Global peace: A challenge

Proteeti
Maharaja Man Singh Vidyalaya
India

John F. Kennedy once said, 'Arms alone are not enough to keep the peace - it must be kept by men.' Peace is an important asset of humanity and every human being needs peace for growth, development and prosperity. The philosophy of peace has been propounded throughout history on the grounds of morality, divine will, or economic and social utility. We express the idea of peace as an alternative to war and other violence. War and conflict prevent the progress of positive developments. War also has a negative impact on the economy. Global peace means that all the countries in the world relate to one another affably. But why do wars take place? How can they be prevented? What must be done to attain global peace?

Wars are defined as a period of hostile and antagonistic relations between countries, states or factions that lead to fighting between armed forces. The best example to comprehend the notion of war is World War I. It was one of the most violent and destructive wars in European history. It involved many of the countries of Europe as well as the United States and other nations throughout the world. For 100 years the nations of Europe had tried to avoid war with one another. No country was allowed to get too powerful. If one did, others would form an alliance against it. But when William II came to the throne of Germany, he established his country's own army, navy and industries. Germany began seizing territories in Africa and the Pacific as colonies. These moves worried other nations and they agreed to support each other if a war occurred. Austria and Hungary ruled other small countries in eastern and southern Europe. They supported Germany. The lust of dominating other countries started an appalling war, later joined by other nations and leading to a devastating global war. The war undermined the financial stability of all the countries involved, and they had to bear an onerous burden of debt for many years to come. These financial losses were combined with the battlefield deaths of over 10 million people and the injury of over 20 million.

To prevent wars, a climate of feeling favourable to peace must be established. The potential causes of conflict, inherent in such factors as economic competition, the quest for power, and fear of foreign domination, must be eliminated or at least minimised. Means for the settlement of disputes must be provided, as in mediation, arbitration, and trial procedures. Finally, ways must be found to ensure observance of the settlements that are made. Distinctive approaches to achieve these goals have been advancing for a long time.

Peace movements are organised to achieve collective security. Although organised peace movements did not appear until the 19th century, the modern search for a means of preventing war began with the rise of nation-states at the end of the Middle Ages. In the 14th century Dante proposed a world empire to abolish war; in the 15th century George of Podìbrad, King of Bohemia, proposed an international parliament; in the 16th century Henry IV, King of France, made a similar suggestion; in the 17th century the English Quaker William Penn wrote An Essay Towards the Present and Future Peace of Europe (1694); and in the 18th century the French writer Charles Irénée Castel, who was known as the Abbé de Saint-Pierre, influenced readers of his time with his proposals for securing 'perpetual peace.' The first peace society in history was organised in New York in 1815 by the American merchant David Low Dodge; another was organised in Massachusetts in the same year by the theologian Noah Worcester; and both were incorporated into the American Peace Society founded by the pacifist William Ladd in 1828.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the war in Southeast Asia was opposed by millions of individuals around the world. People like Copperheads, who opposed the American Civil War, Frank Buchman of the 1930s Moral Re-Armament movement, Jane Addams of the Women's Peace Party, carried out individual peace movements.

At present there are also a large number of people and institutes working for peace in the world. Under Kennedy, the civil rights movement in America gathered strength. This movement demanded equal rights for African Americans and other minorities. Kennedy started the Peace Corps. This program sends volunteers abroad to help people in poor nations.

North Dakota is nicknamed the Peace Garden State. It takes its nickname from the International Peace Garden. North Dakota shares this garden with its neighbour to the north, the province of Manitoba in Canada. The garden honours the peaceful relations between the US and Canada. There are other initiatives too, but their efforts have not been very successful. All these forces should come together and work as one. Their role is very important in helping to resolve disputes through peaceful means. If they work collectively, impartially and independently, they could succeed. They should build bridges between the opposing sides of conflicts. Through the continuation of their efforts, an opportunity for the peaceful resolution of disputes might be found.

Currently there are many wars and conflicts taking place in the world. States and statespersons are involved in the crises. We are witnesses to long-standing fighting like in Afghanistan. The Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan. Hesitancy of the majority of Afghans to weed them out resulted in many internal fights and, as a result, the Afghan people became totally helpless. Hundreds of them died and thousands were injured and became crippled. Afghanistan received help from neighbouring countries but the Soviet forces withdrew at the price of many lives. Before the Afghan leaders could stabilise the situation, another phenomenon appeared in Afghanistan: the Taliban. They not only hurt the country, but also brought about more isolation for Afghans at the international level. In Afghanistan human life is still not safe, human rights are being violated and a large number of Afghan refugees are facing hardship in different countries.

Afghanistan is just one example, but if we look over the world there are many more places where human life is in danger and where people are deprived of peace and stability. We can mention the names of Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq, where other human beings are crushing humanity. All of us, as human beings, should move forward and focus our efforts on bringing peace and security. Human life is gorgeous and we have a duty to save it from any menace and danger.

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