Light of Peace

Love is the best anti-depressant 'medicine' that may promote inner peace

2010-09-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

Love the best antidepressant is necessary for the mind as well as food for the body. The more committed you are, you look more healthy both in body and soul.

Most people who experience depression do not love themselves and do not feel loved by others. At the same time some people so focus on themselves that they destroy their attractiveness. As a result, they often sit passively, waiting to get someone who will love them. But love is probably not working that way. To get and sustain love, you must go out to expose and learn a variety of different skills.

There is a mythology in our culture that love is a coincidence. It's part of our cultural vulnerability, such as fast-food, constantly irritating pictures and instant satisfaction. So often we think this is love, while in reality this is is only a 'infatuation' or an erotic madness.

The result could be that when you stand in front of a real love, you feel confused and frustrated because there were so many that did not fit the cultural "ideal". Some of us become demanding and choosy , and we ask others to do what we believe in the ideals of romance without realizing that our ideal is probably unrealistic.

Therefore it is not only possible but necessary to change one's perspective to see the love in his life.

Some simple suggestions include:

* Recognize the difference between sex and love. Love often exists in a state of intense erotic madness. It is beautiful but rarely lasts. Love is often the first stage of mad attraction where all the hormones go up and you feel the life is so beautiful. This state usually lasts for, on the average, six months. This may lead to love. Most love stories emanate from love, but many stories of crazy love do not develop a deep love.

* Realize that love is a learned skill and not something caused by hormones. The Erich Fromm calls it "an act of will. It is important to learn the skills to love because it will feel to be linked with other person, that you love. This reduces the chances of experiencing failures and depression.

* Learn proper communication skills. It allows you to develop confidence and strengthen your connection with your loved one. The more you communicate the better understanding you will develop..

* There are always some basic differences between two people regardless of how close they feel. If the relationship goes well, these differences go to the background. Therefore, the issue is to strengthen one of these differences and negotiate so as not to become a distraction for the other. This is done to fully grasp the roots of others. When these differences are known you will have to negotiate and settle upon them to find common ground for better functionality.

* Be willing to help. Depression keeps people so focused on the self. The more you concentrate on the other, the more you learn to respond to their needs and better contribute to your relationship.

* Expand the capacity to adapt easily to a common reality. The reality of the beloved needs you to be informed as yours. What do I need? People with depression feel that the only reality is their pessimistic view.

* Questioning yourself with the internal messages of personal failure. Sensitivity to rejection is a primary symptom of depression. As a result of low self-esteem, relationship is interpreted as a personal failure.

This is how love can remove your depression and promote inner peace within yourself

Civil Wars can be more devastating for Peace and Mankind than the Tradional Wars between the Countries

2010-09-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

Apart from the traditional wars which are fought between the countries, we have another type of war also. This war is fought within th country but between two warring factions , tribes clans, or groups. These groups can be based on race,language,religion or at times the ideological differences. If that happens the government of that country becomes one of the warring faction. And the other group or groups may name their fight or struggle as a revolution. The war of lbreration also falls within the same category.
Now these types of wars cannot e termed as the private violence. The private violence is the violation of law of the land for the personal benefits of the indivual or the group of individuals indulging in such acts. People conducting civil wars always have a broader objective in front of them. They would be either fightin g to overthow the sitting government ( revolution) or to get the freedom,autonomy from the government(liberation) or to get the economic and political rights for a particular region.

The people conducting a struggle to over throw the government call it a revolution. They design their own set of rules and laws that are in contravention with the existing lawful authority. However the those who are in power never recognize such struggles as legal and hustified. The sitting government does not recognize them as legitimate combatants. They are lebelled as the bandits, the agents of the enemy and even the terrorists. A common axiom is : if the revolution succeeds , they become the hero, if it fails the leader of the revolution is treated as traitor and dealt with according to law of the land, which normally culminates into death penalty.
On the other hand the revolutions in general have not yet constituted the legitimate authorities and thus they have their own laws. At times the revolution starts with some aim and ends up with a different aim. More over the leadership of a revolution may not necessarily remain the one that started it. The revolutions can be hijacked by some other person that crop up accidently during the process of revolution.
Many revolutions emerge from within the civil wars. A civil war may start with some objective ie to secure the economic and political rights for the people of a particular area, but it may transform into a revolution , aimng at changing the government. In civil wars the combatants are not clearly identifiable because they do not wear separate insignias . In the French Revolution the Bastille was attacked by the people, that were a composite mass, not clearly defined. Similary the enemies of the revolution were the nobles, even priests. The categories were very vague and uncertain making it difficult to lay down the rules of behavior .
It may be construed from the history that the civil wars are normally more brutal, mere because of the fact that the ruls are neither clearly defined nor are they followed by the warring factions. Take the example of tribal wars in African countires like Congo. The genocide of the opponents is so cruel that it is unyhinkable in the civilized societies. In a bid to carry out ethnic cleansing of the rivals, the whole tribe, including women, children and the old are butchered ruthlessly. Their limbs are amputated and at times they are burnt alive.
The question arises then how to avoid such categoris of wars? It is only through education, economic development and safeguarding the rights of all the people, without any distindtion of race, language or religion , that such catastrophes can be averted.

Why was Saddam Hussain spared by the US after Second Gulf War in 1991?

2010-09-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

Saddam Hussain as a Ruler

Saddam Hussain, the former ruler of Iraq, was a dictator of his own kind with no parallel in the modern world. He gained power in Iraq through his political ‘Ba’ath Party’. After assuming power he suppressed his people through the use of ruthless force and brute techniques. The ‘Shiite’ Muslims, though being in majority, were denied their political and religious rights and were always kept away from power. They were not even allowed to celebrate their religious rituals of “Aashur’ in the holy city of Karbala. Similarly the Kurd population in the north Iraq was victimized. They were targeted and bombarded with brute use of force. The Kurds were even subject to the genocide by employing chemical weapons against their civilian population centers. The intelligence network of Saddam was so dreadful and effective that no one in the country could escape its wrath. The voices of dissent were crushed immediately by eliminating the opponents, even if they were from his family and clan.

Saddam attacks Iran

The political party of Saddam Hussain, ‘Ba’ath Party’ that was in power, had a socialist orientation. Hence neither his party nor Saddam Hussain himself had to do anything with Islam or Islamic ideology. Till second Gulf War, the posture of Saddam Hussain was that of a pure secular dictator; however during the war he amended his profile to display as a champion of Islam, just to attract the sympathies of the Muslim world.He invariably got himself photographed while sitting on a mat and saying prayers. At times he would compare himself with Saladin, the great Muslim leader who fought Crusades with the Christian armies of Europe in 10^th century. All this was a pseudo behavior as his actions never matched with the values and teachings of Islam. Despite his inhuman behavior and policies, Saddam Hussain was continuously pampered by the West. It is so unfortunate that the western democratic countries vehemently supported a dictator like Saddam, just to fulfill their own aims. A huge amount of military aid was provided to Iraq to make her army as a formidable force to face the Iranian Islamic revolutionary state. The result was obvious. Saddam Hussain attacked Iran in 1980 without any provocation but was supported by the West. Imbued with the spirit of patriotism and inspired the revolutionary teachings of their leader. Ayatulla Khomeni, the whole Iranian nation put up a formidable resistance and achieved success against Iraq, despite heavy odds.

The Gulf War 1991

Saddam Hussain then planned to capture Kuwait in 1990. He based his strategy on the assumption that the West, particularly the Americans will not interfere militarily with his adventure. It is yet not clear to the political and military analysts as to how Saddam could commit such a blunder without taking his benefactors ie the West, into confidence. One opinion is that the Americans themselves prompted Saddam to take this action so that they may have an excuse to interfere and then station their forces permanently in the Middle East. Whatever the case may have been, Saddam Hussain invaded Kuwait and occupied it virtually without any resistance. This adventure directly threatened UAE, Behrain, Qatar and even Saudi Arabia. It seemed as if Saddam Hussain was out on a winning spree in order to become the master of the richest lands of the world. Obviously the whole world opinion turned against Saddam and wanted to get rid of this menace. The military alliance created under the leadership of the US was unprecedented. It comprised troops from not only the Western countries but the significant Arab countries like Egypt, Syria, UAE and Saudi Arabia also contributed their troops. Even Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan sent their troops to fight against Iraq as the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq was being seen as a naked aggression and was to be undone at all cost. Israel was however kept out of war due to political reasons.

The Operation Desert Sabre was virtually a walk over. It was a one-sided battle that broke the myth of Saddam’s military strength. The Iraqi army suffered casualties like sitting ducks. Saddam never used his air force and chemical weapons which he had been threatening to use. The surface to surface Scud missiles proved to be total failure. Most of these missiles were neutralized by the under cover agents of the UK even before the war. The battle became a testing ground for the most sophisticated weapons held by the Western countries which played havoc with the Iraqis, destroying every target with precision and impunity. The morale of Iraqi army descended to its lowest ebb. Most of the soldiers surrendered without fighting. They sold their weapons in Kuwait city to get the fare for their journey back home. Iraqi army even could not carry out a planned withdrawal from Kuwait. The road from Kuwait to Baghdad was littered with the destroyed Iraqi tanks, vehicles and dead soldiers. After having 15000 Iraqi soldiers and 45000 Iraqi civilians dead, Saddam Hussain ordered cease fire and withdrawal from Kuwait.

Aftermath of the War and Strategic Blunder of the Allies

The plan of the allied forces was to retake Kuwait from the Iraqi possession. It was a very limited and short term aim and had its own consequences. The larger strategic aim should have been to remove Saddam Hussain from power. By then it was proved beyond doubt that he was a war criminal at international level and a cruel ruler who had been massacring his own people with impunity. Even George Bush, the then president of the US had declared ‘Saddam as worst than Hitler’. If that was the case, then why were the Iraqi people, the Middle East and the world as a whole left at the mercy of Saddam? The US could have very easily helped Iraqi people to replace the tyrant dictator with a democratic set up as the whole world was having a consensus on this. Had this been done back in 1991, the world would have been different today. The US misconstrued the aftermath of war and thought that the people of Iraq would themselves remove Saddam Hussain from power as no ruler can stay in power after such humiliation. That analysis of the situation was against the ground realities. The nations, whose ego, liberty, personal respect, freedom of expression and freedom of thought is crushed over a prolonged period of time, can never think of rising up to face a dictator in order to get their rights. Only the nations can stand up to face their cruel ruler and usurpers who have the life and spark left in them. Some analysts say that the Americans spared Saddam Hussain purposely so that he could again be used for some malicious plans in the future. But that time never came.

Conclusion

Saddam Hussain remained in power for the next about 13 years. He neither played any positive role nor did he prove useful for the West for his remaining period in power, till we saw the dawn of year 2003 and with it the America’s war on Iraq. Now after seven years of fighting in Iraq, what has the American nation gained or lost, is writing on the wall. The big question is: Did sparing of Saddam Hussain in 1991 help the promotion of global peace or otherwise? The answer is left to the political analysts. However the lesson learn t is that the strategic decisions taken by the super powers always have lasting effects on the world peace.

Nelson Mandela: The Man who Changed History with his Courage and Steadfastness

2010-09-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

Nelson Mandela is one of those personalities of the present times who have changed the course of history through their courage, dedication and valor. South Africa a country predominantly inhabited by the natives was being ruled by a tiny minority of white people. Had it been a rule of law or the rule that ensures the human rights of all the people without ant discrimination on the basis of race or color, it would have been acceptable, at least for the time being. But the government there was the worst example of racialism and violation of the human rights.

Nelson Mandela was the person who led his people the freedom. He rose above his personal interests and always kept the interest of his nation as supreme. He was offered attractive incentives as a price of his loyalty and sincerity but he never scummed to those offers. He preferred a prolonged imprisonment over the freedom that was over shadowed with a tinge of slavery. He knew that if he spends his prime age in the prison, his people will have the taste of freedom, and he proved that. This was the forces of his character that carried him along despite heavy odds.

A leader of his unique standing, Nelson Mandela had a deep insight for the regional and global affairs. Many a times he would spread pearls of wisdom during his speeches and informal talks. He was a great proponent of African unity and its freedom. Once he said,” I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses.

Apart from having a knowledge of geo-political scenario, Nelson Mandela had a thorough understanding of the human nature and psychology. He is quoted to have said.” I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear”. Realizing the importance of education for making progress in today’s world he says,” Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

After having achieved the fist phase of his objectives, Nelson Mandela did not cling to the power, as most of leaders do, rather he retired from active politics happily and handed over the reins of leadership to the younger generations. However despite taking a relief, the personality of Nelson Mandela serves as a beacon of knowledge, guidance and peace and will remain so for decades to come.

Increasing strategic relationship between Iran and Sri Lanka can be a stabilizing factor in the region that may help in promoting peace.

2010-09-22T04:22:00.001-07:00

Sri Lanka is a small island country in Indian Ocean situated just at the lower tip of India. It is a multi ethnic and multi lingual country with very small economic resources. The country has retained its independence and sovereignty over the past many centuries. The country possesses an effective profile of a peaceful nation with no political and strategic alignments. Sri Lanka has enjoyed equally good relations with India and Pakistan (although both these countries have many differences and disputes of their own), with Arab countries as well as with Israel.

