Cautious, alert, polite, and elusive: The Semai of Central Peninsular Malaysia

The real test of peace occurs not in social isolation, but in the face of violence. There are many who assume that violence can only be countered by violence. This creates mutual pain, and that in itself can perpetuate the violence. Colombia, once the most democratic of Latin American countries, is now in a cycle of violence and counterviolence, ravaged for more than five decades by civil war. However, in the past decade or so, peace communities have been set up in Colombia, to try to address the violence in a different way. In this chapter, Robert Dentan reveals how the Semai of Malaysia have used nonviolence in the face of violence as a successful long-term survival strategy. Dentan emphasizes that peace is a practical solution, not a Utopian myth. Those campaigning for nonviolence in other societies may find much to encourage them in this chapter.