Give Peace a Chance

In a world we no longer understand, enclosed within our daily fears and anxieties and our predetermined paths of a capitalist well-being that we don’t deserve, we are bombarded with information about war, or rather, wars that devastate the World. Why don’t we give peace a chance ?

At the beginning of last year, we were thrust into a war with a taste of the nineteenth century, in the heart of Europe, starring Russia. And today, the conflict between Israel and Palestine, which takes us back a century. And these are just the most famous ones! I could also talk about: Syrian War: The conflict in Syria, which began in 2011, was ongoing. It involved the Syrian government, various rebel groups, and foreign powers. Yemeni War: The conflict in Yemen involved Houthi rebels, the Yemeni government, and a Saudi-led coalition. It had been ongoing for several years. Ethiopian War: The Tigray conflict in Ethiopia began in late 2020 and was a significant ongoing conflict. Myanmar War: Ongoing civil unrest and conflict had been happening in Myanmar since the military coup in February 2021.

But why, in such a torn world, has talking about peace become dismissed as mere populism? Why has everyone turned into war generals and strategists or seasoned politicians, justifying the actions of one side or another based on the cocktail they are sipping or the interlocutor they aim to impress?

Talking about peace has become unintellectual in newspapers and uncool on social media; there’s always a search for divisive content that sparks more debate and mental self-indulgence.

But since we are free, free from religions and profits, free to say what we want. We simply want to list the reasons why war is never the answer. We don’t care that our argument may not be palatable for a Roman salon or a Parisian café, because often reason and common sense are worth more than a dinner invitation and a casual fling.

War is not the answer for several significant reasons:

Human Cost: War leads to the loss of human lives on a large scale. Innocent civilians, including women and children, often become victims of armed conflicts. The physical and psychological toll on those involved is immeasurable.

Destruction: War causes widespread destruction of infrastructure, including homes, schools, hospitals, and vital services like water and electricity. This not only disrupts the lives of civilians but also hinders post-war recovery.

Economic Cost: Wars are incredibly expensive. They drain the financial resources of nations, diverting funds away from essential services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure development.

Unpredictable Outcomes: The outcomes of war are often unpredictable. Even with the best of intentions, the consequences can be unintended and far-reaching, leading to prolonged instability.

Generational Trauma: The effects of war can be felt for generations. Trauma and psychological scars can be passed down, and conflict can continue long after the physical fighting has stopped.

Destabilization: War often leads to regional and global instability. It can create power vacuums, fuel extremism, and exacerbate refugee crises, contributing to further conflict and insecurity.

Technological and Nuclear Risks: In the modern era, the use of advanced weaponry and nuclear weapons poses a catastrophic risk to humanity. The potential for widespread destruction and loss of life is greater than ever.

What are you saying? These are basic arguments that even a 10-year-old could use for their elementary school essay. Apparently, this child may have more sense than you, dear readers. Evidently, in our quest for increasingly complex answers, we have lost our rationality, and now we are intellectual monkeys following trends or keywords dictated by propaganda or media confusion. I challenge you, dear readers, to argue against just one of the points listed. I challenge you to point out a modern conflict, just one, that has brought benefits to anyone other than those who sponsor and profit from war.

Of course, we’re not talking about Peace as an absolute value, because just like eternal Love, we know it doesn’t exist and is mainly used to sell chocolates and antidepressants. But we call for an immediate ‘Ceasefire’ in all ongoing conflicts and the initiation of diplomatic negotiations. We must clearly identify the aggressors and the victims, but we must also sit around negotiation tables to find a solution. Justifying violence as a response to violence will only ignite new social fuses and geographic tensions. When will the next conflict be? Perhaps China and Taiwan are already preparing. 

Forgive the banality of our request, but someone had to stop and state the most obvious thing, perhaps the only possible path in a World that seems to have lost its way, as someone famous said a few years ago, as to “Give Peace a Chance”.