Unfortunately Sri Lanka got involved in a prolonged counter insurgency war against Tamil Tigers (LTTE), a faction of their own who started war against the central authority of Sri Lanka. This war continued for about twenty six years and took an heavy toll of life, property and the economy of the country. As Sri Lanka depended heavily on other countries for her defense needs, they had to import even the pistol bullets fro abroad. India helped them by sending a peacekeeping contingent in 1980s which failed and had to return back. Pakistan cooperated with Sri Lanka by imparting training to officers of Sri Lankan army and has been providing them defense equipment on credit. The war against terror organization LTTE ended with a total victory of Sri Lankan Army

In order to further improve their economic and defense situation, Sri Lanka has now looked towards Iran who has responded positively. Both the countries have started a new era of mutual cooperation in economic development. Both countries have been giving joint statements regarding nuclear non proliferation. Sri Lanka has recently given statement that Iran has the right to acquire nuclear technology for its energy production. Since 2008 a number of mutual visits have been carried out by the delegations of both the countries and given statements stressing the need of improving bilateral relations. Of late Iran has agreed to extend low interest loans to Sri Lanka for purchase of defense hardware. Iran has also offered to train Sri Lankan military and intelligence officers. Iran has recently signed three MOUs with Sri Lanka with a view to improving trade. At present Iran provides crude oil that meets 80 % of the requirement of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has suggested establishing a nuclear power plant by 2030 for which technical help will be sought from Iran

Iran and Sri Lanka have very few things in common; no common borders, no common religion, culture or language and no common enemy. The boosting up of the mutual relationship seems to be for mutual development and peace. As a foreign minister of Sri Lanka had remarked while on visit to Iran, "ours is a friendship based on mutual trust and understanding…Iran is sincerely committed to the development of Sri Lanka, whom we consider to be a true friend." This proves that bilateral relations can be established without any prejudice to the interests of other countries. This is what the aim in international relations should be ie to promote global peace, not at the expense of others.

The Impressions of a Japanese Child who Survived Nuclear Attack

2010-09-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

"Why do wars happen"

What if war breaks out. I thought a lot about this. For one thing, the war would start on any issues in the country. The problem, for example, a country says "Give me money." Or "give us cheap oil." Saying, "No." If I had all that, the war may begin in frustration. In addition, there is a weak nation in a country, if it wanted to rule the country but will be vulnerable to aggression by other countries, the war might begin.

The second example, a country ( country A) and have a great state full of bad people, people without a leader unlike other countries (country B) . the country with good leaders will say to country A, fine, we will help you to run your affairs. country A may say , no thank you, we can do it at our own. this may annoy country B and the war may begin. I think the war happen.

"On War"

I know that war, I learned a lot. To war when we're killing each other is really scary.
I live where there is no war, but the world may have a war. The war can start where I live.
I heard many stories about the war and the atomic bomb in Japan. My teacher taught me many things. If there is war in Japan we learn o educate our children about that, because war separates children from their parents. I want to live with my parents at my home.

War is scary.

"Today's children are of atomic bomb legacy" I'm so innocent about bomb that people died of the bomb and I also died. but that did not do anything wrong, I died at the age of 20. The atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima Osowa and at that time Ms Sadako was just two years old, she lost a grandmother at that time.Ten years later, Ms. Sadako contracted acute leukemia caused by atomic bomb and died before I graduated from elementary school.But she is known as the Children Peace, a child died at a young age because of the bomb just as many others did. The innocent children of the future may also die this way. I think it's unfair to say that had the Japanese surrendered earlier, the atomic bomb would not have dropped.

"UNICEF"

I looked to UNICEF. After World War II, but I really helped the children of Japan. UNICEF was created in 1946. The children had lost parents, With no house to live, but UNICEF kept helping children to eat. UNICEF was sending medicines and milk for lunch in Japan from 1949 to 1964. It sent material and clothes. Even today UNICEF is doing great job.

The Cooler Side of Nuclearization. Can the World Live Peacefully under the Shadow of Nuclear Weapons?

2010-09-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

Background

One of the questions that haunts the peace lovers is that can the world communities coexist mutually with peace despite piling up of nuclear arsenal around them? Unfortunately the history provides the answer in affirmative. We are not at all in favor of countries possessing nuclear weapons, but at least as an interim measure it seems a rather plausible solution to create a sense of security, howsoever it may be a false one.

Testimonies from survivors of the two times nuclear weapons that have been used in World War II are stories of unimaginable cruelty and suffering. Charred corpses, eyes that melted out of the skull and powdered human bodies were results of just some of the atomic bombs the Americans dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Nuclear weapons have been improved since then. Any full scale nuclear war would result in casualties that may be in millions, if not billions and an unlimited destruction of mankind.

The capability of nuclear weapons to unleash total destruction is still the most plausible reason why they have not yet been used.The fear of nuclear war can be seen as the guarantor of the peace that has prevailed between the world's major powers since World War II. Without nuclear weapons the world would probably have been a dangerous place to live.

Balance of Terror - The Cold Peace

With the exception of the first years after the nuclear weapons were developed by the United States, the world in the nuclear age was characterized by less uncertainty. Terror balance between NATO and the Soviet Union, a situation in which there was no doubts about both sides' ability to annihilate the other, urged the parties to do everything they could to avoid war. Cuba missile crisis of 962 is a good example. Had this been a crisis between the two conventional forces, it could soon have developed into a bloody war. The two countries being nuclear power if went to full fledged war would have meant an inevitable counterattack and thus a catastrophic consequences for one's own country and people would have followed. it has been emphasized by analysts that the period between the World War II and fall of the Berlin wall should not be named as the era of cold war, rather a more suitable name would be the cold peace.

Example of India and Pakistan

There is also a good reason to believe that relations between India and Pakistan would have been much more unstable and strained, had both countries not been nuclear powers. Even if India were a nuclear power and Pakistan were not, the balance of power would have severely tilted in favor of India, thereby putting the whole region in a very dangerous situation. In 1998 both countries came to the brink of a full fledged war on Kargil issue, but thanks to the nuclear weapons held by both, the catastrophe was averted. Similarly in 2001 when the Indian parliament in New Delhi was attacked by a few gunmen, the Indian government mobilized their forces and deployed all along the Pakistan border. As a reaction Pakistan also deployed its forces. The armed forces of both countries remained in eyeball to eyeball contact for about one year. However not a single shot was fired from either side, again due to fear of a possible nuclear escalation.

Iraq Catastrophe

Similarly, had Iraq been a nuclear power in 2003, we would probably have not seen the war at all. The world would have escaped the biggest tragedy of the century and over one hundred thousand civilian human lives would have been saved.

My Opinion
Our dream is that we want to see a world completely void of nuclear weapons. However, till the time the human mind gets sufficient maturity to implement that agenda, all the countries that have their own security concerns may be allowed to develop and possess nuclear weapons. This will create a balance of deterrence and will help to avoid spreading of wars. This is how the aim of global peace can be achieved, at least as a short term measure.

Stone- pelting Kashmir Youth have started a new ‘Intefada’ (uprising) against the Indian Security Forces.

2010-09-20T03:40:00.000-07:00

The civil unrest in Indian held Kashmir that followed the killing of a teen-age student in June 2010 by the security forces has grown in magnitude and severity. The peaceful demonstrations that took place during July and august turned violent on the holy Islamic festival of Eid on 11 September 2010. The immediate demand of the protesters includes withdrawal of special powers of arrest being enjoyed by the Indian army in Kashmir that allows military operations against the locals without an oversight. The protests were further fueled by the press and media reports that one pastor Terry Jones of the US has announced burning of copies of the holy Quran on 11 September. However the strategic and wide ranging demand of the masses is that Indian forces should quit Kashmir.

Kashmir, a land locked hilly state, with a predominant Muslim population, is a disputed territory between India and Pakistan. The unification of the territory either with India or Pakistan is yet to be decided through a plebiscite in the light of UN Security Council Resolutions of 1948. The Kashmir dispute has been a major cause of three wars fought between India and Pakistan since the creation of both the countries in 1947. As both the countries are now nuclear powers, this unresolved dispute is a potential flash point and a serious threat to the global peace.

The Kashmir dispute has to resolved by the mutual consent of India , Pakistan and the people of Kashmir. So far no serious progress has been made in this direction. Despite the claim of Indian government that Kashmir is an integral part of India and that there is no problem in Kashmir and that the problems in Kashmir like insurgency were due to the cross-border terrorism from Pakistan side, the situation in Kashmir has never calmed down and is still volatile. On behest of the US, a large number of organizations suspected by India for their involvement in insurgent attacks like Lashkar e Tueba etc have been banned by Pakistan since long. India is keeping more than half million troops in Kashmir which comprise about 50 % of the total Indian army strength. The border ( line of control) with Pakistan has been sealed effectively by India and the Indian authorities have admitted that there has been a sharp decline in the ‘terrorist attacks’ inside Kashmir over the past many years. Despite all this the people of Kashmir are not willing to accept the Indian rule. The stone-pelting youth, the women and the children have effectively attracted the attention of international media. The world community has now correctly recognized that Kashmir's movement for freedom is purely indigenous and is gaining impetus without any foreign provocation support.

The government of India now seems to be taking the situation in Kashmir seriously which is a very rare phenomenon. However the efforts to maintain peace in Kashmir will be fruitful only if the stock of the situation is taken in its true perspective. The right of self determination cannot be denied to the people of Kashmir for long. India is expected to play its role in a constructive and positive manner, so that a long outstanding dispute can be resolved peacefully and regional / global peace is not kept hostage to the whims of a few politicians.

Understanding War leads to a better understanding of Peace

2010-09-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

The Concept of War

The first question is precisely what we mean by the term "war" because the answer to this question affects the whole matter concerning the rules that govern it. War is an act of force, violence that has the characteristic of being desired by the states. Robbery, murder are violent acts that are prohibited by the laws of the state (or community or other equivalent entity). The war is violence but it does not only admits to be as such but also orders the other organs of the state to implement it.. The murderer is punished, but the warrior who kills thousand souls in war is rewarded. The bitter fact is that the one who kill a man is a murderer, but whoever kills a thousand (in war) is a hero.

Even the most primitive communities well distinguished between the two cases in which violence is committed against the law (usually within the context of a group) and the violence committed against the rival groups (tribes, clans). In primitive societies where the state organization was in the embryonic stage,the clashes between the groups generally continued relentlessly and all men were supposed to be warriors. There is thus a clear distinction between war and peace and between civil and military.

From this fact it is often misunderstood that the war emerged with the civilizations. In fact, the armed struggles have unfortunately always accompanied human history, although there are periods and civilizations more bellicose and other more peaceful. We can say with more perfection that with the development of civilization, the practice of war became more organized. The special categories of men engaged in this activity of war were termed as military, exactly as some of them are born artisans, musicians, merchants etc.

The degree of violence and cruelty of war has changed continuously according to circumstances and situations. You can not say, unfortunately, that with the development of civilization, it becomes less bloody. In primitive cultures the wars were highly ritualized: in some American Indian tribes one could hit the opponent with a stick, in the Philippines the oratorical competitions ie the war of words made the things very easy. It is so unfortunate that today in contemporary society we do not discriminate terrorist attacks and devastating carpet bombing. In the Middle Ages knights would fight few wars and may not kill more than a meager, countable number of rivals. The savage massacres in the modern world wars or the wars fought in the name of religion severely surpass the devastation.In 1800s the wars had a limited human cost, and most of the people were not even involved, while in 1900s we had the greatest tragedies of military history. The 2000s will display more devastation, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are just recent examples. Peace was never a priority for those who wanted to implement the policies through use of force.

In any case, private violence being against the law is never given protection. But the violence of war by virtue of being sponsored by the state, is not only protected rather justified and gives birth to its own laws, called the "laws of war"

China looks towards Reunification of Taiwan with main land for Global Peace

2010-09-19T02:40:00.000-07:00

The basis of China’s policy regarding Taiwan is that Taiwan is an integral part of China. Taiwan is the legacy of Chinese civil war that left Taiwan as part of the unfinished agenda. There cannot be any compromise on this stance of China. The Chinese government has been implementing a policy of peaceful reunification. Salient points of this policy and the related policies are as follows:

Aim is to achieve peaceful reunification,

It promises of non-military exercise,

The cross-strait personnel exchanges

Promotion of economic and cultural ties.,

Establishment of cross-strait direct communication as soon as possible,

Establish the trade links with mutual cooperation.

China’s main land has a socialist system where as Taiwan has capitalist system. After the unification that system will be retained by Taiwan and will merge with main land slowly and gradually over a period of time.

Taiwan will enjoy a high degree of autonomy after unification. The central government, the administration and the military will not be disturbed

The resolution of Taiwanese issue is the internal matter of of the Chinese people and only they are going to settle it. There is no need of any foreign interference in this matter. The Chinese government has strictly followed this policy and hopefully Taiwan government will also find the solution within the ambit of this policy, this policy has been reiterated time and again by successive Chines governments before the the world and Taiwan also.

The Chinese government strictly denounces the use of force to settle an issue. It always prefers peaceful measure to resolve the issue of Taiwan. However china has never promised not to use force. It reserves the right to use any means deemed appropriate to settle this issue if need be. As long as the US government and the world as whole supports Taiwan authorities but keep in mind that Taiwan is an integral part of china and PRC is the only legal government of china, there will be no friction between the foreign countries and China. However the Taiwanese authorities are expected to think and act within the scope of on china. The concept of independent Taiwan will not be acceptable to china at any cost.

The reunification of Taiwan with china will be beneficial to people of both the lands. When the Chinese speak to the Taiwanese authorities, they always talk of one country china and its indivisible sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is the basic premise on which further dialogue can be developed to achieve global peace.

