
Prof. Glenn Paige
Dear Glenn, dear Glenda–there is so much to remember, to praise.
His transformation from praising a killing society, USA, in the Korean War to invoking a non-killing society did not come easily. To revoke his own book on the Korea War decision, and the prize received for that book, has few equals. He compared a decision taken far away with what happened on the ground in what became his beloved Korea. Very scientific, theory with data, and found the theory totally wrong. He generalized from what he had learnt, to a non-killing society, finding one kind of killing leading to the other. And built the second part of his life around the negation of the first part, at all levels, in UN organizations as resolutions as an NGO, personally.
Of course he and I had very many dialogues about that, both of us respecting fully the position of the other. He stood for what I call “negative peace”; in favor of positive peace, but let us start here. That perspective had been missing, he filled a gap, seeing killing as something that could be reduced, eliminated, between persons, groups, states, states and individuals–the death penalty!–groups and states–revolutions, coups–inter-state, inter-regions.
Prof Glenn D Paige Recipient, Jamnalal Bajaj Awards 2012
A heroic position in the world’s most violent society, adding the violences from suicide via partner to general homicide, against groups defined by gender, generation, race, class, nation, inside, outside, the countless wars, and the war on nature. Yin/Yang Hawai’i and the university accommodated Glenn while at the same time becoming ever more militarized. Glenn stood like a lighthouse in those dark waters.
That light will continue shining. Highly competent academically, at home in East Asian cultures, he was also source of learning.
Dear Glenn, long will you live in your many friends and others, and your ideas will gain strength and enrich humanity. Thanks, Glenn.
___________________________________________
Glenn Durland Paige was an American political scientist, member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment, Professor Emeritus of political science at the University of Hawai‘i, and Chair of the Governing Council of the Center for Global Nonkilling. Paige was known for developing the concept of nonkilling, his studies on political leadership, and the study of international politics from the decision-making perspective with a case study of President Harry S. Truman’s decision to involve the United States in the Korean War.
Johan Galtung, a professor of peace studies, dr hc mult, is founder of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment and rector of the TRANSCEND Peace University-TPU. Prof. Galtung has published 1670 articles and book chapters, over 450 Editorials for TRANSCEND Media Service, and 167 books on peace and related issues, of which 41 have been translated into 35 languages, for a total of 135 book translations, including ‘50 Years-100 Peace and Conflict Perspectives,’ published by the TRANSCEND University Press-TUP.
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 30 Jan 2017.
Anticopyright: Editorials and articles originated on TMS may be freely reprinted, disseminated, translated and used as background material, provided an acknowledgement and link to the source, TMS: Glenn D. Paige (28 Jun 1929 – 22 Jan 2017): A Giant for Peace Leaves Behind an Indelible Mark – In Memoriam, is included. Thank you.
If you enjoyed this article, please donate to TMS to join the growing list of TMS Supporters.
This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.
Condolences!
I would like to extend my deepest condolences to Professor Glenn D. Paige’s family, friends and colleagues. I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Paige in Haiti through the nonviolent group, Centre Caraibeen pour la Nonviolence Globale et le Développement Durable (CCNGD). After his presentation on nonviolence and nonkilling, I decided to engage in the struggle for a nonviolent and nonkilling society. Also, I was part of a group of five students who translated his book, “Nonkilling Global Political Science” from French to Haitian Creole. Last year, Dr. Paige and I had several conversations via phone and email. He encouraged me to continue working for a culture of peace, nonkilling and nonviolence in the world. Today, Dr. Paige is considered the father of Nonkilling for having created and conducted research about this concept. He will be greatly missed, but he will continue to live through what he was accomplished and the movement he inspired.
Roland Joseph
Graduate student in “Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMASS LOWELL)
Member of Centre Caraibeen pour la Nonviolence Globale et le Développement Durable (CCNGD).