The increasing conflict in many parts of the world and the near ruin of several once prosperous and well-resourced countries in recent times due to war, invasion and civil strife has re-emphasized the need for a strong and effective world peace which is unbiased and independent and can work with continuity. This should be created from bottom to top and cover the reduction of all types of violence, conflict and war.
This movement should be based on the understanding that while wars and civil strife are indeed some of the most destructive manifestations of violence, at the same time violence also creates enormous destruction in everyday life all around us in the form of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual and gender violence, school/college violence and bullying, workplace violence, street violence, gang violence,crime, homicide, suicide and self-harm, communal, inter-faith and sectarian violence, honor killings, revenge, feuds, political violence etc. In all communities, rural and urban, there should be a branch of the peace movement, striving to reduce all these kinds of violence as well as their simmering causes, as well as to reduce and check any proliferation of weapons and ammunition.
The objective should be not only to spread the message of non-violence and peace at all levels, but in addition to emphasize justice-based peace in all contexts, arguing also for reducing exploitation, discrimination and greed, while promoting equality, justice and reconciliation. Efforts should also be made to reduce factors which lead to increase of violence, factors such as alcoholism and substance-abuse, as well as promotion of a culture of violence in various ways.
These community efforts if pursued sincerely, creatively and with understanding of local needs, with commitment and continuity, will almost certainly lead to significant reduction in the distress of people, as well as to greater motivation for cooperation to take this and related objectives further.
Various community organizations should cooperate to create peace organizations at the district level, and then further at the provincial and national levels. These wider organizations can generate a lot of mobilization resources which will be useful for community level branches, while also learning in significant ways from community level branches, taking a decentralized approach and retaining strong roots in communities, the ultimate source of strength of movement.
The national organizations should then cooperate to create a world organization which is expected to function in an entirely unbiased and independent way. It will be very active to prevent and limit any conflict, civil strife and war, apart from reducing the accumulation of all weapons at all levels. One of its very important objectives will be to work for the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction ( including nuclear, biological, chemical, robot or any other such weapons) as well as checking all possibilities of or move towards space warfare.
The peace movement should be visualized as a movement of a very strong and effective international presence with membership in hundreds of millions reaching almost all rural and urban communities of world. It will be impossible for national governments and international organizations to ignore the voice of such a strong peace movement with so many members all over the world and with a very strong and well-deserved ethical reputation.
Such a bottom to top organization can be created within a decade at worldwide level if the required levels of commitment and dedicated work are forthcoming. The overwhelming majority of members will work on voluntary part-time basis and will also make small donations while limited salaries or support can be arranged on the basis of these donations for those who work on full-time basis for this movement.
All the work of this movement will be conducted on the basis of transparency with continuity. This movement will have strong relationships of mutual cooperation and help with the various movements for justice ( including gender justice), environment protection and protection for all forms of life, as well as other highly relevant social movements.
This peace movement will give special importance to involvement of women and youth. It will seek to obtain an important place for its ideas and messages in educational institutions and curricula.
The peace movement will seek to have a cooperation on equal terms with existing peace institutions and organizations including the United Nations and its various agencies, without being overly influenced or co-opted by these institutions as many of these have not been able to operate in entirely unbiased, unselfish uncompromising ways.
Bharat Dogra is a journalist and author, is Honorary Coordinator of Save the Earth Now Campaign with its SED Demand. His recent books include Protecting Earth for Children, Planet in Peril and Man Over Machine.
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