Frequent Hugs can remove Frustration and promote inner Peace and Tranquility

2010-09-18T04:31:00.000-07:00

When we hug each other, our bodies release Oxycontin; a hormone associated with feelings of peace and love. The hormone Oxycontin is useful for a healthy heart and mind. Hormone Oxycontin is released when a person with a healthy life makes a hug. This is then followed by a feeling of peace and tranquility.

Hug Therapy embraces almost the same as foot therapy. Hug therapy improves body balance, health, and reduces stress levels. This is especially applicable to young professionals who work in metropolitan cities.

The communities generally understand the benefits of touch and hugging. That is the reason the married couples indulge in hugging and touching more often and they hug their children more frequently.

Our skin is sensitive to touch from head to toe. Even when a baby is still protected in the womb surrounded by the amniotic fluid, it can feel the touch of love from both the parents. If frequently touched, the baby will grow into a healthy baby with good health. If a baby is cared like that she would grow up with a psyche of love.and peace.

Children who are frequently touched, caressed and cuddled by her parents also grow into a healthy child. They will feel comfortable and have better confidence. The children who are rarely touched, caressed and cuddled generally grow up unhealthy and with eccentric psyche.

The touching and hugging for the elders is also very soothing, especially at the time of losing someone, depression and stress. With hugs, adults feel that there are people who pay attention and there are those who loved them and need them. Our skin that is very sensitive to hug and touch desperately need a touch of warmth and closeness.
If a person is seriously ill, it often makes the sufferer feel frustrated, angry and with the feeling that the disease may not be cured. If you give them a loving touch or a hug, these frustrated patients will feel comfortable. Hugs give positive energy to the emotions of the patient thus changing their negative feelings into positive ones.

A frequent hand shakes, hugs and a gentle touch are part of the eastern cultures. That is the reason the eastern societies are comparatively more inclined towards mutual love, affection, care and sacrifice. These attributes are essential for the inner peace that may lead to global peace.

A Page from Czech History may Correctly Reflect on Today's Peace Situation

2010-09-17T02:18:00.000-07:00

Anti-Semitism in Czechoslovakia between the two world wars

According to all records in the period between the two world wars, Prague was the cultural center probably unrepeatable millieu, during which the Czech, German and Jewish culture coexisted in a constructive peace. Writers like Franz Kafka and Max Brod Prague created a circle that frequently met at the Café Arco, where peronalities like Franz Werfel and EE Kisch.used to come often. Franz Werfel and Franz Kafka quickly made inroads into the world of literature, and introduce Hasek's "Good Soldier Schweik" and the music of Leos Janacek to German audiences.

A person having a positive outlook on life in the Masaryk Czechoslovakia was a composer Oskar Morawetz, and recently we have heard about George Brady from two survivors of one hundred Terezín prisoners of war.George Brady was a person who inspired the book and now movie 'Inside Hana's Suitcase ' has also been made on the same subject. Another person John Freund, the author of' Once Again 'and' valley of the shadow of death ' and got fame due to the documentary film' I Will Not Die ' is worth considering.

Jews in Czechoslovakia after the Munich Agreement

If it were true that after the Munich Agreement the anti semitism grew rapidly in Czechoslovakia, it is difficult to explain the reason. At the invitation of the Czechoslovak National Council in London, President Benes called up on the reservists in Allied and neutral countries signed up a large number of Jews for the Czechoslovak Army. That included 2000 Czech Jews in Palestine. Later, some units in the division of Czechoslovakia in the Soviet Union consisted of about 70% Jews.

Punishment of Sudeten Germans after the war

The punishment meted out to the Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia after the war was regrettable, though no punishment to which the Sudeten Germans were exposed matched the scale and brutality of Nazi‘s actions against the Jews.: All the men were gunned down in the entire villages and thier honmes were burned. Examples in Czechoslovakia are the villages of Lidice and Lager in some cases the number of Sudeten Germans who suffered equalled the fate of Jewish members of the Czech nation who suffered in Bohemia and Moravia:

A summery of Jews who suffered is as follows:

Number of Jews deported: 80,614

Number of Jews who survived Theresienstadt: 6, 392

Number of Jews murdered in concentration camps: 64 172.

Registered as returnees at the end of war: 10,000 Jews.

The Jews who were deported, 5,201 were either executed or committed suicide or died of natural causes. Only 2208 Jews could survive.

My Opinion

Good days and bad days for a nation or a community do not come at the pleasure and wish of the people concerned. These are subject to the force of history and the good or bad policies made by the people. The Jews suffered in Europe at the hands of Nazis and got a land of their own after the World War II. Without going in to the justification or otherwise of carving out a country on the lands occupied by other people, the fact is that both the nations, the Jews and the Arabs, have to co-exist mutually. There is no going back in the time and history. The global peace has been kept hostage to the self-centered policies of Israelis and their patrons. The onus of promoting peace lies with the Israelis as they are on the giving end and are at present being supported by the sole super power and the world states as well. If the Israelis do not learn lesson from the history and keep doing with Palestinians with impunity what the Nazis had done with them seventy years ago, let them know that bad times may not be very far away. The force of history never excuses anyone, it takes its own course.

Abdulla Gul, the Turkish President opens a new page in the Turkish History

2010-09-15T00:43:00.000-07:00

Turkish President Abdullah Gul in an interview with La Republica said that the constitutional referendum held on Sunday 12 September 2010, opened a new chapter in the history of the country.

According to Turkish media, the ruling Justice and Development Party proposed the constitutional changes in the parliament. 58 percent voted in favor of the changes and 41.98 percent of the members opposed it.

Overall turnout was 77.55 percent, most of which came from the areas densely populated with the Kurdish minority.

The package of constitutional amendments adopted in May 2010 by the Turkish Parliament, considered 26 changes in the existing constitution that was adopted after a military coup in 1980. The present changes relate to the reform of the justice system, particularly the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors. It also provides for instituting criminal proceedings against the military personnel in civilian courts and delegating the responsibility for filing a case for the dissolution of political parties from the Court of Appeal of the Parliament. The constitutional reform also introduces the institution of Ombudsman.

This is really a big change that is going to effect the political system of Turkey. It will also reduce the interference of the military in politics of the country. This will strengthen the democracy in the country. Hopefully with better democratic profile, Turkey is likely to play more positive and effective role in promotin global peace.

Sling and Stone vs the Chariots of Death: Peace will Win at the End

2010-09-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

The numbers do not count. The lethal arsenals do not matter. At the end the courage, steadfastness, sacrifice and commitment to cause will succeed. This is what the human history tells us and this is what the outcome is going to be.

MAN OF MY TIME

You are still the stone and sling,
Man of my time.

Was in the cockpit,
With wings malignant, carrying death
I saw in the chariot of fire, the gallows,
The wheels of torture.

I have seen: it were you
Your exact science extermination,
Without love, without Christ,

You have killed again,
As always, as your fathers killed,

As killed, animals that we saw for the first time.
This smells like blood on the day
When his brother told the other brother:
"We're going to farm".

And that cold, tenacious,
Came up to you, within your day.
Forget, or children, the clouds of blood
Rose from the earth, fathers forget:
Their graves lie in ashes,
Black birds, wind, cover their heart.

(Salvatore Quasimodo)

Dedicated to the innocent, besieged children struggling for their survival.

Do not Transgress over the Rights of others and keep the Resources of the World open for the use by everyone, for the sake of Global Peace.

2010-09-13T01:55:00.000-07:00

Bulley Shah, a saint poet of Pakistan, while reflecting on the transitory nature of life and the world says:

“O man, do not wrangle over the material items of the world by saying,

‘This is yours, this is mine.’

As a matter fact, this world is neither yours nor mine,

This world is like a festival arranged for a few days,

Thereafter this world and you will,

Turn into a heap of mud (grave). “

This couplet provides a deep insight into the fact about the worldly life. The material resources of the world are meant for the use by man to sustain life and to promote / develop human attributes. These are not to be occupied permanently, rather they cannot be. Just look at the historical monuments and palaces of different civilizations. They have changed their masters a number of times over the centuries. Moreover, after the death, the heaps of mud (graves) do not need these resources.

There is no restriction on the use of these resources. As a matter of fact, the immense resources of the universe should be explored, harnessed and made use of for the best benefit of the mankind and the individuals. You may eat, drink and enjoy your life but should not transgress over the rights of the others. If you transgress, the first casualty will be the peace. The aim should be; enjoy your life and let others to enjoy it. Keep the resources of this world open for the use by everyone. This sense of sacrifice and care for the others start from your inner self, family, encompass your neighborhood and then spreads over to city, country and the world as a whole. If we adopt this attitude for life in the light of the sayings of the saint poet, there is no reason why the peace may not prevail in the world.

What have we Gained or Lost, after Fighting the War against Terror for Nine Years?

2010-09-11T12:12:00.000-07:00

11 September 2001 was the day that changed the world. Today the world is not the same as it was prior to that fateful day. The world is dynamic in nature in which change is inevitable. It may be change for the better or change for the worst. After nine years of that event, we are standing at the cross road and thinking whether we have lost gained.

Decisions made by the powerful countries always create ever lasting impressions in the history. Same is the case with decision taken by George W Bush, the former president of the US to launch a global war against the terrorists. Notwithstanding the facts whether the suicidal attacks were genuinely planned and executed by Al Qaeda or were orchestrated by those who had their own plans to implement and interests to be accrued, my focus will be on the out come of the war and its future prospects.

During the days of bipolar world, although a large number of conflicts were going on in various parts of the world but the global peace was not being threatened in a manner as it is today. Although the hostile forces of NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries remained deployed in full preparation, we did not see a single bullet being fired from any side of the adversaries. Despite conflicting policies, a semblance of uncomfortable calm prevailed under the shadow of nuclear warheads.

When a super power makes a strategic decision, it has to take its full responsibility as well. During the cold war era both the super powers took many decisions but with responsibility, probably due to an expected backlash from the other side. However the decisions now being taken by the sole super power seem to be devoid of responsibility. Relying on the sheer use of brute force, with a total disregard to public opinion and with no regrets of the colossal damage caused to civil life and property, the outcome of that decision is as the following:

§ The number of casualties caused to American and allied forces have exceeded the casualties caused in the destruction of World Trade Center on 11 September 2001.

§ The economy of the US plunged to its lowest after the recession of 1902’s. The US government had to rely on the bailout package to stabilize the economy.

§ The unemployment graph in the US is at its all time high. The promises made by President Obama for jobs, health etc are still in doldrums.

§ As per the assessment of the US generals, politicians and think tank, their country is still unsafe. Reportedly Al Qaeda is intact and is planning to launch terrorist attacks inside America on the lines of 9/11.

§ Despite of the killing and arrests of many notable Al Qaeda leaders, no meaningful progress has been made to determine the location or status of Osama Bin Laden.

§ Despite a full time presence of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan with a single aim to crush Al Qaeda and the Taliban, a large area of the country is under effective control of the Taliban. They are reported to be conducting press conference, taking the government loyalists as hostages, growing poppy to finance their operations against the allied forces, and making strongholds in their areas of influence.

§ Despite unconditional cooperation rendered by Pakistan in the war, the blame against that ally for not doing enough, existence of safe heavens of terrorists and their frequent crossing over to Afghanistan continue. America has been given a free hand even within Pakistan to conduct anti terrorist operations in the shape of drone attacks and organizations like Black Water; but the situation seems to be out of control. It is amazing to think that a multinational force equipped with sophisticated weapons has failed to control the Taliban and to block their crossing of the border, but a single country like Pakistan is expected to do all this with miraculous success.

§ America has lost its good will in the world, particularly in the Muslim world. The US is being perceived as a neo-crusader who have unleashed a rein of terror and destruction against the Muslim countries. Although this perception is denied by America time and again, but seen in the back drop of unresolved issues like Palestine and Kashmir etc the perception seems to have some weight.

§ The generals and admirals of American and NATO forces have confessed many times that the war in Afghanistan is not producing the desired results.The admittance of this failure speaks volumes about the conduct of war in 21^st century.The military strategists may revisit their doctrines. Gone are the days when the powerful countries would conquer the weaker ones and then stay there peacefully. The cost of war now drastically outweighs the gains achieved.

§ President Obama announced the end of operations in Iraq and the withdrawal of combat troops from there. An appearance of joy was visible from the faces of the American hierarchy as if an unpleasant job was over. But the country is far from being stable. A surge in suicide attacks in Iraq recently has been seen. It may take decades for the Iraqi people to come to terms with the post-war situation.

§ The US is not clear what to do and what not to do in Afghanistan now. The puppet government of Mr. Karzai is corrupt, incompetent and ineffective. The writ of the government can hardly be seen outside Kabul. As and the allied force leave Afghanistan, with or without settlement with the Taliban, the Taliban are sure to make a come back in the power. What will be the political and strategic map of post-war Afghanistan is anybody’s guess. However given the track record of the decision making by the sole super power, only an abrupt and erratic decision is expected without any forethought and forward planning.

On the cross road of history

So this is the cross road where we are standing today. The decision to attack Iraq and Afghanistan was the biggest mistake of this century. Taliban were never the enemies of America, rather they were converted to as such. They had a strong and effective government and were able to enforce peace in the country. If they did not agree to hand over Osama Bin Laden at the first instant, they could have been persuaded by their friends like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia over a period of time. By executing development projects the West could have brought the Taliban in the main stream of world community. Once that happened, other issues would have become much easier to settle. It was probable that after getting in to the main stream, the Taliban would have refined their internal policies to make them more civilized and acceptable.

