As forever wars continue to drive humanity towards increasing distress and risks, all those committed to creating a safe world for present and future generations are deeply worried and sad.

Not only are these wars causing enormous distress in a huge part of the world, in addition there is increasing risk of much more destructive wars breaking out, even an all-destructive war that destroys humanity and most forms of life cannot be ruled out in the present situation. The more powerful are getting more aggressive, the most powerful are the most aggressive. I’ll be happy if someone can tell me about any leading country that does not feel increasing unease, uncertainty and worry while dealing with the USA ruling dispensation under Trump. The language being used by the biggest aggressive forces is that of the colonial times—your resources are mine, I’ll run your country, who can stop us, and so on. Where is the progress human beings are supposed to have made all these years? 

The leaders of humanity in striped suits are still being violent towards weaker beings like beasts, but these are beasts armed with nuclear weapon. This is what is most worrying. 

When the most destructive weapons were created, humanity needed to make several governance changes at world level and even more than this it needed to make changes in the value systems guiding human societies. These most important changes were neglected, and the results are there for all to see as the life of present and future generations has been made extremely dangerous. We may say that we care for children the most, that we work hard so that we may contribute to their welfare, but in reality, if the present situation does not improve in a drastic way, they’ll be inheriting a very dangerous world.

Humanity and its leadership can say that they created the UNO, that they made several disarmament agreements, that they have been able to avoid nuclear warfare after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These efforts are commendable, but the UNO’s peace making role has been steadily weakening, most of the disarmament efforts are in retreat, the possibility of actual use of nuclear weapons has been increasing, and there are increasing concerns over AI and robotic weapons as well as steps being taken towards space warfare. There is increasingly more to worry about than to celebrate, if we examine various aspects of war and peace in our deeply troubled world.

Clearly the world and its leadership has missed something very crucial. Even as at the best of times the world leaders tried to create an infrastructure of peace, they forgot to create its foundation, or neglected it badly. 

What is the crucial missing link, the foundation of a peaceful world, that has been neglected?

The world leadership has failed to give proper attention to peace education and training with continuity from childhood onwards. A very important part of preparing people to be good and responsible world citizens is that they should be committed to peace with justice at all levels, in their immediate surroundings as well as at the national and world level. A person does not become peaceful and committed to peace just like that, conscious and continuing efforts have to be made for this. A person or a child needs to be encouraged to train herself or himself to be peaceful and committed to peace.

Peace education and training at various levels can facilitate this and help in understanding peace with justice in better ways. This education can take place at the level of educational institutions (school, college etc.), at the level of the family and the community, at the level of spiritual organizations, at workplace and at other levels. Thus people grow up understanding the significance of peace and trying to train themselves to be peaceful in everyday life, getting rid of violent behavior as well as thinking based on violence. Hence these people to grow up to contribute to creating a peaceful world. 

However due to neglect of peace education and training, we have the awful situation today that the students considered to be the most brilliant students of the most reputed educational institutions of the most ‘advanced’ countries emerge from their most prestigious universities to occupy top decision making posts from which they unleash a lot of violence and injustice and then their career advances further on the basis of these ‘achievements’. While at least religious institutions are supposed to spread the message of peace, increasingly here too narrow sectarian messages which lead to spreading violence are being encouraged.

Hence if we want to create a peaceful world and pass on a safer world to the coming generations, one of the most important efforts we need to make is for worldwide spread of very creative and continuing efforts of peace education and training. As peace is most sustainable and firm when it is accompanied by justice, we should speak of not just peace but justice based peace.

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Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Protecting Earth for Children. A Day in 2071, Planet in Peril and Man over Machine. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.

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