Tracy
Indus International School
India

The following are examples of conflict in our world.

1. Conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir and nuclear armament.

The issue over Kashmir is still not settled by India and Pakistan and therefore violence is still a part of this region. Recently, the train that transports passengers to and from India to Pakistan was bombed, killing a number of innocent people. Last year, another passenger train was also bombed, killing hundreds of people.

2. The Middle East

The conflict in the Middle East with the US and its allies pushing forward with their objective of fighting terrorism is escalating into further violence with more and more innocent lives being lost. Bombs are going off daily in the streets of Iraq, resulting in many people being killed. In Afghanistan, the war on terror continues but the US is finding that the Taliban are not an easy target, as the US is also losing thousands of troops in this war. At the core of global strife are the following explosive issues: nuclear power and economic development. From these two considerations grow all the other reasons that instigate war between countries. Such other reasons include it being a matter of foreign policy; the concept that a free world is a safer world; the spread of democracy; protecting one's own interests; and creating allies. All these reasons for global conflict may appear worthy, but they are really just a means by which to gain and maintain power.

3. African Unity

The problems that plague Africa are much the same as those that plague any industrialised society: poverty, crime, a need for higher educational standards and rising health concerns, including the spread of HIV/AIDS. The challenge of unification goes somewhat beyond the issues faced as an industrialised society and into historical conflict and economic patterns. The issues that stand in the way of unification include intertribal and cultural wars, poverty, and competition for resources, political interference and the need for education.

Current conflicts

1. The Indian and Pakistani atomic bomb tests

Tensions between India and Pakistan have reached an all-time high. With the detonation of several nuclear bomb tests on both sides, it has now come to the point where the world will no longer tolerate such dangerous activities.

2. The deep roots of conflict in Northern Ireland

The peace deal that was negotiated between Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Good Friday, 1998, demands that the people of Northern Ireland accept an undefined nationhood. Divisions between nationalists and unionists have become so acute that complete reconciliation appears impossible. Such an impasse is certainly nothing new in the ongoing controversies that have plagued Ireland for centuries. Now, the talk is of peace regained after thirty years of strife, but the Protestant majority is fearful of losing what it has long regarded as its heritage. Such a determination to cling to what one group believes to be its birthright at the expense of another group's fundamental issues of security, safety, and survival has lead to what constitutes an unyielding impasse in terms of both politics and religion.

3. The war in Iraq

Thousands of innocent lives are being lost in Iraq due to sectarian violence between the Shiites and the Sunnis. Coupled with this is the US presence, which is also contributing to the violence as some of the people of Iraq are not happy with them being there. The US, in turn, feels that their presence is needed in order to weed out terrorists and to help stabilise the newly formed government. Secondly, people who supported the late Saddam Hussein continue to make life difficult for the US and its allies as they believe that the invasion by another nation is not at all acceptable and therefore the violence will continue until the US withdraws its forces.

4. The war in Somalia

The warring factions seeking to gain power in this country are leaving thousands of people dead and many millions in poverty. Children are dragged away from their families and are forced to take up arms with these warring factions. Women are being raped in their thousands when the warring factions raid villages seeking more children and men to join their armies and to also loot the villages.

5. The standoff between the US and Iran

The Iranian government is currently in conflict with the US and the UN because they are building up their nuclear capability. The US and its allies would like Iran to stop pursuing the development of nuclear weapons, whilst the Iranian Government is only prepared to do so as long as the US and its allies will provide them with certain concessions.

The difference between past and current conflict

Countries are now becoming more sophisticated and therefore have the capabilities to develop nuclear weapons, which puts the entire world in danger. Religious differences are now more profound, resulting in people indulging in terrorist activities, which are creating hatred between different religions. Poverty and the massive increase in the world's population are also impacting on world conflict. There is also the case where global powerhouses like the USA are flexing their muscles: the invasion of Iraq is an example of this. They invaded Iraq as they believed that Iraq was manufacturing weapons of mass destruction. Up to this very day they have not found any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

How can the international community bring peace to the world?

The quest for global peace is dependent on international relations and the United Nations. The international community should have high levels of participation and communication. The importance of the peaceful settlement of international disputes is paramount in obtaining universal peace

In order to achieve peace, people must become more tolerant of the different religions that exist today. Moving forward into the twenty-first century finds the quest for global peace at a crossroads never before experienced in the history of the world: for it to ever happen, there must be a total and dedicated move from all global communities towards the nonviolent settlement of international disputes.

