The single greatest barrier to ending war is the belief of the vast majority of global citizens that doing so is impossible.
Definitions
War – A killing conflict that occurs when people band together to indiscriminately kill people in another group and the majority of the warring community’s noncombatants and religious leaders sanction this action. [For an explanation of the origin and meaning of this working definition see this website’s page “War.”]
Global Peace – The state of relationships between the nations and people of Earth in which major conflicts are universally resolved by nonviolent means—mediation, negotiation, sharing, compromise, etc.—including especially the absence of war.
Global Peace – The state of relationships between the nations and people of Earth in which major conflicts are universally resolved by nonviolent means—mediation, negotiation, sharing, compromise, etc.—including especially the absence of war.
Two questions are the Focus of This Page
- Can There Ever Be An Enduring Global Peace? Put another way ...
- Can the People Of Earth Make An Enduring And Enforceable Pact To Abolish War?
Promising conditions underlying a positive answer to the questions
The following provide links to three kinds of materials (essays or videos) that explore reasons to believe that abolishing war is at least theoretically possible. They provide a good-news historical perspective on this bedeviling challenge.
Our Time in History in Uniquely Poised for Success
“Why we can do what no others in history could – our unique window of opportunity to abolish war."
We Have a Clear Sense of the Characteristic of Working Peace Systems
“The Shared Characteristics of Peace Systems"
“Life Without War” Douglas P. Fry, 2012, Science 336: 879-884. [be sure to scroll down to the article]
We Have Already Made Impressive Progress Toward a Global Peace
28 Examples are Explained in a Powerful 18 Minute Video based On the Book From War to Peace: A Guide to the Next 100 Years by Historian Kent Shifferd. Watch The Evolution of a Global Peace System.
Our Time in History in Uniquely Poised for Success
“Why we can do what no others in history could – our unique window of opportunity to abolish war."
We Have a Clear Sense of the Characteristic of Working Peace Systems
“The Shared Characteristics of Peace Systems"
“Life Without War” Douglas P. Fry, 2012, Science 336: 879-884. [be sure to scroll down to the article]
We Have Already Made Impressive Progress Toward a Global Peace
28 Examples are Explained in a Powerful 18 Minute Video based On the Book From War to Peace: A Guide to the Next 100 Years by Historian Kent Shifferd. Watch The Evolution of a Global Peace System.
Progress toward a Global Peace System
(Global work on Constructive and Obstructive Programs.
This logo for A Future Without War features the efforts/projects required to build an enduring war-free future. They are grouped into nine “cornerstones” to provide help visualizing what sorts of efforts or projects activists share in common. For example, the cornerstone “Shift Our Economies” would group together all efforts to move from an out-of-control capitalism to an economic system that would provide better fairness and sustainability for all citizens.
Globally there are many thousands of such projects. In 2017 the AFWW website listed and provided website links to a sample of them (see here). Although not all of these groups or organizations may still be functioning at this time, a scan of these organizations in 2017 can provide a real-world feel for the vast amount of effort already being devoted to essentials of a maintainable global peace system.
Most of these efforts fit in the category of Constructive Program as opposed to Obstructive Program. The essay “Gandhi’s Constructive and Obstructive Programs” explains the difference.
This logo for A Future Without War features the efforts/projects required to build an enduring war-free future. They are grouped into nine “cornerstones” to provide help visualizing what sorts of efforts or projects activists share in common. For example, the cornerstone “Shift Our Economies” would group together all efforts to move from an out-of-control capitalism to an economic system that would provide better fairness and sustainability for all citizens.
Globally there are many thousands of such projects. In 2017 the AFWW website listed and provided website links to a sample of them (see here). Although not all of these groups or organizations may still be functioning at this time, a scan of these organizations in 2017 can provide a real-world feel for the vast amount of effort already being devoted to essentials of a maintainable global peace system.
Most of these efforts fit in the category of Constructive Program as opposed to Obstructive Program. The essay “Gandhi’s Constructive and Obstructive Programs” explains the difference.
A “Related Projects” page on the AFWW website will direct you to website links and information about hundreds of organizations. This campaign is already well underway.
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An Internet search for "global peace system" pulls up a link to an informative wikipedia page on the subject. In 2018 it does not bring up many other entries. Rotary International has an entry. It is to be hoped that in suceeding years the number of links to this concept will grow.
There are many words for peace.
And there is a global yearning for peace.
Pax Peace Paz Shamaa Shalom Shanti Heiwa Rój Anacheowegan Fred Sipala Sula Mire Saq Aman Irini Lapé Baké Salam Vrede
And there is a global yearning for peace.
Pax Peace Paz Shamaa Shalom Shanti Heiwa Rój Anacheowegan Fred Sipala Sula Mire Saq Aman Irini Lapé Baké Salam Vrede
Astronomy image credit: NASA: Full Hemisphere Views of Earth at Night.