Similarly attacking Iraq has disturbed the basic power structure in the Middle East. Saddam Hossain had a tight grip over the affairs of the country. He had virtually surrendered to the will of international community during the last days of his authority. It was much easier for the UN to get the desired policies implemented in Iraq through him. Apart from hundreds of thousands of Iraqis being killed and destroyed, this war has proved to be extremely costly for America in terms of money and resources.

Who are the beneficiaries of this war?

The analysis of the situation shows that, as a result of the American attack on Iraq, the country that has benefited the most is Iran. The Shiite population in Iraq, which had been politically suppressed by Saddam Hossain despite being majority, has now come up as an effective power broker. Obviously they have an inclination towards Shiite Iran. A strong government of Saddam Hossain duly supported by the West was a counter balancing force against Iran. It can be seen very clearly that after the start of this war, Iran is emerging as regional power. Iran has recently made tremendous progress in the fields of science, space and nuclear technology and the weaponry. The refueling of its first nuclear power plant with locally enriched uranium has started. Apart from many achievements in the manufacturing of missiles and other weapons, Iran has announced to send its first astronauts in space within fourteen years. There is no going back from this stage. Iran will soon be a potent force in the region to reckon with.

As the attack on Iraq has benefited Iran, in a similar manner attack on Afghanistan has benefited Pakistan the most. The post-war scenario in Afghanistan shows emergence of a strong and formidable Pakistan. After the exit of foreign troops, the Taliban or pro-Taliban government in Afghanistan will be a great support for Pakistan. The terrorist groups like Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan and their auxiliary groups will cease to exist in Pakistan. Hence Pakistan will get rid of the curse of terrorism and a new era of development and foreign investment will begin. Already a nuclear power, Pakistan will be another potent force in the region that nobody will be able to ignore.

Given the emerging scenario, the best option for America in Afghanistan will be to immediately negotiate their withdrawal plan with the Taliban. A broad-based national government in Kabul will be acceptable to the people of Afghanistan and will pave the way for a respectable American withdrawal. In the regional context, three countries; China, Pakistan and Iran will be the most important players. The responsibility of regional security and peace should be entrusted to this troika, for the best results.

Let Obama and Osama talk out their differences

And last but not the least, I go another step forward. For the sake of global peace the possibility of one-on-one dialogue between the US and Osama Bin Laden or his aide may also be considered. We should not be ashamed of this initiative because this is war and most of the wars in history have culminated at the dialogue table. Moreover, the Al Qaeda people are not aliens to the US because they were actually trained, financed and patronized by the US. If now they have become disgruntled and frustrated after being abandoned by the US, there is no reason why they could not be convinced again. Their grievances can be listened to and reasonable demands can be met. For long term demands the process of dialogue may continue. Some one may come up with the logic that a dialogue with Al Qaeda is ruled out as they very cruel people who have killed so many of the innocents. In my opinion history is full of such atrocities by the cruel people that if the share of Al Qaeda’s is compared with them, it will be infinitesimal. While rising above our ego, we may do well to take every possible step, how unpleasant it may look to us, for the sake of global peace, as no price is more than the worth of peace.

We ask for Grace and Peace, Love and Light.

2010-09-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

A gorgeous Croatian prayer. Humanity has to turn to the Creator, the benefactor, for inner and global peace. For the good of the self and the mankind as a whole.

Lord, you're really unique,

Full of love and kindness for each person,

Immense thanks to you,

You always know what I need,

I'm not sure whether I deserve it or not,

But if you're so merciful,

Jesus, I ask you for strength and love,

That I can help others to get to know you,

Bless my brothers and sisters,

To pull their life according to your word.

Thank you everyone!

Grace and peace, love, light and power
Getting off among all of us.
Words in force and blood,
Adopted eternal salvation.

Here I am before you with open heart,
Here I am to say: my God!
Here I am before you, I humbly pray,

Worship you, Father,
Adore you, o Christ,
Heart to tell you: my God!
Humbly we bow,

I heard you crying, my King!
For my sins I repent,
Your Holy Spirit renewed me.

Peace has its Limitations, but War knows no Limits, no Boundries- A Japanese perception of War and Peace.

2010-09-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

What does war have for our generations?

War does not have good things for the people.War does not just kill people but those who survive, live in a state of agony and dismay.Take the example of nuclear radiation that descended on Japan in 1945. There are many who survived but are still suffering from the bad effects.
In addition, many children, our next generation are born with a disability.The children are born with various disabilities like no natural fingers.No one comes forward to bring a change in the life of these children.

Today a large number of children are suffering in the world due to war.As the schools were destroyed in the war, about 18 million children picked up the weapon and went to fight the war.. A child who was a student of class five is now a soldier.
War is still going on in many parts of the world, and there are people who are still struggling with the wounds of war.

The Limits of Peace

A question arises, "Is there a limit to the peace?" Because wars are being fought every day.
For example, Iraqis are dying despite of the presence of tens of thousands of foreign, troops in Iraq. Whether we like it or not, the war tragedies are taking place right in every home,.in the school and town. This is the gift of such a small war. What would happen if the war is extended beyond limits? The peace is limited. It has its limitations. War has got no limits. When it starts, it makes its own way and is very difficult to stop. It keeps multiplying in terms of dimensions and losses. For example, the U.S. military attacked Iraq because of the 9/11. But it seems that the US military reacted with 911 attacks per second!

This war was started in 2003, but still peace is illusive in Iraq.
When will the peace prevail? People may start thinking that war is the order of the day, and global peace is just a dream.

Literacy is as Important for Global Peace as any other Factor

2010-09-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

On International Literacy Day, we are reminded how many persons are yet unable to read and write. Literacy can be a prerequisite for independent, prosperous and peaceful living. Although education is the right of every person, it is still considered to be a privilege in many regions of the world. As per the latest survey, about 759 million people can not read and write. This figure includes two-third of the women and girls. This day is celebrated every year on 8 September so that we are constantly cautioned that the goal of literacy has yet to be achieved.
Global progress in literacy, like the progress in peace, has been rather slow during the recent years. The most important factor is the ever increasing population. As the educational facilities cannot match the population growth, the number of illiterate people also keeps swelling every year.
According to a projected estimation, the number of illiterate persons will be around 710 million in year 2015. The illiteracy has a pronounced affect on the poorest regions of the world. To be more precise, 80 percent of the illiterates live in 20 countries, and more than half of them live in Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan.
The United Nations has proclaimed the period 2003-2012 as the Decade of Literacy. The aim of the Decade is to reduce the illiteracy rate by 50 % among the adults by the year 2015. The topic for the year 2010 has been selected by UNESCO as, “Literacy and Women Empowerment.” Hopefully the world will achieve definite progress in it.
Literacy increases the awareness among the masses. This is vital for the development of democracy. Only in true democracy do the attributes like social justice, harmony, tolerance, cooperation and sacrifice flourish. What else, apart from these attributes, is required to promote global peace? Hence there is a close co-relation between the literacy and the peace. As a thumb rule the countries having higher literacy rate are also high in the ranking of global peace. The supporters of the cause of world peace may find it more productive to promote the literacy as well. While getting inspiration from the World Literacy Day, they must contribute towards the objective of literacy, in the best possible form, so that the world achieves its goal of everlasting global peace.

Flame of Hope can shun dispair, and shine the Light of Peace, Love and Faith in your Life

2010-09-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some beautiful lines. The central idea has been taken from a piece of poetry from Thailand. It's thought-provoking as well as inspiring:

The Four Candles burned slowly.
Their ambiance was so soft you
could hear them speak.

The first candle said,
"I am Peace, but these days, nobody
wants to keep me lit."
Then Peace's flame slowly
diminishes and goes out completely.

The second candle says,
"I am Faith, but these days,
I am no longer indispensable."
Then Faith's flame slowly
diminishes and goes out completely..

Sadly the third candle spoke,
"I am Love and I do not have the
strength to stay lit any longer.
" People put me aside and don't
understand my importance.
They even forget to love those who are,
nearest to them."
And waiting no longer, Love goes out
completely.

Suddenly,a child enters the room and
sees the three candles no longer burning.
The child begins to cry,
"Why are you not burning?
You are supposed to stay lit until the end. ".

Then the Fourth Candle spoke gently
to the little boy,
"Don't be afraid, for I am Hope,
and while I still burn, we
can re-light the other candles."

With Shining eyes the child took
the Candle of Hope and lit the
other three candles.

Never let the Flame of Hope
go out of your life.
no matter how bad the things look
but with Hope;Peace, Faith and Love
can Shine Brightly in our lives.

A feeling of loneliness right in the middle of a crowd indicates our inner conflicts, a serious hurdle in attaining peace.

2010-09-06T02:51:00.000-07:00

We are strange people
Waking up in the morning, we force ourselves from a warm bed and go to the bathroom. We drink coffee and are always in a hurry. No matter how far we have to go for work, or for studies or simply for business. But still the feelings of loneliness remain with us. We want to be with someone and be something for someone. We're running in a hurry, changing buses and the subway stations, but this feeling of loneliness does not leave us. It seems as if we are looking for someone whom we cannot find.
We feel as if we are broken links in a chain. We want to connect up, but cannot do it. We fall in love, give gifts of flowers to our beloved ones, meet and gossip with them but still the broken links do not connect.
And, meanwhile, we keep continue looking for someone.
We are bizarre people
We have something to say to each other, have something to share. But we hide it deep in ourselves, believing that no one around will not come to know about it. We think that the people around us, the crowd, is indifferent towards our feelings. Some of the people are very close to us but we try to hide our inner feelings from them also.
In the morning you will see the streets full of people who are in a hurry. If you look deep in their eyes you will see that there is an uncomfortable silence and calm. The eyes are saying "I have something to say, but since you will not understand me, so it’s better that I say nothing and keep quiet.” You will notice this in the eye of hundreds of people, where you will find nothing but silence and solitude. Is this silence a reflection of true inner peace or a pseudo peace?
We are weird people
In a bit to hide our inner self we place an artificial smile on our faces or display an impression of indifference on our faces , so that no one may come to know about our true feelings. Our faces then become the photographs of title pages of the magazines. Though they look charming but they cannot express themselves. We keep living in a state of fear; as if some one may harm us or may criticize us just for nothing, we are afraid of even those who are very close to us. We walk on the streets, go to offices and shops,meet friends and associates but put on a smile on our face to cover up our inner feelings. This is how we pass our time and our life too.
Unless we are sincere to ourselves, unless our inner self and our outer posture do not match, we cannot attain internal peace, and of course without internal peace the true peace will remain illusive.
So let’s be normal people, for the sake of global peace.,

China's Military Diplomacy made Important Achievements in 2009.

2010-09-05T01:23:00.000-07:00

The Chinese are not unaware of the events that are taking place in the region or the world as a whole. They are steadily molding their foreign polic0y to suit the requirement of the time. This may have a pronounced impact on the global peace in coming years. In 2009,

China

carried out high-level contacts to promote the further development of military relations. Central Military Commission vice chairman of the Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Xu Caihou, CMC member and State Councilor and Defense Minister Liang visited

Russia

, the

United States

Japan

Australia

and more than 20 countries. Chinese Ministry of National Defense and the

United States

Germany

Vietnam

held national defense meetings with more than 10 defense and security setups. The aim was to , enhance

China

's military strategy and foreign military mutual trust, consolidate the political foundation of bilateral military relations and enrich the profile of military diplomacy.

China participated in joint training exercises with foreign countries. War games were organized throughout the year. China and Mongolia carried out joint training of peacekeeping forces, China and Gabon embarlked up on a military "peace angel" medical aid mission. Chinese and the Russian troops carried out “Peace Shield "joint convoy training exercise. China and the Romanian Army" conducted “Friendship Operation “that was a Joint mountain training in terms of the military related areas for the first time.

60th anniversary of the founding of the new capital was celebrated as the National Day military parade. Troops from army, navy and air force also participated. A large number of foreign diplomats wee also invited. Representatives of 34 countries attended the National Day parade. Navy and air force in international forums, marine parade, air show and other activities were displayed to present the Chinese army as a symbol of peace, openness, cooperation and good image.

The Naval escort made positive progress in 2009. it actively promoted the Gulf of Aden army in international waters off Somalia for escort and cooperation missions. In addition to the formation of foreign naval escort, frequent meetings were held with naval commanders, the joint convoy was arranged, joint exercises were conducted, and tasks like legal assistance in the coastal sea area of various countries was performed. The logistics support co-operation was also raised in Aden Bay area. International conferences of coordination were held in Bijing which won the support of majority of the countries who welcomed it..

The work of foreign military news release system was improved. 8-year Chinese Defense Ministry news conferences were organized to arrange an interview with nine units of international media, Defense Department spokesman issued a formal statement and the Department of Defense Website launched a trial operation.

The Chinese have been able to achive a positive image of their national defense and armed forces. They were able to put forward their stated position on foreign policy that responded appropriately to international concerns. That shows an opening of Chinese army with more active rols in future based on their transparent sincerity, confidence and global peace, as they have claimed so far.

If you want to Love others, Start Loving Yourself;for the sake of Global Peace.

2010-09-04T08:21:00.001-07:00

I have slowly but surely, beginning to understand more and more, that if I want to change the world, both large and small, I must always start with myself. The best way to change the world is to understand that you can not change it, because the only thing you can change is yourself, and when you change yourself so you change the world.

Should we have peace on earth, and I mean peace in a very wide sense, so I have to start with myself. You can not have a peace deep inside another person unless you have made peace with him. You must shroud violence with peace because if it is left like that, it will spread, no matter how much you want to spread love. You have to love people in case you want to spread love. However you cannot love peole if you do not love yourself. Loving yourself is prerequisite to love love others. I think that we should treat our fellow humans as we treat ourselves.

