Wouldn’t it be great if peace prevailed everywhere?
27 October 2016
Sometimes, I begin to read a newspaper with trepidation.
At other times, I hesitate to scan through the world news on my laptop.
Of course, sadly, wars, strife and conflicts have been around as long as mankind has walked the earth. We are a tribal race with strong individual and collective views on most things; easily upset and riled; readily looking for revenge and retribution.
It’s just nowadays there seem to be far more instances of troubles of one sort or the other throughout the world.
Maybe we are all now so much aware of fighting in the Middle East or of political strife in African countries; clashes on the borders of India and Pakistan or terrorism events in Europe; or friction over disputed territories in the South China Sea. Thanks to the internet and social media, plus the availability of videos on Smartphones, any major event can be brought to the attention of millions of people instantly. It can be brought live into your living room or when you are travelling around on the train or even when shopping (as most people are forever checking their phones to see what’s been added on Facebook or Twitter or the like).
I did read somewhere that there are currently over 150 unresolved conflicts in the world—conflicts in this sense meaning that armed fighting has occurred, is happening, or is likely to happen.
The primary causes are repetitively similar: border or territorial disputes; differing religious beliefs; competing political ideologies; the rise of power mad despots or, a favourite, persecution of minorities with ethnic distrust and dislike; alternative vested interests in other countries and so on…
Inevitably, the root causes of such conflicts are all about power and money, all about being in control, dominating the economy, oil, the people… whatever—yes, I know what you are thinking: mankind never changes!
Unfortunately, the origins of many of these conflicts go back centuries and it seems that people cannot forgive or forget the deeds of their ancestors which might have sparked the conflict—in fact, many of which deeds were undertaken when times were quite different.
So, is there hope for mankind? Is there an opportunity for reconciliation amongst peoples and resolution of the ills of the world?
I am an optimist and have to keep hoping so. Admittedly, it’s like fire fighting where no sooner one blaze is extinguished than another breaks out. But, when I take time to reflect and find new hope, I still wonder to myself: “Wouldn’t it be great if peace prevailed everywhere?”
