A few years ago, I read a book about the Nobel Peace Prize.
‘Peace They Say’ by Jay Nordlinger.
It was a very interesting and thought provoking read, and I recently decided to pick it up again, and maybe share some of the stories. And maybe give some practical advice anyone can follow, to create a little more peace for themselves.
So let’s start with the first prize.
The first Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in 1901—not to one person, but jointly to Frédéric Passy and Henry Dunant.
Dunant’s story is especially powerful.
In 1859, he witnessed the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino, where tens of thousands of men lay dead or wounded. Rather than turning away, he gathered local women and girls to care for the injured—regardless of which army they belonged to.
The soldiers said of those that cared for them:
“Tutti fratelli” — we are all brothers.
Dunant later wrote about what he had witnessed and proposed creating organised relief societies to care for wounded soldiers. That idea helped give birth to the International Red Cross and the Geneva Convention.
He did not begin by trying to solve every conflict in the world.
He saw suffering in front of him—and responded.
One peaceful action for today
Think of someone you feel irritated by, disconnected from, or tempted to judge.
Try Phil Stutz’s Active Love tool:
Close your eyes. Imagine yourself surrounded by warm, limitless light. Gather that light into your heart, then send it towards the other person—not because you approve of everything they have done, but because you refuse to let resentment control what happens inside you.
Then take one small outward action:
Send an encouraging message.
Check on someone who may be struggling.
Share a story that restores hope rather than spreading anger.
World peace can feel impossibly large.
But almost every peaceful movement begins in the same place:
Someone sees suffering, remembers our shared humanity, and decides not to walk past.
If you missed my previous blog on who Phil Stutz is:
And more about his ‘tools’ – https://www.thetoolsbook.com/active-love