Talesättet said: "One should love his neighbor as he would love himself." But if you do not love youself then this saying becomes meaningless. You may then hit him and may not even realize his body language pleading for peace.

To me, love is the most important thing. The love that is all encompassing and is inclusive of all the relationships, like friends, family and even the strangers. The love should not be for the sake of words only, but it should be symbolized in attitudes and actions. And more importantly, love is not reflected in ‘doing’ something but it is manifested in ‘being’ something. That is the point to be remembered.

Mahatma Gandhi: A Beacon of Peace in South Asia

2010-09-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

Mahatma Gandhi, a great leader of India requires no introduction. A simple soul with modest dress and posture, a man of the soil, is to be remembered by all for his marvelous contributions for the protection of human rights, civil liberties and global peace. One may differ with his political ideas, but no one has ever raised a finger on him as far as his patriotism and efforts to achieve peace are concerned. He was a symbol of peace and an example to be followed. His golden principles and sayings are still contemplative and worth considering. His teachings clearly lay down the foundations up on which the society should be build. These cover all the aspects of the society; political, economic and the religious.

The crux of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi is that if a person is void of spiritual value, he or she is of no use to the society or to the world even if that person reaches the zenith of material successes and gains. Man is a beautiful combination of matter and spirit and unless both the facets are not satisfied the aim of life is not achieved. Mahatma Gandhi was of the view that peace starts from within the person. Once a person finds peace within, the achievement of outer / global peace becomes very easy.

Mahatma Gandhi always denounced violence. He always fought with his enemies with the weapon of peace and non-violence. He achieved tremendous successes with bare hands which many of his adversaries could not achieve with arms and wealth. However when we look at the present profile of India, we find it at a total divergence from what their great leader preached. The religious, racial and linguistic extremism is on the increase, the violation of human rights is a matter of routine and the political spectrum is dotted with nepotism, corruption and ambiguity. No minority may be Muslims, Christians or Sikhs are not safe. People like Bal Thackeray and organizations like RSS are all out to victimize / harass the religious minorities. The desecration of Babri Mosque, the massacre of Muslim minority in Gujarat, the denial of the right of self determination to the people of Kashmir and their brutal suppression and burning of the Christians along with their churches are some of the black spots on the democratic and secular posture of India. Had Mahatma Gandhi been alive today, he would certainly have condemned his fellow countrymen for open violations of his axioms. The enlightened people of India would be better placed if they convince their government to shun all those policies that are in contravention to the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, particularly the ones that deal with the rights of minorities, so that the passionate image of their great leader is not tarnished and the achievement of global peace is made easy.

Music can play pivotal role in creating peace and harmony among the people

2010-09-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

Last month I happened to visit my ancestral village. The rural communities still live away from the noise and vehemence of the urban life. I was having a stroll on the out skirts of the village. It was around 11 PM at night. The moon was in second quarter and the environment was calm and queit. Only the sporadic sound of some animal and the beetles could be heard. I saw a gathering of about 30 to 40 people sitting in an open place. One of them was singing a famous folk song and the other was playing on a double pipe called ‘jori’ (pair) in local language. The song was about a traditional romantic story of the Punjab (Pakistan) that took place about 200 years ago. The melody was so charming that the whole gathering was sitting spell-bound. I left the stroll and joined the audience.

The lyrics and melodies were steadily traveling on air. The moonlit night was presenting a beautiful scene that was having a soothing effect on the nerves. Everybody including myself felt as part of that era in which the romantic episode took place. It is a well known fact that the village life encompasses a large number of feuds and quarrels among the inhabitants. Most of the conflicts are related with land or are the family disputes. The villagers spend a large chunk of their income on fighting and prosecuting the opponents in the courts of law. The villagers pay frequent visits to the police stations and the courts which is part of the rural culture. However on that night while sitting at a place and listening to the music made them forget all their disputes and they were behaving like one family. A question arose in my mind that if the music and melody can have such a pleasant effect on this community, why this experience can’t be utilized for promoting peace on bigger / global level.

A large number of saints in south Asia made use of the music while propagating religious teachings. They knew that the music has a very comforting effect on the mind and produces a tranquilizing consequence. In Hindu religion and culture music plays an important part and is extensively applied for inspiring the soul Fine music elevates the soul and can take the man away from worries and frustration. This is the stepping stone towards attaining internal peace. In Urdu language there is a proverb that means that ‘the music is the food for soul’. Let’s utilize good music to inspire our souls and make the ground suitable for promoting global peace.

The Abuse of Human Rights Connote a Death Blow to the Peace.

2010-08-31T17:09:00.000-07:00

The recognition of human rights in the history of mankind is not a new phenomenon. It was discussed in the religious scriptures, the royal decrees of kings and it was mentioned in the teachings of the saints. Many philosophers, poets and writers have also written on human rights in their own way. However it was after the World War II that the people realized its importance and gave it an institutional shape through the United Nations Organization. The UNO was established on the ashes of a large portion of the destroyed humanity. So in a bid to avoid wars in future and to make this world more secure, the human rights were listed in the charter of the UNO.

The safeguarding of human rights was termed as a guarantee of peace. It was to be the starting point of social justice. But what has happened on ground? The powerful elite have been usurping the rights of the weak segments of society. The first casualty after the violation of human rights is always the peace. The military dictators have suppressed their citizens and have curbed the civil liberties, the bigger nations have occupied the lands of their weak neighbors, the strong economies of the world have prevailed over the weak countries with fewer resources and the super / regional powers have established their hegemony over the small states as a part of neo-colonization scheme. The result was obvious, wars and conflicts everywhere. Had there been no violations of human rights, the world would have been more secure and peaceful

It is matter of concern that when the people are exploited, when their freedom of expression is gagged, when they are denied their right of self-determination, and when they are made homeless, jobless, and at times landless within their own country, where the peace would come from? Usurping the basic human rights breeds frustration in the people who can then react in many ways. The underground organizations and the fifth columnists are invariably the outcome of violation of human rights. Even the present day phenomenon of terrorism has got its routes in the violation of human rights. Once these frustrated groups of people resort to violence against the established authorities of their countries, they are labeled as the rebels, the enemy agents, the terrorists and what not. Obviously the enemies of the state then find an opportunity to patronize these groups with weapons and funds and use them to fulfill their own agenda. Then the authorities get together and think over how to eliminate these rouge elements and how to establish peace. But unfortunately no one comes out with simplest of the solutions; return the usurped basic human rights back to the people. Once they do it, the results will be surprising. The outcome will be peace, that too without firing a bullet and without spending a single dollar.

Exposure of the Public, particularly the Youth, to images of War and Violence on Media may be counter productive for promoting World Peace.

2010-08-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

Today our world is full of crisis and conflicts. The violence has spread to all the nooks and corners of the globe. People dying of hunger and starvation in countries like Ethiopia, Somalia and Western Sahara, the tribes annihilating their rivals in a bid to achieve ethnic cleansing in places like Congo and Rwanda, innocent Palestinian men, women and children being butchered in Gaza and West Bank by Israeli jets and tanks, the marriage and funeral gatherings being targeted by NATO aircraft with sophisticated weapons mistaking them as Taliban, and then the matter being brushed aside terming it as collateral damage and the bodies of Pakistani and Iraqi citizens being blown to pieces by the suicide bombers every now and then.

As the electronic media has grown in size and sophistication and is quite free now, almost all the violence and conflicts are shown to the public instantly on occurrence. At times even the live footage is shown which is disgusting and awesome to observe. The research conducted by the psychologists reveal that a constant display of such images creates negative impact on the mental health of the viewers. These images create depression, anxiety and at times insomnia in the persons. This has a more pronounced effect on the youth and small children.

As far as youth is concerned they are already under tremendous mental and emotional pressures due the problems of modern living. The people, particularly the youth in third world countries, are already facing acute problems of joblessness, price-hike, corruption, insecurity, absence of rule of law and violence. Once they frequently see these nasty images, it only adds to their frustration. A frustrated youth of course cannot contribute positively towards the well being of society. Smaller children are more prone to the ill effects. They even do not understand what all is this. Once they grow up in such an environment, they may develop a psyche that accepts all this violence as a norm and routine matter. This will definitely be a dangerous situation for our future generations.

We have to live in this modern age that has given us marvelous facilities but at the same time we have to protect ourselves from its adverse effects. Then what should we do? Do we impose curbs and limitations on our free media? Should we switch off our TV sets? No, the free media is the essence of democracy. It plays pivotal role in creating awareness among the masses regarding what all is happening around us. As a matter of fact all the present rhetoric against war and in favor of peace is just because of free and independent media. Switching off of TV is neither possible nor advisable. The only conceivable remedy is to keep your young children away from the access of violent images. More over the parents and the teachers must try to ward off the ill effects of these images through motivation and effective teachings. The well qualified psychologists and educationists must be consulted on this issue so that they are able to see the light of peace at the end of the tunnel.

Living under the Shadow of Fear

2010-08-29T02:01:00.000-07:00

The turn of 21^st century was a bad omen for the inhabitants of this planet. People had hardly recovered from the shocks of two world wars and then the spine-chilling era of cold war, when the world was plunged into another quagmire-the war against terror..

At this point of time most of the world population is living under the thick shadow of fear. The Americans have a fear that the terrorist groups are planning another deadly attack on their cities which may come down upon them any time. The whole world has become unsafe for the American citizens who get travel instructions from their diplomatic missions very frequently. The European nations have been made to believe that they are not the ‘spared ones’ and are doomed to destruction along with the USA. The Israelis are afraid of a rocket or suicide bomb attack that may take away their life any moment. The Palestinians living in Gaza and elsewhere have a fear that if they do not die of starvation due to blockage, the Israeli jets will appear any time to smash them. The people of south Asia are afraid that a suicide bomber may appear from nowhere and kill them, in the markets, offices, schools/colleges or even in mosques / worship places.

Why are we so fearful? What are we up to? Are the security measures taken not enough? I think that is not the case. The American forces along with NATO troops are fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan for the last eight years. Despite having state-of-the art weaponry and total support of the world community, the American generals and admirals are now admitting their failure. American troops have pulled out of Iraq and a surge in the terrorist attacks has been noticed there since then. What will happen in Afghanistan once the American and NATO forces pull out from there, is any body’s guess. Indian are keeping half of their Army in Kashmir to subdue the local population and still they are afraid of more Mumbai-style attacks. Pakistan Army is heavily committed in fighting the terrorists all along Pak-Afghan border. Despite many laurels and achievements to their credit, the end to this war is not yet in sight.

The common sense demands that if one prescription has not been successful to cure the ills, better change the prescription. It is rubbish to keep beating about the bush while the outcome is total dismay. Even the military strategists advocate never reinforcing the failed plan, rather embarking up on a new one. One can only hope that the wisdom prevails and overall policy is modified by those who matter, so that the shadow of fear disappears and peace returns to this war-torn planet.

Total Peace is Achievable only if the Independent and Unbiased Judgments are Acceptable by the Powerful

2010-08-28T04:31:00.000-07:00

The world history can be conveniently renamed as the history of warfare. Wars are the outcome of conflicts and conflicts are present wherever the humans live. Conflicts cannot be alienated from the human societies. It is being over idealistic if one tries to imagine a human society without the conflicts. Conflicts are instinctive to the people. These can be between the groups and then it takes the shape of proper quarrels between the factions, the tribes, the nations and the countries.

The most effective way to avoid war is the resolution of conflicts and settlement of issues before they blow up to proper wars. People since ages have been using different methods and systems to settle their disputes. During the primitive societies, conflicts were resolved by dialogues, possibly in the presence of one or more mediators. Later on this system got further refined and was organized into reconciliatory bodies and councils. However the powerful persons of the society would always try to influence these bodies in order to have the decisions of their own liking. This is how the exploitation started and the justice system was left at the mercy of the powerful people.

Same is the case with the nations and countries having conflicts and thus fighting with each other. Who would then resolve the issues between nations that are potentially at war? Again the old axiom applies. Might is right. It was right at the time of Hannibal, it was prevailing during the era of Changez Khan and same is true in this age of ‘enlightenment’ also. The powerful empires, states and nations never accept the decisions based on justice and equality. No wonders that the peace is as illusive today as it was thousands of years ago.

It is said that the peace is of two types; absence of wars and hostilities is denoted with negative peace and prevalence of justice, cooperation and sacrifice for the others is the positive peace. We are far away from even the negative peace, what to talk of the positive peace. However the traits and attributes required to enforce positive peace are actually needed by all to attain even the negative peace. With these traits only the men will accept the decisions based on impartial justice.

Abhor Greed, Adore Contentment and Elevate the essence of Peace

2010-08-27T06:22:00.001-07:00

Bulley Shah was a saint poet of Punjab (Pakistan). He wrote beautiful couplets about the inner self of man. One of his famous couplets in Punjabi language displays lovely correlation between contentment and survival (peace). The denotation of that reads something like the following:

“Look at the streams of birds that are flying high in the sky,

They come down to earth as and when they feel hungry,

They pick the food grains in their beaks and fly away,

Have you ever seen them hoarding food grains?

No, they never do that,

And they never die of starvation!

On the hand, the humans always resort to hoarding,

And the human always die of starvation! “

The message of the saint poet is loud and clear. Keep your lusts to the minimum, do not hoard resources more than your need, and rather keep them open for those who are in dire need. Keeping your needs and desires within the limits and caring for the needs of others is the bottom line of the teachings of all the preachers of peace.

