World peace. We all want it. And it’s heartbreaking that in the 21st century, we still have politicians who believe killing each other, is the way to create it. One of the best ways we can help is to avoid mainstream news, which never report s the full story. Get real facts Byline Times or Byline TV (no ads or bias).
Most us don’t even like watching the news these days, it’s too harrowing. The Middle East war has spilled into several countries, parents carry children with missing limbs to hospitals (due to their schools being bombed), and a million people are suddently homeless in Lebanon (the equivalent of 10 million people in England, suddenly living on the streets). Also read how to help animals in war zones. There are innocent casualties on every side, while those who plan the bombs meet with ‘world leaders’ who seem powerless to stop the violence (what is the UN for?) Also read the post on the consequences of nuclear power and war.
MPs talk as if war is the norm (in Australia recently, one Green MP was lambasted after her party walked out of Parliament in protest at the government funding violence). We now have a US President who says Israel should ‘finish the problem’, rather than get all parties around the table for peaceful talks. He then says he can end the war in a day. He hasn’t so far since being elected, let’s hope someone more effective can step in to help.
Many in the media and politics are aghast why so-called democratci western countries are now funding what is essentially genocide. Terrorists in Gaza did evil things, but to then kill tens of thousands of women and children is as bad (funded by the USA – a country that for the most part is against abortion on faith grounds – yet it’s okay to kill unborn children in the Middle East?)
Governments Must Stop Funding Arms
Oxfam writes that the UK supplies millions of pounds worth of arms to Israel, making our country complicit in killing civilians. An immediate ceasefire will only happen when countries at war have no weapons to drop. Even (neutral) Switzerland sells arms. And Japan (which did not sell arms for many years) now does so again.
The argument for selling arms is that it increases GDP (for economic growth). Yet Costa Rica is top in the world’s Happiness Index (it got rid of its military years ago, and uses money saved to spent on protecting rainforests, children and small businesses). There are many alternative to economic growth, which don’t involve dropping bombs and oil spill clean-ups. The International Court of Justice says that funding genocide results in ‘war crimes’ as children are being killed from the bombs. Dropping bombs also means animals are starving (and people are now eating animal feed). Greenpeace writes that bombs and fuel causes pollution, making the water undrinkable and land not fit enough to grow food.
Why Do the Same Countries Go to War?
It’s always the same countries in war: the UK, USA, Russia, Middle Eastern countries. Most with oil to defend (or in the case of the UK NA US, possibly due to MPs who think they are ’empires’ that run the world, instead of leaving the job to professional peacekeeping teeams). If people in an office don’t get along, you find a mediator. You don’t bomb people. Quakers try not to pay tax, as it funds war. Owlcation states the 8 main reasons for war, so it makes sense that to create world peace, we have to look at each reason to solve it.
Bad media is another reason. If you don’t know why Russia invaded Ukraine, join the rest of us. The news just gives soundbites, never stories behind the wars, so therefore no solutions. This war actually dates back 10 years and has killed half a million soldiers and countless civilians. The irony is that Putin adores animals (despite being responsible for so many being killed in war) and has even passed laws for better treatment of animals in Russia. This leads to the obvious preventive measure: don’t let people become leaders, who obviously are not right in the head (Trump included). Putin is now the longest-serving Russian leader since Stalin, and despite growing up in poverty, now lives in palace worth a billion dollars.
It was only in 1921 that Ireland became independent (against the wishes of the Guinness founder, a Protestant who would not let the new government use his harp logo – if you look closely, you’ll see the national harp emblem is the other way around, to get out of being sued).Brexit caused issues with the peace-deal Good Friday Agreement (like a coalition government), due to fights over imports of food. But the obvious answer is to focus on local food, then this argument would never have arisen.
Is There a Solution to the Israel/Gaza War?
Apparently yes, though you would never know it from listening to the media and MPs. Palestine is presently on Israeli land and wants to establish its own state, a war dating back 2000 years, mostly from just after when Jews fled Europe from the Nazis. A war in 1967 left Israel with the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which is home to many Palestinians. So you can how thte conflict grew.
Things have got worse since Gaza (now controlled by the militant group Hamas) killed 1200 1500 Israelis (including babies) and took over 240 people hostage) in late 2023, leaving the present war, with many dead and 2 million people at risk of famine. Of course this is beyond evil, but to respond by slaughtering thousands of babies on the other side, is so stupid, nobody but politicians or psychopaths would agree it is the answer.
Many peacebuilders now believe their two-state solution (an independenet state in Gaza and most of the West Bank – and the rest led by Isreal) may now be impossible. But there is hope. Political writer Daniel Levin (whose father had his arm blown off in the last days of the 1948 war) says rather than the now-utopian ‘one shared state’, a different vision of a two-state solution could work.
It would still contain aspects of the one-state solution (freedom of employment, movement and residency with security controls). So people could live, work and study anywhere. But only vote in their own state. Israels living in occupied Palestine could move back if wished to Israel (with relocation papers) or remain in Palestine and follow their laws. He also writes that more support should be given to powers that promote peace, rather than politicians, that just fuel the fire by refusing to look at peaceful alternatives.
A Land for All is the likely best solution. An idea born from peaceful discussions on both sides, it offers 15 reasons why this idea is the best solution: It acknowledges historical and cultural beliefs of both lands, provides each side with a sovereign state, Jerusalem becomes the capital of both states and the solution can be implemented immediately.
Seeds of Peace is a wonderful US summer camp, where they take opposing sides to have them work and play together, to become the future leaders of tomorrow (say Israeli and Palestinian teenagers). They arrive wanting to kill each other, and leave as friends.
Finding Hope in the Midst of War
The Forgiveness Project is a website set up by an Italian journalist, which interviews those who have chosen to forgive. This is big stuff: mothers who have forgiven those who have murdered their sons, adults who have forgiven parents for years of abuse and sons who have forgiven terrorist fathers.
Recently, the founder interviewed two fathers (one from Palestine and one from Israel) who both had their young daughters murdered by the other side (an Israeli soldier and two Palestinian suicide bombers). But both now work for peace organisations, to try to prevent the vicious circle of violence continuing. Organisations can download free forgiveness tools online.
How Treating Women Well Creates World Peace?
Most countries that go to war, have issues with women. Most men are peaceful, but it’s true that (aside from Margaret Thatcher), most countries that don’t go to war are led by women (until recently that woudl be New Zealand, and many Scandinavian countries). It’s not that men are more ‘violent’, but that sometimes the egos come out (think Johnson, Trump and Putin).
Malala Yousafzai was born to a Pakistani education activist (and humanitarian father). The world’s youngest Nobel Prize laureate was shot in the head (along with two friends who thankfully recovered) for writing a blog on what life was like, living under the Taliban regime. She graduated from Oxford University with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics and now campaigns for world peace and education for girls. She now possibly wants to return home one day, to lead her country.
If you want to end the war, then instead of sending guns – send books. Instead of sending tanks, send pens. Instead of sending soldiers, send teachers. Malala Yousafzai
