by Deepak Chopra MD
War is the plague that human beings bring upon themselves. It is also a plague we might be able to end. On any given day since you and I were born, some part of the world has been at war–in 2003 the total number of open conflicts was thirty. In the twentieth century at least 108 million people died in wars. Of the 20 largest military budgets on earth, 14 belong to developing countries. The United States spends more on its military than the next 16 countries combined.
That war is the major problem in the world is undeniable.
The need for a new idea is just as undeniable.
The new idea is to bring peace one person at a time until the world reaches a critical mass of peacemakers instead of warmakers.
"There is no way to peace. Peace is the way."
– Mahatma Gandhi
Why Ending War Hasn’t Worked
Peace movements have tried three ways for bringing war to an end:
Activism, the approach of putting political pressure on governments that wage war. Activism involves protests and public demonstrations, lobbying and political commitment. Almost every war creates some kind of peace movement opposed to it.
Why has it failed?
- Because the protesters are not heard.
- Because they are worn down by frustration and resistance.
- Because they are far outnumbered by the war interests in society.
- Because their idealism turns to anger and violence.
Activism has left us with the ironic picture of outraged peacemakers who wind up contributing to the total sum of violence in the world.
Humanitarianism, the approach of helping the victims of war. Bringing relief to victims is an act of kindness and compassion. As embodied by the International Red Cross, this effort is ongoing and attracts thousands of volunteers worldwide. Every nation on earth approves of humanitarianism.
Why has it failed?
- Because humanitarians are wildly outnumbered by soldiers and warmakers.
- Because of finances. The International Red Cross’s annual budget of $1.8 billion dollars is a tiny fraction of military budgets around the world. Because the same countries that wage war also conduct humanitarian efforts, keeping the two activities very separate.
- Because humanitarians show up on the scene after the war has already begun.
Personal transformation, the approach of ending war one person at a time. The prevailing idea is that war begins in each human heart and can only end there. The religious tradition of praying for peace is the closest most people will ever come to ending war in their own hearts. Most people have actually never heard of this approach.
Why has it failed?
Because nobody has really tried it.
"Can you be the change that you wish to see in the world?"
— Mahatma Gandhi
War is born of fear, it will, therefore require even greater fear to combat it...the fear that comes from facing a powerful enemy, an enemy to the human species ... a common enemy.
We need to figure out a way to quickly achieve a critical mass of people who are aware of mankinds common enemies (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions, ecological damage, nuclear proliferation, overcrowding, and what I refer to as the 'global tournament of consumption') and are dedicated to seeing policies embraced that address these problems.
Dr J | Posted on 12/04 at 12:25 AM
Deepak Chopra MD
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