Malawi: A Land of Implicit Peace

2010-08-26T06:43:00.000-07:00

I was scanning through the African countries and their culture, when I came across

Malawi

; I was astounded by its natural beauty, harmony, calmness and peace.

Malawi

, a small, land-locked country seems to be an island of peace when we see the world around it. A large number of African countries suffer from the nuisances like political instability, tribal strife and civil wars. The savage concepts like ethnic cleansing and tribal rivalries have virtually ravaged many countries around

Malawi

The credit goes to the leaders of Malawi who have committed themselves to the economic uplift of the country and welfare of the lower strata of society. The country is clear of ethnic conflicts, tribal clashes and political misadventures. Though the country is still lacking development in various fields, the congenial and peaceful environment have created exceptionally favorable conditions for foreign investments and business. This has encouraged the entrepreneur to invest boldly in Malawi, resulting in economic and social development of the country.

According to a survey conducted by Global Peace Index (GPI) in 2009, Malawi ranked 2^nd in Africa, surpassed only by Botswana, and 47^th in the world. This is a great honor for the country. If this trend continues, the country is likely to make progress at much faster rate than anticipated.

The big question is; why the leaders of Malawi are so perceptive and why the leaders of other, neighboring countries lack this trait? Why the war torn countries cannot follow the example of Malawi and get on to the right path of peace? Somebody will soon get the answer; for the betterment of the devastated societies at least.

Respect (or disrespect) for the Public Opinion

2010-08-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

After the fateful events of 9 / 11, when the former president of USA George W Bush announced a ‘crusade’ against the planners of the attacks, the collective wisdom of masses woke up quickly. A surge of anti-war rallies and demonstrations was seen in almost every capital of the world. The general public on the streets were mindful of the fact that a direct military attack on Afghanistan and Iraq would not solve the problem but would further complicate it. They were of the opinion that such an adventure will have devastating effect on the world peace. I can recall big rallies in London trying to pressurize the government not to send troops to Iraq. Their stance was that the British soldiers were meant for the defense of their motherland and not to fight someone else’s war on the alien lands.

Most of such rallies were taken out in democratic countries of Europe and Americas. It is disgusting to learn that the democratically elected leaders turned a deaf ear to their electorate and went ahead with their plans. The result was obvious.

Collective wisdom generally makes good decisions and is not to be ignored. Public opinion is to respected and not to be disregarded. This is the essence of democracy and democracy always supports the cause of peace.

Human Attributes Breed Love and Love Breeds Peace

2010-08-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

If I ask some simple questions from you; why should you tolerate the stupidity of others, why should you sacrifice your interests and benefits for the sake of others and why should you impart justice to others, particularly when the other side is much weaker than you, how would you respond? Someone may come up with the idea of human wisdom; others may bring out the logic and reasoning based on the knowledge.

I can bet that no amount of scientific research will be able to answer these questions up to the entire satisfaction. This Is because the subject does not fall in the realm of wisdom and knowledge. It is governed by the other side of the man ie human attributes related to character-building. Once these attributes are demonstrated, a tangible degree of tolerance, harmony, cooperation, affection and love breeds; and certainly peace is the ultimate outcome. Love and peace are inter-related and inter-dependent also.

As and when the people would desire that there should be peace in the world, it is a must for them to develop and display human attributes.

The War Monger vs The Peace Lovers

2010-08-23T08:29:00.001-07:00

A continuous struggle goes on between two kinds of groups ie the war mongers and the peace lovers. The world history is witness to the fact that although the peace lovers are always in majority but the war mongers have always prevailed. The question arises why; after all, the minority prevails over the majority. Are the war mongers more powerful? Do they have more resources? Do they have more sophisticated and attractive philosophy than the peace lovers? The answers to these questions may lead us to any conclusion but the fact is that so far in the history of mankind the peace lovers have remained hostage in the hands of war mongers. As soon as the peace lovers start some peace process (which is mostly in the form of dialogue between warring factions) someone throws a spanner into the system and the process comes to a halt. The result is nothing but the disappointment and dismay. Just take the example of dialogues between the Israelis and the Palestinians. As soon as a ray of hope is visible, the dialogue process is thwarted by the war mongers from both the sides. Same is the case with

India

and

Pakistan

. While resolving the conflicts including the perennial issue of Kashmir, the dialogue process is derailed at a crucial stage.

Let all the peace lovers join hands to neutralize the nefarious designs of the war mongers.

Pastor Terry Jones cancels his plan to burn copies of the Holy Quran on 11 September 2010 amid world wide violent protests by Muslims

2010-07-10T02:37:00.000-07:00

Pastor Terry Jones of a Florida church , Dove World Outreach Center, who earlier had announced that he will burn the copies of Holy Quran on 11 September 2010 has canceled his plan after a telephonic call from Defense Secretary of State Mr. Robert Gates, who urged him to refrain. Pastor Terry Jones had made this announcement as a protest against the proposed construction of an Islamic center and a mosque near ground zero in New York. The Muslim clerics have denied striking any deal with the pastor in exchange of the cancellation of the said plan.

This announcement coupled with protests by other groups against the proposed construction of Islamic centre and mosque near ground zero had stirred the calm of the Muslim world. This construction was being seen by majority of the Muslims as a good will gesture by the American government to reduce the distances between the Muslims and the other religious communities. The construction of mosque near ground zero would have given a clear message to the world as whole and to the terrorists in particular that the Muslims are not the supporters of terrorism and they denounce it with full force. In this situation the terrorists would have been isolated from rest of the Muslims that could have made the goal of fight against terror much easier and achievable.

The perception that Islam as a religion is totally against any act of violence and terror is believed by most of the people in the world. The Americans in particular know the behavior and attitude of Muslims living along with them since ages. The Americans are a peace-loving people who believe in mutual peaceful co-existence. This is the reason that they fully supported the idea of construction of mosque. However the radical groups with extremist posture have their own agenda and vested interests. They do not want to see the Muslims getting closer with the American people. Hence they launched these protests.

People like Pastor Terry Jones become an easy tool for those having vested interests. Just look at the teachings of the Holy Bible and Jesus Christ regarding the peace and see the behavior of the pastor in contrast to those teachings. Ironically the name of the church is ‘Dove’ World Outreach and the plan announced from there was nothing but ‘hawkish’. Mere announcement from the pastor had created world wide disturbances. Violent protests against the US in Pakistan and other Muslim countries have given a further blow to the already fragile relations between the US and the Muslim world. Apart, the announcement of desecration of the Holy Quran had put the life of Christian minorities at risk who are already vulnerable to the attacks by the extremists. The planned desecration of the Holy Quran would have given a severe blow to the cause of world peace. It is a good omen that a very serious crisis has been averted just ahead of the 9^th anniversary of the fateful events of 11 September 2001. We hope that the sense would prevail and the persons like Pastor Terry Jones are not allowed to make the global peace as hostage of their personal motives and gains. Such people must be reminded that the life and property of the millions of innocent Muslims and Christians is more precious than their personal and short-term gains.

Concept of Peace is Inseparable from Buddhism

2010-04-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world; it is appeased by love.’ (Dhammapada I 5)

Buddhism developed from the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama, called the Buddha (c.563 - 483 BC), who believed that human suffering could be overcome by following a particular way of life. The first precept of Buddhism is 'non-harming' (ahimsa): Buddhists reject violence. Buddhism is clearly pacifist in its teaching, and many Buddhists say quite bluntly that it is ‘better to be killed than to kill’. Some Buddhists have been very active in promoting peace, particularly during the Vietnam War (1961- 1975), when they offered a 'Third Way' of reconciliation between the American and Communist armies. Some Buddhist monks burned themselves to death in self-sacrificing protest against the war.

Buddhism perhaps has the best record of all religions for non-violence. However, Buddhists in Sri Lanka have been criticized for oppressing the Tamil minority there (Tamils are a mostly Hindu people whose origins are in southern India)

Buddhism, like all religions, seeks to be ethical. Confucianism and Taoism, which both developed in China, also share similar principles with Buddhism. For example, they seek to adjust human life to the inner harmony of nature (Confucianism) and emphasizes mediation and non-violence as means to the higher life (Taoism). The founders of these religions, Confucius and Lao-Tsze, lived in the same period as Buddha, the 6th century BC.

Sikhism focused at Eliminating the Differences between Religions

2010-04-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

Guru Nanak (1469-1534), the first Sikh Guru (a guru is a spiritual teacher, a revered instructor) wrote this hymn:

‘No one is my enemy
No one is a foreigner
with all I am at peace
God within us renders us
Incapable of hate and prejudice.’

He too emphasized the importance of non-violence and the equality of all humans whatever their religion (he was particularly concerned to reconcile Hinduism and Islam). But this pacifist emphasis changed as persecution against the Sikhs developed. The sixth Guru said:

“In the Guru’s house, religion and worldly enjoyment should be combined - the cooking

pot to feed the poor and needy and the sword to hit oppressors.”

The tenth and last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) was a general as well as a Guru. In order to strengthen the courage and military discipline of the Sikhs at a time of great persecution, he organized the Khalsa - the Sikh brotherhood. Guru Gobind Singh expressed the idea of 'Just War' as follows:

“When all efforts to restore peace prove
useless and no words avail,
Lawful is the flash of steel,
it is right to draw the sword.”

But the idea of 'Holy War' is not found in Sikhism. A central teaching of Sikhism is respect for people of all faiths.

Diversity is a matter of Beauty and not Conflict

2010-03-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

This world is full of diversity, both in nature and man-made phenomena. We love diversity in nature. That’s the reason we go out on tours and site-seeing. Have we ever showed our distress over different landscapes, climatic conditions, colors of plants and flowers? Not at all. We are equally fascinated by the towering heights of Alps Mountains and vast stretches of Sahara desert. We equally enjoy the tropical forests of Amazon delta and freezing glaciers of Arctic Circle. We may also quest for different cultural dresses and dances (for making pictures and videos at least). .But when it comes to differences in political thoughts, religious beliefs, race, language etc, we tend to lose our patience. We confront, we fight and we create enmities on the basis of these dissimilarities. We lack tolerance and find it difficult to accommodate strange viewpoints and beliefs.

Just look at the world from a bird’s eye view. You will notice a very colorful abode of humanity. A population of billions with different colors, shapes, dresses, dwellings, eating a variety of food, worshipping different deities, celebrating festivals in various manners. singing different melodies and discussing topics with varied viewpoints. I can bet that any aliens coming to our planet from a distant galaxy will like all this. Then why the humans, the permanent inhabitants of this planet, cannot enjoy all this? Why are they so skeptic and intolerant towards one another?

Ask these questions and try to find out answers, for the sake of world peace.

Concept of Peace in Hinduism

2010-03-24T05:29:00.000-07:00

Hinduism is perhaps the oldest world religion; in some of its writings ‘ahimsa’ has been considered the highest duty from the beginning of time. Jainism also grew out of Hinduism; Jainists believe that people should strive to become detached from the distractions of worldly existence; and that the practice of ‘ahimsa’ is an essential step on the way to personal salvation.

In Sanskrit, the word for violence is ‘Himsa’, which is causing injury or harm to others. The alphabet "a" placed before the word, negates it. Thus assuming, ‘Ahimsa’ is abstaining oneself from causing any type of harm to others, whether physical, emotional or mental. It is very surprising to know that ‘Nonviolence’ only speaks about the most extreme forms of wrongdoing, while ‘Ahimsa’ goes much deeper to prohibit the subtle abuse and the simple hurt. Thus, Ahimsa is referred to as wisdom and certainly not cowardice, and this ‘wisdom’ is referred to as the cumulative knowledge of the existing divine laws of reincarnation, karma, dharma, the all-pervasiveness and sacredness of things, blended together within the psyche or soul of the Hindu. (H.H. Gurudeva Sivaya Subramuniyaswami at the Institute for Peace at the University of Hawaii)

The roots of ahimsa (peace of nonviolence) are found in the Vedas, Agamas, Upanishads, Dharma Shastras, Tirumurai, Yoga Sutras and many other essential and sacred texts of Hinduism. The knowledge of these scriptures is developed from the concept of Nature and peace. The teachings of these scriptures are universal. That is why Hinduism is not bounded in any certain geographical, racial, national and ethnical boundary – it is universal! A verse from Patanjali Yoga Sutras:

“By cultivating attitudes of friendliness towards the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous and disregard towards the wicked, the mind stuff retains its undisturbed calmness.” (Patanjali Yoga Sutras – Book I verse33).

A view based on suffering and pain is seen in Tirukural. Two thousand years ago South India's weaver saint Tiruvalluvar said it so simply,

"All suffering recoils on the wrongdoer himself. Therefore, those who desire not to suffer refrain from causing others pain." This verse tells that the Hindu is eventually convinced by the belief that violence committed by an individual will return to him/her by a cosmic process that is accurate and definite (unerring).

The Vedic Seers prayed for ‘Peace on the Earth, peace on the sky and also peace in Heavens emphasizing that there is gravitational relation among the different objects of this universe and in turn are interdependent. They wished peace for all the creatures, region, country, earth and to the whole universe. A person enriched with the universal qualities contributes to the welfare of one’s society leading to world peace. In fact, virtues of individuals are the foundation of world peace.

Mainly Upanishads are concerned with the truth of the world. It focuses in the ultimate unity of all realities. It is more concerned with harmony and peace. Man cannot be at peace without conquering the divisions and diversity in the society.

