---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A truly free society must not include a…"
description: "\"A truly free society must not include a peace which oppresses us. We must learn on our own terms what peace and freedom mean together. There can be no ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/petra-kelly-22512_absence_a-truly-free-society-must-not-include-a_211758.jpg"
---

#  A truly free society must not include a peace which…

![“A truly free society must not include a peace which oppresses us. We must learn on our own terms what peace and freedom mean together. There can be no peace if there is social injustice and suppression of human rights, because external and internal peace are inseparable. Peace is not just the…” quote by Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/petra-kelly-22512_absence_a-truly-free-society-must-not-include-a_211758.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/petra-kelly-22512_absence_a-truly-free-society-must-not-include-a_211758.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/petra-kelly-22512_absence_a-truly-free-society-must-not-include-a_211758.jpg)

> “A truly free society must not include a peace which oppresses us. We must learn on our own terms what peace and freedom mean together. There can be no peace if there is social injustice and suppression of human rights, because external and internal peace are inseparable. Peace is not just the absence of mass destruction, but a positive internal and external condition in which people are free so that they can grow to their full potential.”

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Freedom and peace are intertwined; true peace requires justice and human rights, not just absence of war.

**In simple terms:** Peace needs justice and freedom.

Key Takeaway

Promote justice to achieve lasting peace.

Themes

justice human rights peace freedom social equity

Mood

hopeful determined

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- policy advocacy
- community organizing
- education curricula
- human rights monitoring

Key Concepts

social contract positive peace human dignity

Questions to Reflect On

- How can societies ensure peace includes justice?
- What policies protect both freedom and peace?

A Different Perspective

Peace without justice is fragile and may mask oppression.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [Free society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-society/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Full potential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/full-potential/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Injustice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/injustice/) [Internal peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internal-peace/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Mass destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-destruction/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Peace and justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-and-justice/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social injustice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-injustice/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Suppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suppression/)

## Related quotes

> [Peace is not just the absence of mass destruction, but a positive internal and external condition in which people are free so that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/peace-is-not-just-the-absence-of-mass-destruction-but-a-positive/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [When our identity expands to include everything, we find a peace with the dance of the world. The ocean of life rises and falls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/when-our-identity-expands-to-include-everything-we-find-a-peace-with/)

[Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/)

> [Peace is more than just an absence of war. True peace is justice, true peace is freedom, and true peace dictates the recognition of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/peace-is-more-than-just-an-absence-of-war-true-peace-is-justice-true/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/it-is-from-numberless-diverse-acts-of-courage-and-belief-that-human-2/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [Each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice, he sends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/each-time-a-man-stands-up-for-an-ideal-or-acts-to-improve-the-lot-of/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/it-is-from-the-numberless-diverse-acts-of-courage-and-belief-that/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [One can not reflect in streaming water. Only those who know internal peace can give it to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/one-can-not-reflect-in-streaming-water-only-those-who-know-internal/)

[Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/)

> [“I left home and tried to live the life of a hermit, but I was still fighting myself. I went to England and worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-strang/i-left-home-and-tried-to-live-the-life-of-a-hermit-but-i-was-still/)

Brian Strang

> [“The collapse of order brings in its wake the four horsemen of the apocalypse - famine, war, pestilence, and death. Population declines, and wages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-turchin/the-collapse-of-order-brings-in-its-wake-the-four-horsemen-of-the/)

Peter Turchin

> [“Your ability to get along with others flows naturally from how well you are getting along with yourself from your own internal peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/your-ability-to-get-along-with-others-flows-naturally-from-how-well/)

[Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/)

> [“When the peace in not inside, we seek it outside. When the peace is not outside, we turn inside. Whether there is internal peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-gillette/when-the-peace-in-not-inside-we-seek-it-outside-when-the-peace-is-not/)

[Franklin Gillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-gillette/)

> [I use the word inquiry as synonymous with The Work...Inquiry is a way to end confusion and to experience internal peace, even in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/i-use-the-word-inquiry-as-synonymous-with-the-work-inquiry-is-a-way/)

[Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/)

> [Joy is a sustained sense of well-being and internal peace - a connection to what matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/joy-is-a-sustained-sense-of-well-being-and-internal-peace-a/)

[Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/)

> [I guess I like who I am now. I'd just like to have a little more internal peace. I'm sure everybody would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/axl-rose/i-guess-i-like-who-i-am-now-i-d-just-like-to-have-a-little-more/)

[Axl Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/axl-rose/)

> [The internal peace of every country depends upon the knowledge that force is available to uphold law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-grey-1st-viscount-grey-of-fallodon/the-internal-peace-of-every-country-depends-upon-the-knowledge-that/)

[Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-grey-1st-viscount-grey-of-fallodon/)

