Since the time of Napoleon, the power of the sword has not faded. In scores of wars across the globe, the countenance of the enemy is the face of a neighbor; the one who comes to steal, and to kill is very real, wearing the mask of terror. To overcome the specter of hatred, fear and the will to destroy, through the power of persistence, and the endowment of words and of vision remains the possibility and the challenge for those who seek peace and promote the public welfare. The durable settlement of a civil war, rare and precious, represents a form of conquest by those who build the future on a foundation of peace.

What can we learn from those who succeed?

Does the struggle for understanding really have any power in a world that appears to be governed by the aggressive use of force?

I dedicate my efforts as a teacher to the cultural patriots of Tajikistan who built a durable peace through sustained dialogue.