Shanthi mantras are the prayers of peace, in Hindu mythology, also called ‘Peace Mantras,’ which are a part of Upanishads. These Mantras end with the words ‘Shanthi’ (peace). The reason behind this is to cool the surroundings and remove the obstacles in the three realms namely, Physical or Adhi Bhautika, Devine or Adhi Daivika and Internal or Adhyaatmika. Belief exists that all obstacles are removed and these three realms are pacified!! The chanting of 'Om Shanthi' is, thus a practice prescribed in Hinduism like the numerous rituals that are pointers to peace which is the very nature of oneself.A Shanthi Mantra from the Taittiriya, Katha, Shvetashvatara Upanishads:

“Saha navata, sahanau bunaktu, Saha navavatu saha nau bhunaktu Saha viryam karavavahai tejasvi nava teeda mastu, mavid visamahe, om shanthi, shanthi, shanthihi”

(Let all of us enjoy together; May all of us work together and let our study become radiant. Let there be no hatred between us. Peace, Peace, Peace!)

Sources of Hinduism

2010-03-23T05:52:00.000-07:00

The Vedas are the main sources of Hinduism. Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda, all teach peace and universal brotherhood. Truth is the basic element of peace. Vedas converse peace not only for the human society, but for the whole universe. “Let there be peace in Heaven; let there be peace in the atmosphere; May peace fill the four quarters; May the waters and medical herbs bring peace; May planets give peace to all beings; May enlightened persons disseminate peace to all beings; May the Vedas spread peace everywhere; May all the objects give us peace everywhere; And may that peace come to us and remain with us forever.” (Yajur Veda 36/37). Vedas emphasize in the global brotherhood.

“In whatever direction I turn my eyes; I look upon every one as my friend”. Personal attachment, selfish interest and ambition only cause sorrow and suffering. When one is for all, and all are for one, there can be nothing but peace. (Atharvana Veda pg. 23/24)

Rig Veda, considered the earliest of the four Vedas, contains some of the earliest writings of peace, which guides the Hindu towards a path leading to integral peace and pacification of the three realms (physical, Devine and internal).

“Come together, talk together; let our minds be in harmony. Common be our prayer, common be our end, common be our purpose, common be our deliberations, common be our desire, united be our desires, united be our hearts, united be our intentions. Perfect be our union among us. (Rig Veda 10 – 191:2)”

Gita is the culmination point of the Vedas and Upanishads. It is known as the conclusion of human knowledge. Gita focuses on self-realization.” When one realizes the truth, there will be no war & conflict in human world.”(Gita 3. 55-58)

In Hinduism, however, there is another tradition. The Hindu scripture called the 'Bhagavad-Gita' tells the story of Arjuna, who learns it, is his duty to fight as a member of the soldier caste. Arjuna is told by his chariot driver Krishna, who is really the god Vishnu in human form, that:

‘Even without you, all the soldiers standing armed for battle will not stay alive. Their death is foreordained.” Bhagavad-Gita 11:32-3

In the story, Arjuna overcomes his doubts and fights, even though he knows it means killing some of his own family. Strict rules, however, are laid down for war. Cavalry may only go into action against cavalry, infantry against infantry and so on. The wounded, runaways, and all civilians are to be respected. The idea of a ‘Just War’ is represented here.

How did Gandhi deal with this story in a scripture he loved? He thought of it as an allegory, and interpreted it as meaning that one should certainly engage in struggle, but only by means of non-violence. Certainly one should not kill anyone. However, not all Hindus interpret the story in Gandhi’s way.

Judaism in Historical Perspective

2010-03-15T04:10:00.000-07:00

Like all the religions, Judaism also preaches peace. The divine book Torah was revealed on Moses, the prophet of God. Although the sacred book was destroyed with the passage of time, the collections of Torah were made by different persons at different times. These collections cannot be truly called as the words of God. Even then all the scripts that are now available clearly spell out a disliking for the wars and conflicts and strictly advocates love for humanity and universal peace.

The concept of peace occupy a central value in Judaism: Peace in its vast meaning connotes a state of rest, calm, absence of war, a relationship of mutual respect and friendship between people and between the nations. This is the ideal of every person and is embedded in all the moral and cultural values of the followers of Judaism. Jew’s tradition of peace has a focal position in their religion which is evident from the sacred words that appeared in Torah..
In Judaism war has not been totally negated and sometimes it becomes necessary. Judaism teaches the supreme value of life, yet it does not totally discard war. Wiping out evil is also part of justice. As Rashi explains (Deut. 20:12), “Dangerous disputes must be resolved because if you choose to leave evil alone, it will eventually attack you”..

n Old Testament, the word for peace is shalom. For Hebrew speakers, shalom has a much richer and fuller significance than the English word ‘peace’. Whereas we sometimes limit the idea of peace to the absence of conflict, shalom includes far more. It comprises notions of wholeness, completeness, soundness, and prosperity. The Psalmist sings, "Those who are gentle and lowly will possess the land; they will live in abundant shalom" (Ps 37:11, literal translation). God's promise of blessing to Israel through Isaiah uses similar language: "I will make your towers of sparkling rubies and your gates and walls of shining gems. I will teach all your citizens, and their peace (shalom) will be great" (Isa 54:12-13,literal translation).

In the Old Testament, peace is also inseparable from righteousness and justice. These later concepts are embodied in one Hebrew word that connotes right-relationship between two or more parties. This word is usually translated as "righteousness," referring not only to doing morally correct deeds, but also to living rightly in relationship with others. Righteousness is also closely connected to justice, because the righteous person acts with justice in the civil or judicial sphere. The necessary link between righteousness and peace can be seen, for example, in Isaiah's vision of a future day when a righteous king will reign over Israel and God's Spirit will be poured out upon the people:

Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will become a lush and fertile forest. Justice will rule in the wilderness and righteousness in the fertile field. And this righteousness will bring peace. Quietness and confidence will fill the land forever (Isa 32:15-17, NLT).

The teaching of Torah was that murder, conquest, and abuse are wrong and immoral. The values such as respect of life, freedom, and brotherhood, all stem from Judaism. The Torah's directive to wipe out the Canaanites indiscriminately, in a cruel fashion has been criticized by many scholars. The Jew scholars have clarified this episode. The nations never deserved punishment. That’s why the Canaanites were given many chances to accept peace terms. Even though abominable inhuman practice had been indoctrinated into the Canaanite psyche, the hope was that they’d change

Seven Universal Laws of Humanity

2010-03-14T04:17:00.000-07:00

Judaism has given the following Seven Universal laws of humanity. These “Noachide Laws” are basic to any functioning society:

1) Do not murder.
2) Do not steal.
3) Do not worship false gods.
4) Do not be sexually immoral.
5) Do not eat the limb of an animal before it is killed.
6) Do not curse God.
7) Set up courts and bring offenders to justice.

At the root of these laws lays the vital concept that there is a God Who created each and every person in His image, and that each person is dear to the Almighty and must be respected accordingly. These seven laws can still provide guidance to human civilization. They are the factors which distinguish humans from the wild animals of a jungle.

The examples have been given in Judaism when they had to fight their enemies. As the Jews drew close to battle, they were ordered to act with mercy. Before attacking, the Jews would always offer terms of peace. The Torah states, "When approaching a town to attack it, first offer them peace." (Deut. 20:10)

For example, before entering the Land of Israel, Joshua wrote three letters to the Canaanite nations. The first letter said, "Anyone who wants to leave Israel has permission to leave." The second letter said, "Whoever wants to make peace, can make peace." The final letter warned, "Whoever wants to fight, get ready”.. Upon receiving these letters, only one of the Canaanite nations (the Girgashites) heeded the call; they immigrated to Africa. Other nations opted to fight the Jews.

As the Canaanite nations who chose not to make a treaty, the Jews were still ordered to fight mercifully! For example, when besieging a city to conquer it, the Jews never surrounded it from all four sides. This way, one side was always left open to allow for anyone who wanted to escape. (See Maimonides, Laws of Kings ch. 6)

It is interesting that throughout Jewish history, waging war has always been a tremendous personal and national ordeal which ran contrary to the Jews’ peace-loving nature. King Saul lost his kingdom when he showed misplaced mercy by allowing the Amalekite king to live.

The reality is that war makes one callous and cruel. Therefore, since God Himself ordered the Jews to rid the Land of evil, God likewise promised the soldiers that they will retain their compassionate nature. In the words of Parsha: “God will have compassion on you, and reverse any display of anger that might have existed" (Deut. 13:18).

War as Necessity in Judaism

2010-03-13T04:24:00.000-08:00

Peace (Shalom) is one of Judaism's most revered values. ‘Shalom’ is, of course, the traditional greeting among Jews, and it is also a name used for God. And yet, Jewish tradition takes it for granted that war is an inevitable part of human existence and that peace on earth will not be achieved until the messianic era.

Toward the end of Deuteronomy as the Israelites were about to leave the desert, Moses speaks to them about war. The guidelines he provides are of practical significance. The Israelites are slated to occupy the land of Canaan (biblical Israel) through military force.

The first rule of war in Judaism is to avoid it whenever possible. Prior to attacking an enemy, a Jewish army must offer peace. If that offer is not accepted, the Torah mandates that every male should be killed and the women, children, and livestock should be taken as booty. And this only applies to wars with non-Canaanite nations. The seven nations of Canaan--men, women, and children--should be completely wiped out if they do not accept the terms of peace offered to them.

For most of Jewish history after the biblical era, the laws of combat were merely theoretical. There were no Jewish armies and no Jewish wars. Therefore, practical ethics of war are not often discussed in Talmudic and medieval Jewish literature. Nonetheless, laws such as the prohibition against destroying fruit trees and, indeed, the unwarranted destruction of any property, do exist. A fascinating law prohibits besieging a city on all four sides. One side must be left open for people to escape.

Peace and Non Violence

2010-03-12T04:31:00.000-08:00

In addition to these ethical considerations, Talmudic and post-Talmudic rabbinic authorities tried to temper the ethics of biblical militancy. They made it virtually impossible to declare a milhemet reshut, and also declared that the Canaanites and Amalekites were extinct. This leaves the defensive war as the only type of war executable in most situations, and it would also eliminate the requirement to kill every last enemy.

Although Judaism never embraced pacifism and nonviolence as absolute principles, there are certain examples of non violence in the Bible, and pacifism was employed on occasion in response to particular situations.

In addition, the Torah lists several types of people who are exempt from military service. This list includes men who are engaged to be married and those who are ‘fearful’ and ‘gentle-hearted.’ Contemporary thinkers like Arthur Waskow have invoked the exemption for the "gentle-hearted" to raise the possibility of excusing conscientious objectors.

In summary, although Judaism may not be fundamentally pacifistic, the hope for peace, the pursuit of peace, and the expectation of a universally peaceful time at the end of history are among its most basic tenets.

“They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more”. (The Old Testament: Isaiah 2:4)

Peace is the central teaching of rabbinical Judaism (teachings based on the writings of early Jewish scholars). However, Judaism is not a pacifist religion. The idea of Holy War occurs in the Hebrew Bible, but it was not about converting other people to Judaism, but was about survival and in self defense. .

The idea of 'Just War' is clearly expressed both in the Old Testament (see Deuteronomy 20:10-15, 19-20) and in the later rabbinical tradition. So while revenge and unprovoked aggression are condemned, self defense is justified. Jews have been victims of dreadful persecution, usually at the hands of Christians, for nearly two thousand years, culminating in the Holocaust during the Second World War (1939-1945) at the hands of Nazis. On the other hand, defending modern Israel and dealing justly with the Palestinians places thoughtful Jews in difficult dilemmas.

The Birth of Christianity

2010-03-10T04:42:00.000-08:00

Christianity was introduced when Jesus, the prophet of God was inspired and appointed by God to guide the people towards the righteous path. The words of God were revealed on Jesus that were collected, compiled and given the name of Bible. After Jesus completed his time on earth, most of his followers were swayed away by their inner lusts, whims, evil designs and personal gains / interests. The Bible was interpolated / amended according to the wishes of the compilers, as a result it no more remained in its pure form. The different versions of Bible claimed to be written / compiled by different people cannot now be called the words of God. However we can still find out the teachings of Jesus from what is now called as the New Testament.

Peace is akin to the teachings of Jesus. He was born in an era that was the time of great turmoil and chaos. The Roman Empire was the super power of the world at that time and they had made the sacred land of Palestine as their colony. Obviously they were as tyrants as the rulers of those times were. They suppressed the local people the majority of whom were the Jews. So the natural message of Jesus to his people and the world as whole was that of peace and non violence.

Teachings of New Testament

2010-03-09T04:49:00.000-08:00

Peace is essential to Christianity. There can be no doubt about it. Consider, for example, these passages from the New Testament Gospels:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”. (Luke 2:14, KVJ)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives”. (John 14:27)

Then there are these verses from the writings of the Apostle Paul:

“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. (Rom 5:1)

“For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”. (Rom 14:17)

“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. (Phil 4:6-7).

Of course then there's the classic statement of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matt 5:9)

In biblical perspective, therefore, the absence of conflict is only the bare beginning of peace. True peace includes personal wholeness, corporate righteousness, political justice, and prosperity for all creation. That's exactly the way God intended things to be when he created his garden, his paradise. (Our word "paradise" comes from a Greek word that described the elegant parks of ancient Persian kings.) Perhaps no term better describes God's perfect paradise than "peaceful," a world full of wholeness, righteousness, justice, and prosperity.

In the Old Testament God promised to mend that which had been lost in the Fall by re-instituting peace on earth. Through Ezekiel, the Lord looked forward to such restoration for his people:

“And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and multiply them, and I will put my Temple among them forever. I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Ezek 37:26-27).

