(This is the conclusion of the World Beyond War white paper A Global Security System: An Alternative to War.)
Some powerful groups benefit from war and violence. The vast majority of humans, however, will gain a lot from a world without war. The movement will work on strategies for outreach to a wide variety of constituencies globally. Such constituencies might include people in many parts of the world, key organizers, well-known leaders, peace groups, peace and justice groups, environmental groups, human rights groups, activist coalitions, lawyers, philosophers/ moralists/ethicists, doctors, psychologists, religious groups, economists, labor unions, diplomats, towns and cities and states or provinces or regions, nations, international organizations, the United Nations, civil liberties groups, media reform groups, business groups and leaders, billionaires, teachers groups, student groups, education reform groups, government reform groups, journalists, historians, women’s groups, senior citizens, immigrant and refugee rights groups, libertarians, socialists, liberals, Democrats, Republicans, conservatives, veterans, student- and cultural-exchange groups, sister-cities groups, sports enthusiasts, and advocates for investment in children and health care and in human needs of every sort, as well as those working to oppose contributors to militarism in their societies, such as xenophobia, racism, machismo, extreme materialism, all forms of violence, lack of community, and war profiteering.
For peace to prevail, we must prepare equally far in advance for the better choice. If you want peace, prepare for peace.
Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done.
Paul Hawken (Environmentalist, Author)
• IN LESS THAN A YEAR, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM 90 COUNTRIES HAVE SIGNED WORLD BEYOND WAR’S PLEDGE FOR PEACE.
• DEMILITARIZATION IS UNDERWAY. COSTA RICA AND 24 OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE DISBANDED THEIR MILITARIES ALTOGETHER.
• EUROPEAN NATIONS, WHICH HAD FOUGHT EACH OTHER FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS, INCLUDING THE HORRENDOUS WORLD WARS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, NOW WORK COLLABORATIVELY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION.
• FORMER ADVOCATES OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, INCLUDING FORMER U.S. SENATORS AND SECRETARIES OF STATE AND NUMEROUS RETIRED, HIGH-RANKING MILITARY OFFICERS, HAVE PUBLICLY REJECTED NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND CALLED FOR THEIR ABOLITION.
• THERE IS A MASSIVE, WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT TO END THE CARBON ECONOMY AND HENCE THE WARS OVER OIL.
• MANY THOUGHTFUL PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD ARE CALLING FOR AN END TO THE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE “WAR ON TERROR.”
• AT LEAST ONE MILLION ORGANIZATIONS IN THE WORLD ARE ACTIVELY WORKING TOWARD PEACE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
• THIRTY-ONE LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN NATIONS CREATED A ZONE OF PEACE ON JANUARY 29, 2014.
• IN THE LAST 100 YEARS, WE HUMANS HAVE CREATED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY INSTITUTIONS AND MOVEMENTS TO CONTROL INTERNATIONAL VIOLENCE: THE UN, THE WORLD COURT, THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT; AND TREATIES SUCH AS THE KELLOGG-BRIAND PACT, THE TREATY TO BAN LANDMINES, THE TREATY TO BAN CHILD SOLDIERS, AND MANY OTHERS.
• A PEACE REVOLUTION IS ALREADY UNDERWAY.
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See full table of contents for A Global Security System: An Alternative to War
2 Responses
Quote, ” IN THE LAST 100 YEARS, WE HUMANS HAVE CREATED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY INSTITUTIONS AND MOVEMENTS TO CONTROL INTERNATIONAL VIOLENCE: THE UN, THE WORLD COURT, THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT; AND TREATIES SUCH AS THE KELLOGG-BRIAND PACT, THE TREATY TO BAN LANDMINES, THE TREATY TO BAN CHILD SOLDIERS, AND MANY OTHERS.
• A PEACE REVOLUTION IS ALREADY UNDERWAY.” Unquote.
Really ? Try telling that to the people in the Eastern Ukraine and the countries bordering Russia. Where is the Mighty U.N. in that saga ? How well is the World Court working out, from observation it appears the only people who it persues are people of colour, whites particularly of European extraction or Israelis all appear to be untouchable. Same goes for the International Criminal Court, there are mass murderers walking freely in the U.S. and the U.K. where is thos International Criminal Court that’s supposed to ensure International Law is upheld ?
Treaty to ban land mines and child soldiers ? LOL, you gotta be kidding us surely, have you looked outside your front doors lately at what is going on in the World today, where the biggest and worst criminals bomb. murder and maim innocent people freely with ever being held to account by ANY of the above afore mentioned instrumentalities.
Only this week, Saudi Arabia with the connivance of the U.S. has started waging an ILLEGAL WAR CONTYRARY to ALL OF THE ABOVE INSTITUTIONS against the people of Yemen, and not a PEEP from the U.N. or any of these organisations. The purpetrators of which, will as usual, get away scott free never being called upon to answer their murderous deeds.
And this organization expects people to believe A PEACE REVOLUTION IS UNDER WAY ????
Crikey, if that’s the case, I’d hate to see the opposite
No more war