WORLD WITHOUT WAR
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Beyond War
Warfare, armed conflict, is a dated concept we need to grow beyond. It is true that making war illegal is a logical path and that many people base decisions not on logic but on emotion. These emotional responses can be successfully included in the idea of a peaceful world. "World War Free" can have as much positive emotion attached to it as "World War Three" has negative. A difficult challenge is the issue of civil war, terrorism and long-standing ethnic and religious conflicts. Revenge and grief are highly charged issues. They will require a new broader sense of understanding. We have many examples: Palestine, Israel, Ireland, India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, Rwanda and Sudan are but a few. The energy represented by emotional response can be channeled away from violence and into a positive direction of active negotiation. We can grow out of our traditional responses to threats and into a new wider view of life. Ultimately peace is a process, an upward spiral into harmony and understanding. We will need a firm view of our long-term goal, a peaceful world without war. Creativity, adaptability and a global perspective will be needed to journey into a peaceful future. We can make war a crime and armed conflict illegal. We can require disputes to be settled through negotiation. We can make a peaceful world a basic human right for all of us. This "we" is made up of all concerned people, wherever they may be. It is up to us to make our leaders listen to us and take the next step on the path, into a world that has grown beyond war.
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