verbena-19

My New Year's Message: Despair and Hope

In the part of the globe where I have my abode, the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006 is fast approaching. The new year is a scant two-and-half hours away. I was going to write a short message of good wishes to my fellow bloggers and weblog readers. However, after reading and posting my friend Dahr Jamail's last two Iraq Dispatches, I am not feeling very well disposed toward some of my fellow human beings.

Reports from Iraq are true evidence of the escalating violence, terror, "ethnic cleansings", kidnappings, rape, torture and more brutalities, perpetrated by some factions against others, with the complicity of the Iraqi government and occupation forces.

The unimaginable horror of it all fills me with despair, and leaves me feeling less hopeful for a better year in 2006. But in my heart I know that tears of frustration and despair will not help end the Iraqis' ordeal, or make our wounded world a better place. What is needed is a concerted effort by all people of conscience, everywhere, regardless of race, religion, political ideologies. We must set our differences aside and unite in a global effort to be proponents and voices of peace.

"Peace" is not a mere slogan used by wild-eyed 'hippies' or naive 'leftist' visionaries. Judging by the increasing numbers of 'propeace' websites, correspondence and emails I receive, "peace" is alive and well. The global Peace Movement is growing exponentially and gaining ever more highly-credible, respected, astute adherents from diverse backgrounds and age groups. Governments and high-profile politicians are beginning to take notice of the importance of working toward global peace, realising that this is the only viable way for humankind to sustain life on this planet. Wars in one part of the world create such a rippling effect that everyone is affected.

This growing global Peace Movement gives me hope, as it should to all people of conscience everywhere. The reign of the hawks is drawing to a close as we learn that wars are barbaric relics of the past and have no place in the world of the future. War and terrorism do not resolve conflicts, whatever these pro-war hawks may say to the contrary. In the same vein, 'democracy' can not be foisted upon people at gunpoint (or bombs) by outside forces, it can only be achieved by the natural progression of a society by its inhabitants, if they want it and work toward it themselves. This is why Bush's war on Iraq is so illogical and insane (not to mention immoral and criminal). One does not have to be a student of political science to see the obvious oxymoron in "bringing democracy by waging war". (Wage war to bring peace?) I would like to see Bush and his pro-war buddies call this gross abuse by a world superpower what it really is, instead of cloaking it in falsehoods that fool no one but the most gullible of their sheep-like followers. Those hawks who have uttered the words "regime change" were closer to the truth, although they do not admit the real reasons Bush and his cronies wanted this "regime change". I will not go into that now, as much has been written about the real reasons for waging this war, and it is available to those who wish to read it.

The hour is now soon approaching midnight, and the dawn of a new day, a New Year, is almost here. In closing, I would like to ask all those who read this to please look inside your soul and search for your conscience. Once you find that 'inner voice' you will heed the call for peace, and join the millions of voices worldwide. You will write, phone, email your politicians and will raise your voices for peace. You too, will realise that without global peace our civilisation is doomed. We will have no world left to leave our descendants.

For the New Year, I would like to wish you and yours happiness, health, safety and peace.


To learn more about the global peace movement:

Please read: G.D. Paige, Nonkilling Global Political Science, available in text.pdf at: www.globalnonviolence
.org/docs/nonkilling_text.pdf

Glenn D. Paige is president of the Center for Global Nonviolence; professor emeritus of political science, University of Hawai'i; author of The Scientific Study of Political Leadership (1977), and of Nonkilling Global Political Science (2002).

Center for Global Nonviolence Founding Vision:
" Amidst continued killing at the end of history’s most violent century, the Center for Global Nonviolence arises out of faith that a nonviolent world is possible. It is possible for humans to stop killing each other from the family to the global community."... Read more

Read Background, Directors, more information about the Center for Global Nonviolence here



Anis Online webjournal:

This is a trilingual webjournal Anis Online
produced by German born Palestinian Anis Hamadeh. It has an interview on the Peace Department (Nov01, 2005) and has interesting links including the url for an interview with Peace Magazine on the same topic. URL: http://www.anis-online.de/
pages/_22-ebene/ton19.htm



Department of Peace Canada: (Working Group for a Federal Department of Peace)
www.departmentofpeacecanada.com


The Propeace Community Site: (evolving from antiwar to propeace)
www.propeace.net

posted by Annamarie at 9:22 PM