A Lasting Peace for Eritrea and Ethiopia

After two years of conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia, a cessation of hostilities in the Tigray region has finally been recently established. But longstanding ethnic tensions between the two countries remain, and lasting, sustainable peace may remain elusive. These tensions must be reduced to ensure that the peace agreement holds and to prevent any future conflict.

How best to reduce tensions effectively and efficiently? Ultimately, the underlying cause of social violence is accumulated collective social stress. This human problem requires a human solution.

A field-tested method to calm tensions, end prolonged violence, and prevent future conflicts is already available today. It is a brain-based technology called Invincible Defense Technology (IDT), which incorporates practices of the non-religious Transcendental Meditation® (TM®) program to quell violence and bring about peace. This unconventional yet highly effective and scientifically verified non-violent approach prevents tensions from arising before they result in conflict, war and terrorism.

When large groups of trained practitioners practice the advanced TM techniques together twice a day, a powerful "field effect" of coherence and peace ripples throughout the consciousness of the surrounding population. The bigger the group the bigger the effect. The outcomes, confirmed repeatedly by extensive scientific research, include consistent and measurable decreases in conflict, war deaths, terrorism, and crime.

For a minimal investment of time, manpower, and resources, both Ethiopia and Eritrea security forces could train and each maintain a small group of experts in the IDT strategy. Acting as "prevention brigades," these groups of TM experts would meditate twice daily every day and thereby defuse the deeply rooted regional stresses and hatreds that are the causes of conflict. Research indicates that once an IDT program became operational, societal conditions in both countries and beyond would rapidly improve.

For as long as the peace-creating group was in place, coherence in the collective consciousness of both countries would increase, giving rise to greater harmony and peace throughout society. Better solutions would occur to the people and their leaders for improving their own living conditions. Violence would subside when high tensions dissipated, bringing about an era of appreciation for differences of culture, religion and race. When people are less stressed, they accept and celebrate each other rather than viewing their differences with fear and hate.

In addition to security forces, any large groups practicing IDT techniques could accomplish this goal. Citizens from schoolchildren to retirees could be enlisted.

While this approach may seem too simple to be true, sometimes the simplest approach is the most effective. We recommend the following books: An Antidote to Violence: Evaluating the Evidence, by Barry Spivack and Patricia Anne Saunders, and The Coherence Effect by Robert Keith Wallace, Jay Marcus, and Christopher Clark. These new books detail in depth the extensive scientific research supporting the use of the Transcendental Meditation program to dispel violence and to alleviate PTSD and other stress-related problems.

The Eritrean and Ethiopian militaries are responsible for protecting their respective countries. They are obligated to thoroughly examine realistic, scientifically validated methods for ending war and terrorism. Military members are paid to perform their duties and protect their nation. Since they are funded for this purpose, we feel it is their duty to build IDT prevention brigades.

Ideally, 15,000 advanced meditators practicing IDT technologies together twice a day in synchrony would be more than enough to create a global coherence effect, kickstarting a phase transition which would ultimately lead to lasting world peace for all countries. Once this transition took place, both countries would be revered worldwide for preventing escalating global conflict and likely saving our endangered planet from extinction.

We urge both militaries to quickly deploy the IDT approach to stabilize the precarious situation both countries face. Ethiopia and Eritrea could each create their own IDT military prevention brigades. Or, as described above, both countries' militaries could quickly create a large combined prevention brigade composed of equal numbers of personnel from each. In the interest of peaceful cooperation, members of the combined IDT prevention brigade could spend half their time stationed in each other's country. This would further promote friendship and collaboration between the two dangerously estranged nations.

IDT is a proactive defense paradigm, ready to be implemented. Military leaders have no time to lose and would be wise to adopt this effective solution before is too late. If wars start in the minds of men, then peace logically starts there as well.

Given the countless peace initiatives that have previously been launched but have been unsuccessful, now is the optimum time to utilize this scientifically validated method. IDT is simple and inexpensive, with a documented record of success: a cutting-edge brain-based technology that could potentially maximize the safety and security of both Eritrea and Ethiopia and curb unrest and bloodshed. Here is an opportunity for both countries to become global leaders in peacebuilding, so needed by our troubled world.

About the Authors:

Arlene J. Schar is Director of Communications at the Center for Advanced Military Science (CAMS) and has served as Executive Assistant to Dr. David Leffler since 2015.

Dr. David Leffler served as an Associate of the Proteus Management Group at the Center for Strategic Leadership, US Army War College. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director at CAMS.