Universal peace is elusive at best and wholly impossible at worst given the diversity of the global playing field. Political analysts have effectively addressed the idea of force as the primary element of global hostilities. As force is the primary vehicle for political terrorists, it stands to reason that if the element of force did not exist, there would be no motivation for battle. What, then, are the components that will dissolve such hostile behaviour, and why hasn't such behaviour been stopped by the twenty-first century? Re-establishing one's connection with nature and the environment is the foremost manner by which humans can redeem themselves of centuries' worth of violence toward each other.

Healing and reconciliation

1. South Africa is a very good example of how healing and reconciliation can be achieved without recourse to civil war. South Africa was excluded from the United Nations because of its policy of apartheid where the different racial groups were separated because of the colour of their skin. The different racial groups were not allowed to live together, inter-race marriages were not allowed and there were separate facilities for the different groups. Whites were always given preference over the blacks (Africans), coloureds and people of Indian origin. In 1994 South Africa had its first democratic election where every citizen that qualified for a vote was allowed to vote.

During the 40 years of apartheid a number of black leaders were imprisoned and the most famous of these individuals was Nelson Mandela. After spending 27 years in prison Nelson Mandela was prepared to come out of prison and negotiate a peaceful transformation by ensuring that all the people in South Africa could vote for the party that they wanted to govern the country. That is how the current ANC party came into power and are now the ruling party in South Africa.

Although Nelson Mandela and his comrades were tortured and subjected to cruel treatment by the then National Party government, they were prepared to embrace the healing and reconciliation process that the country so badly needed to ensure that there was a peaceful transformation in South Africa. These wise men ensured that, although they had suffered over the period of imprisonment, they were prepared to put the interests of both the whites and blacks, and the country as a whole, before any of their personal interests.

Once the African National Congress came into power they arranged a 'Truth and Reconciliation Committee' headed by Bishop Desmond Tutu, where individuals were allowed to come forward and openly discuss any issues that they were involved in under the apartheid government. This committee was mainly formed to start the healing process in South Africa.

I believe that the other nations around the world can take a leaf out of the South African book in healing and reconciliation so that world peace can become permanent.

2. We must also learn to accept the fact that others will not always respond to our needs and wants in the way that we want them to. Instead of getting upset with them we need to learn to bless them and wish them well, which is exactly what we hope for ourselves. What we show outside is merely a reflection of what we are inside. Negative thoughts promote negative outcomes. Positive, loving thoughts promote positive outcomes! Think of it as an energy force that powers our wellbeing. Positive thoughts promote positive wellbeing! This is so simple that it almost eludes us.

We need to learn from our mistakes. Instead of degrading ourselves we must realise that failure and success go hand in hand. Failure is necessary because it provides obvious lessons to learn from. Analysis of these lessons should improve the chances for future prosperity.

3. Values are important because without positive moral values, others may resent your actions and may not radiate positive energy in your direction. Remember that when you try to point to something that makes you happy there are three or more fingers pointing back at you. We all need a minimum level of material possessions but without the personal wealth that comes from within, external wealth is nearly meaningless.

4. We need songs about world peace. Listening to music is a right brain activity and we need both the left and right sides of our brain to be thinking about peace in order to integrate it into our soul. Music artists can improve our lives through the energy they put into their music.

5. We need films about world peace. For our visual senses, we need to see less violence and more themes that promote heroes over injustice and mediocrity. We need films that reward strong moral values and have messages that show us ways of achieving peace and success in life.

6. We need a world flag we can proudly wave that will signify that we are growing up as a united world of peace-loving souls. This flag ought to be designed by the children of the world since they are the ones that will benefit most from peace conditioning. We have the futuristic vision of one race (human), on one planet (Earth), with two main purposes: peace and enlightenment.

7. In the past, and possibly the present, it has been much easier to 'make war' than to 'make peace'. This is because we have been well trained in how to make war and poorly trained in how to make peace. How can we change this reality and create a peaceful future? Teaching peace, compassion and empathy are obvious solutions. Helping to reduce poverty, pain, suffering and injustice are other ways.

Love the world, love your neighbour, and love yourself. Love life. Happiness will be your reward!

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