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Conflict
Peace?
I wanted to
call this
section
"Peace",
because this is
the positive
statement, and
is what most
people want.
But I apologise
for calling it
"Conflict".
I want to
highlight the
areas of
conflict in the
world, and this
does not sit
easily under
the heading of
"Peace".
We humans are
brilliant,
aren't we?
Brilliant at
arguing.
Brilliant at
disagreeing.
Brilliant at
fighting.
Brilliant at
destruction.
Brilliant at
killing.
So why aren't
we so brilliant
at peace?
The Earth Focus
View
Talk - not War.
International
disputes - and
even some
internal
disputes -
should be
solved using
Conflict
Resolution
by the United
Nations (UN).
And the UN must
be given the
wherewithal to
do this work.
In the present
development of
human
characteristics,
where leaders
tend towards
aggression,
force should
only be used in
absolute
extreme cases,
and as a last
resort.
Recent examples
of one or more
nations using
aggression
against another
(e.g.
Afghanistan,
Chechnya,
Palestine) seem
to have caused
more violations
of human rights
than those
which caused
the aggression.
Some of these
violations of
human rights
are deliberate.
This is
certainly true
of "collateral
damage", where
for each enemy
person killed
there appear to
be 100s or even
1,000s of
civilians
killed.
This is
unacceptable.
It is
unethical.
It is evil.
Landmines and
"carpet
bombing" are
weapons of
indiscriminate
mass
destruction and
must be banned
immediately.
Stephen J
Gould
Born 10th
September,
1941, in New
York City.
Died 21st May,
2002
This is what
Stephen J Gould
said in a
comment about
human nature
after the 11th
September 2001
attacks on the
World Trade
Center in New
York:
"The
patterns of
human history
mix decency
and depravity
in equal
measure. We
often assume,
therefore,
that such a
fine balance
of results
must emerge
from societies
made of decent
and depraved
people in
equal numbers.
"But we need
to expose and
celebrate the
fallacy of
this
conclusion so
that, in this
moment of
crisis, we may
affirm an
essential
truth too
easily
forgotten.
"Good and kind
people
outnumber all
others by
thousands to
one… Every
spectacular
incident of
evil will be
balanced by
10,000 acts of
kindness, too
often unnoted
and invisible
as the
‘ordinary’
efforts of a
vast majority.
"We have a
duty, almost a
holy
responsibility,
to record and
honour the
victorious
weight of
these
innumerable
little
kindnesses,
when an
unprecedented
act of evil so
threatens to
distort our
perception of
ordinary human
behaviour."
Steven J
Gould,
September 2001
Stephen J
Gould hit the
nail on the
head. As
usual, he sees
the world from
a perspective
that few people
even think of.
Evil can be so
magnified in
our minds that
we tend to
think that
there is not
much good in
the world.
Yet good is
everywhere -
mainly amongst
"ordinary"
people.
Unfortunately,
the more power
people have,
the more
inclined to
evil they tend
to be. I
wonder why?
Sometimes we are
so
immersed in our
own bad
situations that
we are blinded
from the good.
I know - I have
been there, and
I find it
difficult in
anger to see
the situation
clearly.
So how do we
go from
Conflict to
Peace?
Certainly not
by increasing
conflict by
means of war!
Certainly not
by smashing
people's homes,
communities, or
even their
countries by
means of
"smart" bombs,
ordinary bombs,
cluster bombs -
or any other
type of bomb,
or gun.
War is
Easy?
It could be
said that going
to war is the
"easy" way to
solve problems.
Easy because
the leaders
just think
short-term,
then sit back
safely and let
their military
get to work.
The problems
resulting from
a war are too
far from the
leader's
"radar screens"
to even
register - so
they do not see
the subsequent problems.
When these
problems occur,
they say that
you can't have
a war without
any casualties.
And it's not
only human
casualties,
it's animals
and buildings,
communities'
whole
infrastructures,
too - peoples'
livelihoods
wiped out.
And they call
it "Collateral
Damage"!
A phrase that
cleverly hides
the real
despair of the
people on the
receiving end.
And sending
forces into
war, as the UK
& USA seem very
keen on, causes
more enmities
than before!
This leads to
the ludicrous
situation where
members of the
armed forces
are dying, not
for nothing,
but dying while
carrying out
orders that are
making the
situation worse.
Unfortunately,
dying for
achieving
absolutely
nothing
would be an
improvement.
The USA's "War
against
Terrorism" is a
war that is
impossible to
win. In
fact it's a war
that positively
creates more
terrorism -
because it
antagonises,
even more, the
very people who
are upset about
American
Imperialism.
The USA has
launched a
dangerous
boomerang that
is firmly on
its flight path
that will
arrive back in
the USA at its
predetermined
time...
What's the
alternative,
then?
Let's have
"Avenues of
Hope, rather
than Avenues of
Despair", as
one person said
in John
Pilger's TV
report
"Palestine is
still the
issue" on UK
Channel 4 TV on
16th September
2002.
But it takes
faith, much
expertise,
intellect,
and quite a
long time, to
turn a conflict
into peace by
engendering the
trust of both
"sides", gently
persuading them
to see the
points they
agree about,
and continually
working out an
agreeable
solution.
This is called
"Conflict
Resolution".
People
cannot resolve
conflicts if
they do not
understand the
problems that
cause the
conflicts.
Quite often
"outsiders" can
see through the
reasons - and
solutions - to
conflicts
because they do
not have the
historical
"baggage" that
goes with it.
It's not easy
to admit that
you are wrong
in a conflict.
Or to say
"sorry".
Or to forgive.
Human instinct,
especially of
leaders, seems
to be for war
not Conflict
Resolution.
Who gets taught
about Conflict
Resolution at
home, school,
college,
university?
Not the ones
who really need
to know about
it - the
politicians!
Or, better
still,
Understanding
and Support
Instead of
exporting arms,
why don't the
Western
countries
export Peace?
Peace in the
form of
ensuring no
country has any
type of
domination over
their own
people, or
other people,
including
dominating the
UN.
Peace in the
form of helping
countries to
provide
adequate
affordable
water,
nutrition,
healthcare,
shelter,
infrastructure
and sustainable
livelihoods for
all - while
acknowledging
that
traditional and
tribal
societies have
a right to
decide their
own future.
If everyone
received
understanding
and support
there would be
no need
for terrorism.
How about
it, UK?
How about it,
USA?
PS It
would be much
cheaper to fund
peace than fund
the budgets for
the arms
industries as
they are at
present.
The present
(nominal
£40,000 million1) UK
Defence Budget
is 10 times the
(nominal £4,000
million2)
UK International
Development
Budget!
1HM
Treasury
Defence Budget
2HM
Treasury
International
Development
Budget
Links:
Peace Pledge Union:
www.ppu.org.uk
Peace Direct:
www.peacedirect.org
