Some contributions of psychology to policies promoting cultures of peace.

Psychologists have a long history of contributing to the development, implementation, advocacy, and evaluation of public policies, but not always in the interest of peace and social justice. This article advances 9 psychologically based principles to guide policy development and activism in the interest of peace and social justice. The principles include: debunking biological determinism as a cause of violence, war, and other problems that have substantial cultural and structural roots; reducing the wealth gap as a means of promoting human well-being; distinguishing conflict from violence and attaching inevitability only to the former; delegitimizing the use of violence at all levels of society; promoting nonviolent social action to redress injustices; stepping-up communication in the face of enmity; putting the struggle for social justice at the center of psychology; promoting equality between men and women; and emphasizing the prevention of violence over intervention.