## More by Petra Kelly

> [I belong to the initiators of the... and we had repeatedly also asked the dismantling of the SS-20 but we did not connect them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/i-belong-to-the-initiators-of-the-and-we-had-repeatedly-also-asked/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [Violent revolutions usually only mean a change of personnel at the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/violent-revolutions-usually-only-mean-a-change-of-personnel-at-the-top/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [We cannot feast on global resources while the world's poor struggle to survive on inhospitable lands. It is as simple as that. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/we-cannot-feast-on-global-resources-while-the-world-s-poor-struggle/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [We are at a point in human evolution when human solidarity on a global scale is absolutely vital for the survival of the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/we-are-at-a-point-in-human-evolution-when-human-solidarity-on-a/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [Like the mind-set that places men above women, whites above blacks, and rich above poor, the mentality that places humans above nature is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/like-the-mind-set-that-places-men-above-women-whites-above-blacks-and/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [If there is a future, it will be Green.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/if-there-is-a-future-it-will-be-green/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [Power over must be replaced by shared power, by the power to do things, by the discovery of our own strength as opposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/power-over-must-be-replaced-by-shared-power-by-the-power-to-do-things/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [The profound political changes we need in order to heal our planet will not come about through fragmented problem solving or intellectual analyses that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/the-profound-political-changes-we-need-in-order-to-heal-our-planet/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [The vision I see is not only a movement of direct democracy, of self- and co-determination and non-violence, but a movement in which politics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/the-vision-i-see-is-not-only-a-movement-of-direct-democracy-of-self/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [I have hope for the world, although it is ten minutes before Doomsday. Women all over the world are rising up and infusing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/i-have-hope-for-the-world-although-it-is-ten-minutes-before-doomsday/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [Our motto is, 'Be gentle and subversive.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/our-motto-is-be-gentle-and-subversive/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [Practically every violent conflict or social change has proved that violence unleashes violence in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/practically-every-violent-conflict-or-social-change-has-proved-that/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [Overturning patriarchy does not mean replacing men's dominance with women's dominance. That would merely maintain the patriarchal pattern of dominance. We need to transform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/overturning-patriarchy-does-not-mean-replacing-men-s-dominance-with/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [We, the generation that faces the next century, can add the solemn injunction ''If we don't do the impossible, we shall be faced with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/we-the-generation-that-faces-the-next-century-can-add-the-solemn/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

> [Peace is not just the absence of mass destruction, but a positive internal and external condition in which people are free so that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/peace-is-not-just-the-absence-of-mass-destruction-but-a-positive/)

[Petra Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

[Explore all 27 Petra Kelly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/)

## More Absence quotes

> [Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/distance-sometimes-endears-friendship-and-absence-sweeteneth-it/)

[James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/)

> [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-dusenberry/the-work-the-work-the-work-this-is-what-the-business-is-all-about/)

[Phil Dusenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-dusenberry/)

> [Total depravity means the entire absence of holiness, not the highest intensity of sin. A totally depraved man is not as bad as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/total-depravity-means-the-entire-absence-of-holiness-not-the-highest/)

[William Greenough Thayer Shedd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/)

> [Local and state governments have outrun the federal government. The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/local-and-state-governments-have-outrun-the-federal-government-the/)

[Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/)

> [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/)

[Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/)

> [Of all the bewildering things about a new country, the absence of human landmarks is one of the most depressing and disheartening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/of-all-the-bewildering-things-about-a-new-country-the-absence-of/)

[Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/)

> [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/)

[Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/)

> [The absence of God in most spheres of life is perceived to be normal, and even Christians feel it as normal - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-absence-of-god-in-most-spheres-of-life-is-perceived-to-be-normal/)

[John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/)

> [Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/every-person-needs-to-take-one-day-away-a-day-in-which-one/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [“I was thinking how most people don't make you feel much of anything at all. Don't make you feel like time spent with them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-lotter/i-was-thinking-how-most-people-don-t-make-you-feel-much-of-anything/)

[Jane Lotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-lotter/)

> [Cooperation isn't the absence of conflict but a means of managing conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/cooperation-isn-t-the-absence-of-conflict-but-a-means-of-managing/)

[Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/)

> [Many are observing Ferguson and witnessing the anger, demonstrations, looting and vandalism and calling for quiet. But quiet isn't enough. The absence of noise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/many-are-observing-ferguson-and-witnessing-the-anger-demonstrations/)

[Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/)

> [Will capitalist economies operate at full employment in the absence of routine intervention? Certainly not. Are deviations from full employment a social problem? Obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/will-capitalist-economies-operate-at-full-employment-in-the-absence/)

[Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/)

> [We must begin by acknowledging that there is a complete absence of two things in Indian Society. One of these is equality. On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-r-ambedkar/we-must-begin-by-acknowledging-that-there-is-a-complete-absence-of/)

[B. R. Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/)

[Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A truly free society must not include a peace which oppresses us. We must learn on our own terms what peace and freedom mean together. There can be no peace if there is social injustice and suppression of human rights, because external and internal peace are inseparable. Peace is not just the absence of mass destruction, but a positive internal and external condition in which people are free so that they can grow to their full potential.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Petra Kelly"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/a-truly-free-society-must-not-include-a-peace-which-oppresses-us-we/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Absence"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/a-truly-free-society-must-not-include-a-peace-which-oppresses-us-we/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/petra-kelly-22512_absence_a-truly-free-society-must-not-include-a_211758.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/petra-kelly-22512_absence_a-truly-free-society-must-not-include-a_211758.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87e/petra-kelly-22512_absence_a-truly-free-society-must-not-include-a_211758.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A truly free society must not include a peace which oppresses us. We must learn on our own terms what peace…” — Petra Kelly",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Petra Kelly",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kelly/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A truly free society must not...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/a-truly-free-society-must-not-include-a-peace-which-oppresses-us-we/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kelly/a-truly-free-society-must-not-include-a-peace-which-oppresses-us-we/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
