Seven Propositions
A blueprint for encouraging peace
Among the many grievous threats facing humanity, the most unimaginably horrific and devastating would be a global nuclear war. Achieving and maintaining peace among humans is the most critical task facing incumbent heads of state, particularly given the total destruction that would ensue from the use of modern thermonuclear weapons. Will someone please explain this to Joe Biden.
I define peace as a enduring condition in which not only is war absent, but the impulses that lead to war, the traits that allow wars to continue, and the weapons that are used to kill and maim so many hundreds of thousands of people, are no longer extant.
It's reasonable to think this is idealistic. But if we believe that it's also unachievable, then we can farewell the human species. Humans that survived the combat could not survive the nuclear winter that followed. We know this. Yet still we play dangerous games of bluff and counter bluff in the psychotic conviction that nobody in their right mind would press that button. How wrong that is!
The doomsday clock, a universally recognized indicator of the world’s vulnerability to global catastrophe caused by man-made technologies, is currently set at 90 seconds to midnight. Why is that? Simply because experts who assess the risks take into account the distinctive mix of detachment from reality, unquestioned obedience, and schooled bravado among high-ranking officials in places like Washington and Moscow. They calculate that even the most alert and sensible of military personnel obeying orders would not be able to think or act fast enough to prevent the kind of human error that's already brought us to the brink of catastrophe on so many occasions, starting with the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.
Our luck cannot hold out. We need to dismantle the physical and psychological machinery of modern warfare before it dismantles us. Yet one of the most cockeyed impediments to achieving peace is the constant warmongering that goes on among the very people who are responsible for ensuring peace. They go under the collective noun of world leaders, which is the most sadly inappropriate term we can dream up. It seems a great many of them are disinclined to cut back on the numbers of nuclear weapons, least of all rid the world of them altogether. The 'great' powers (another misnomer) blame this on the need to have a deterrent against non-state rogue actors, dictators like Kim Jong Un of North Korea, and nations that threaten the hegemony of the US empire. But in truth, the greater danger is the military-industrial complex, the belligerent culture sustained by arms dealers, and colossal budgets for the research, development and manufacturing of weapons.
Total global military expenditure reached $2,443 billion in 2023, an increase of 6.8 per cent in real terms from 2022. If we are really serious about making peace and eliminating war, and please understand that this is a prerequisite for human survival on Earth, we will need to do the following, and certainly not in a half-hearted fashion.
Some of these propositions sound utopian, but that's only because in spite of all the denials, societal conditions are explicitly designed to accommodate and encourage war. In an alternative set of conditions, the following 'bare bones' of what's needed might not appear so impossibly outlandish.
1.    Encouraging mutual respect and a deeper appreciation of different cultures and traditions so as to foster tolerance and reduce the likelihood of clashes arising from innate cultural differences is absolutely key in a world where tribal differences and a fear of the 'other' are often consciously kindled. The press, social media platforms, and educational institutions all play a crucial role in this regard. By modeling appropriate behaviours and demonstrating a tolerance for diverse views and beliefs, we can learn to appreciate that cultural difference is actually enriching and precious.
2.    Designing educational curricula and experiences that emphasize systemic synthesis, foresight, empathy, cross-cultural and intergenerational communication skills, together with a thorough comprehension of how global issues play out locally and vice versa, will eventually help reduce ignorance and cut through the confusion arising from misinformation and propaganda. Schooling will need to take a different tack if it's to avoid conventional indoctrination and acculturation at a level of detached antipathy rather than from an appreciation of humans as part of a huge family.
3.    Promoting egalitarian principles within a national context of interpretative consensus, ensuring equal rights and opportunities for all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or socio-economic status, abiding by agreed rules of law, fostering transparency and accountability in governance, will all reduce political bickering and promote peaceful coexistence. Needless to say, it's not an imperative that every nation look and act like the US or China. It is important that individual choice of ideology is respected, assuming that political model is one accepted by a majority of a country's citizens.
4.    Addressing economic disparities and ecological issues such as climate change, pollution, and resource depletion, is critical. But these two topics are intertwined and should not be considered independently as that leads to conflicting conclusions. Studying them as a single complex system enables us to ensure fairer distribution of natural resources, reducing socio-economic tensions where they are limited by overuse. Issues of decolonization and economic sufficiency are again critical in this context.
5.    There needs to be a commitment to unlimited talk by all potentially warring parties. But politicians must be taken out of the equation. Their role is to draft policies and to legislate those policies once the principles are in place. Encouraging open and respectful communication, dialogue, and transparent negotiation can resolve misunderstandings and prevent conflicts from escalating. It is the basis of diplomacy and is something that should be taught in parliaments so that it becomes ingrained in public policy, and the cordial relationships we grow between different nations. Developing appropriate tools for resolving conflict at local, national, and international levels, through the use of conversational methods like Deep Design, Appreciative Inquiry, and Transformational Narrative, can peacefully manage potential disputes before they escalate into violence.
6.    Upholding and promoting human rights universally can protect vulnerable populations and reduce discrimination and oppression that so often lead to conflicts. The role of the media in this respect is vital. Encouraging responsible journalism and media practices that promote accurate reporting, avoid sensationalism, and refrain from spreading hate speech or misinformation, invariably reduce social tensions and heal divisiveness.
7.    The engagement of civil society in ways that promote peace building, human rights, and social justice enable local communities to resolve conflicts peacefully before they become irritating to larger numbers of people. Encouraging collaborative governance, via citizen assemblies at all levels of society, empower ordinary men and women in decision-making, while promoting integrity, trustworthiness, and accountability, which are all essential elements for maintaining peace.
If these 7 propositions are the code whereby peace becomes possible, the first step is to declare them openly and loudly as the prime goal in every international forum. They should be the mantra owned by the UN and all other bodies instituted to maintain peace and justice, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
After that it becomes a continuous process requiring the collective efforts from individuals, communities, governments, and international organizations. The kinds of strategies suggested here would need to be implemented in a coordinated and sustained manner if we're to create a more peaceful and stable world for generations to come. How we even begin to do that in a world currently fraught with such a diverse range of conflicting agendas remains something of a puzzle.