Peace will come by God's effort. The result will be material blessing and, most importantly, a mended relationship between people and God. The prophet Isaiah brought a message similar to that of Ezekiel:

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns" (Isa 52:7).

Notice how God's peace is integrally related to his salvation, to the restoration of his reign on earth. When God saves, he will restore his kingdom so that those who live under his rightful rule will experience the fullness of his peace.

Isaiah's vision of God's future peacemaking effort takes an unexpected turn in the next chapter. There the prophet describes God's Suffering Servant, "a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief" (Isa 53:3). This Servant suffers, not because of his own sins, but so that we might be forgiven for our sins.

"But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed!" (Isa 53:5). God would restore peace on earth, but only through one who took upon himself the penalty for human sin.

Jesus Christ on Peace

2010-03-08T02:57:00.000-08:00

Jesus entered the world as the one who would fulfill the mission of the Suffering Servant, thus bringing divine peace. Even before Jesus was born, one of his relatives proclaimed what God was about to do:

“By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:78-79)

Upon the occasion of Jesus’ birth, angels filled the sky with praise to God. What did they sing?

"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors" (Luke 2:14).

Jesus promised to give his followers supernatural peace:

“I'm leaving you with a gift -- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid (John 14:27).

After Jesus ascended to heaven, he gives this peace through the mediation of the Holy Spirit. Peace is one aspect of that which the Spirit produces in our lives (Gal 5:22).

The Inner Peace

2010-03-06T03:25:00.000-08:00

The inner peace given by God isn't like the peace provided by the world. According to Jesus (John 14:27), it isn't peace that depends upon outward circumstances or inward rationalizations. Indeed, God's peace often comes when events or reasons would provide just cause for worry. As Paul notes, God's peace "is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand"
(Phil 4:7).

This peace is really a gift of God. Christ says "My peace I give you" and added "not as the world gives." The world seems to know only one kind of peace, i.e. mere absence of war. Christ says that real peace is that which comes from God, and not from the world. This is peace of soul, peace of mind, peace of heart which surpasses all mere human endeavors and understanding.

It is only when such a peace reigns in the human heart, that there will be no room for coveting or selfish thinking etc. which are the final causes of wars and conflicts between peoples and nations. Here are a few lines from the Bible:

"What causes wars, and what causes fighting among you? Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." (James--4: 1-3)

The Concept of ‘Just War’ in the early Christians and Manzoni

2010-03-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

What Alessandro Manzoni thinks about the war? Was he a pacifist or a warmonger?

In Betrothed Manzoni considers that war is madness is all forms of violence.

Father Christopher Renzo complains every time about the character of Manzoni's considering the law in isolation. The wise monk in fact knows clearly what does it mean to act impetuously using violence.

Manzoni describes in ‘The Betrothed’ in a very negative way the riots in the streets which led to the assault on the furnaces. In addition, the novel step of mercenaries from Milan has been termed as the plague and shows an overall condemnation of wars of the seventeenth century.

But the condemnation of violence in this Betrothed was strongly contested by political extremists of the Risorgimento to the point that they accused him of teaching the Italians to surrender before the tyranny.

It seems that Manzoni was a staunch opponent of the war. But Manzoni also puts forth the idea of a God who guides his people into war against the oppressor. To support his point he gave the example that God saved Israel from the pursuit of tyrannical Pharaoh and ordered that Jael be armed so that the oppressor of his people could be killed.

Here is a hidden message with which Manzoni urges Italians to try to win over the fighters, with his words and heroism in the war of liberation, "
At this point a contradiction may be seen in his stance about the fratricidal war being madness but this may be right when it can become a useful tool to get rid of an oppressor. On one side is the condemnation of wars waged on a whim or desire to conquest the sovereign lands, the other is the justification for wars of national liberation.

Manzoni thus helps to develop a condemnation of war with the exceptions of "just wars" in the wake of Catholic culture in general, which is opposed to the indiscriminate use of violence but admitted that for extreme cases of self-defense and for cases where there was a general interest superior to that act, the wars were justified.

During the period of Constantine, the Church began to develop its theory of "just war". This doctrine of war is more than another symptom of the need by the Church to adapt to political environment, but especially to it being a "state".
Elaborating on the rule when to go to war, and what to do in war, it is a real legal code that has been handed down today in certain aspects.

With regard to the justification, there must be a just cause that is not retaliation or revenge;

Must be declared by a lawful public authority ;

Both conflicting parties must declare that they accept the sacrifice of lives in the given situation;

Destruction of the enemy should not be the aim and especially repression of the innocent must be avoided.

Costs must be proportionate to the good results that you hope to achieve;

Conditions must be favorable for a success;

It should be adopted as a last resort.

With regard to the tactics, no attacks on civilian targets will be launched.

Later in the eleventh century, traditions and institutions sought to limit the armed conflict. Truce of God and the Peace of God were accepted as true pastoral guidelines. This was an expression of peace that emanates

Child’s Play- Lets Do Away with the Toys of Violence and Destruction

2010-03-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

One day I returned from my office slightly before time. When I entered my home I heard lot of noise of children screaming and shouting at each other. I thought as if a battle was going on between two warring groups. I was upset, but when I saw my wife standing at the door and smiling I had a sigh of relief. Realizing my state of mind she said, “Don’t worry. The children are playing.” I entered the room and saw a scene of a battlefield. The children ( two our own and probably three from the neighbors) were carrying toy guns and were playing hide and seek ( rather seek and kill ) game. The battle casualties were also being depicted by red color spilled on the clothes. An immediate cease-fire occurred as soon as they saw me. But soon, the winners of the game started celebrating their victory by shouting at the top of their voices.

While relaxing on my bed, I thought about the game and the enthusiasm showed by the children in the game of violence. It was disgusting to think what impact the game would create on psychology of our children? A child who opens his eyes in this world and sees the rattle and fire of guns around him would certainly shape his personality on the same lines. He would consider the warriors and the killers as heroes and would try to copy them. The spilling of blood and killings will not be so unusual phenomena for him. With the passage of time the habit of firing the weapons and killing the opponents (and also being killed in the process) will become so deep routed in his psyche that he will not enjoy playing rather “ peaceful” games. When the children with such a mindset will grow up, how would they be running the affairs of the society? The words like peace, tranquility, calm, tolerance, sacrifice, prudence etc will be alien to them. Obviously the dream of a peaceful world will remain elusive.

If we are desirous of not having such an unfavorable environment in the world for our next generations, then we may have to take a little bit of initiative. Please replace all weapon-toys with common toys of social and peaceful co-existence. Before we embark upon making our planet free of destructive weapons, let us free our children from the spell of toys like guns, tanks, bomber aircraft and the explosives. Let us not portray the ‘Spider man’, the ‘Predators’ and the ‘Terminators’ as heroes of our children. Rather they should be encouraged to follow the footsteps of great personalities like Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Buddha, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. We should not be worried about the adverse economic, financial and business impact of saying NO to war toys, because a peaceful world for our coming generations of tomorrow will be far more precious than a few dollars earned on these potentially destructive toys of today.

Constantine the Great and the ideology of peace

2010-03-04T03:48:00.000-08:00

About a year has begun preparations for the celebration of 1700 years after the promulgation of the so-called Edict of Milan in February 313. Two other anniversaries have been celebrated, to name the most significant events: in 2006 to York for the proclamation of Constantine, Emperor Augustus in 306, and in 2007 to Trier for the appointment of the same Caesar. These events have attracted media attention and scientific and cultural institutions on what still remains a controversial figure, Emperor Constantine the Great.

.The period from 306 in the beginning to power, up to 337, the date of his death, this small space of time was, rightly, described as "Constantine era" for the changes that have occurred. He is considered by his contemporaries and posterity, the first Christian Emperor, and was honored in history, shortly after his disappearance, with the title of Great.

On these two points, the 'era (and, if you like, even the turning point) and the title of Constantine the Great attributed to him, some clarification of methodological first choice of getting into an' ideology of peace are sought. One can not help but address them, these two arguments in a concise manner and rapid course, as the debate opened in the late 60s and continued until 2000, although gradually reduced, there is still quite of it. A search on those who may have been the guidelines, the choices of government (first of all the unification of the Empire), the religious choices, administrative reform, and, let's call it so, the thought of Constantine, refers to a few. His writings have been handed down, the eulogies, the lives come to us, the work of "historical" and not favorable to the Emperor, the coinage and archaeological finds. The task of evaluation and interpretation of these sources, especially the lives and panegyrics and the work produced by the Imperial Court, especially in full operation it is in Rome and Constantinople, is no mean feat.. Yet some sections, at least for the chosen topic, you can define and outline a framework acceptable.

For Constantine era - the second argument - the historical means the period of history that goes from the takeover of Constantine on his death. Off the field this expression has taken on a strictly historical significance that exceeds the limits of space and time from the man who took the name. It is used to indicate a time when, under the influence of certain acts of Constantine, it was developed, and indeed it was fixed for centuries, a complex mental and institutional structures, behaviors and even the spirituality of the Church, and this not only as a fact, but also as an ideal. Despite the different character of the civilization that space and time are included in this' time, despite breaking violent and intractable, we recognize it as a common denominator, in an area that, for convenience’s West.

This time, after all, as the one from which it takes its name, remains a sphinx for the science of history is the expression of Joseph Vogt, who partly agree. The fact that the phrase "age of Constantine 'is mostly a global concept, passed down through the centuries in many variations, but generally in a derogatory sense, makes the task of penetrating it much more difficult as urgent. To arrive at a clarification of the problem, the first thing to do is to reduce the term "Constantine era" to indicate only the historical time of Constantine (306/312-337). The consequences resulting from its policy and continuing later in time may also be challenged because the preparation of its pre-Constantine era.. Just the link of this expression with the idea of decadence (Verfallsidee) Roman Empire, and after the encounter with Christianity because, clearly shows its critical nature (pre-judgment on 'Constantine era), the justification should be based only on detailed analysis. So rhetoric and exaggerated and that forecasts are not based on this analytical work deserve serious critical reservations.

Again, however, the polemic against our so-called Emperor and the era that he named only serves to draw attention to him and, somehow, it expands the interest and reputation. The recent controversy on the Christian roots of Europe has once again brought together to Charlemagne on the pedestal, and publications on the occasion of the centennial of York and especially in Trier have made it a star, confirming the title of "Great", first Christian emperor of history.

The idea of peace in the century

The idea of peace in the century. The organization of peace, then, instead of being a superstructure of the international order as we think today was the responsibility and prerogative of the Roman Empire, which, for its ethical and religious thought to be entrusted with the fate of ' humanity.

The idea of peace had evolved to take up the meaning of broad and general removal of all internal and external violent conflict.

"The idea of peace was a composite content and not always the same, it now prevails in the tradition of 'eirene" a peaceful state that is independent of the means for its implementation, but now, the meaning customary Roman Understanding a coma since the conclusion of the negotiated or suffered from armed conflict. But here, more obvious, disguised by theoretical reasons, this was the figure of a final peace imposed by Rome to the rest of humanity”.

In the design and divine investiture of imperial power (the Emperor considered Vicarious Gods), peace and harmony that should reign in the world were the result of an order came from above, the subjects through the emperors, the emperors from divinity. ¹⁷ groups porphyry facade of the Basilica of San Marco in Venice and the Vatican Museums, which depict the four principles (Diocletian, Maximian, Constantius and Galerius) embraced both "unum Rempublicam sentientes in, represent a tangible image of 'harmony' Imperial which was founded on the unity of the empire and world peace, reflecting the harmony between the gods, such as unity of the empire and its symbol.”Peace and harmony, parent unit, had thus become rather the consequence of a set order, not themselves the cause of that unity." completed this concept the idea that unity, eternity and 'universality three qualities were inseparable Empire.

That the Empire was not truly universal in the sense that it did not include physically throughout the known world, it was obvious to contemporaries. However, the common feeling, the Empire was considered the defense of civilization and the Emperor the patron of all nations. By Constantine succeeds in asserting the theory that even the land of foederati belonged to the Empire. The organization of the world is so confused with the Empire. The organization of a Pax Romana, the only one that could then be designed, gradually took over as "the treaty system that Rome was built in the time before and had had the condition rather than the establishment of a political superiority in terms of a 'action to be developed out of indifference, after having made itself dominant in maintaining peace at any cost.”

Constantine and the ideology of peace

This ideology of peace, we have just mentioned, it is common to the Emperor Constantine, but with the peculiarity that its special relationship with the Christian Church necessarily entailed. The imperial theory he inherited involved three main things:

1) ' imperium, ie the control of the army, and Tribunician power, namely legislative supremacy,

2) the quasi-divinity of the Emperor, then just as specificatasi "Vicariatus Dei,

3) the genius of the Emperor, Apollo, and then Christ.

In this context fits what Constantine sees double mission, political and religious, their Emperor. It was specifically in fulfilling its mission to "servant of God" and, as such, save the peace, to "teach" and to secure to his subjects.

Dories ^, three things are certainly part of its substance:

1) the legitimate worship,

2) the possession of law and truth,

3) and, not last, the unanimity and concord

It is harmony, which is a prerequisite for peace, the one that has attracted, particularly during the persecutions, many converts to the Church and the spread of Christianity was nothing more than a miracle spread among the peoples of this agreement.

The writings and politics of Constantine are some obvious characteristics that determine the ideology of peace, summarized as follows:

Peace has a date, 324, and is configured as absence of war, internal and external, with the result of unification of the Empire and border security. Ideally Securitas, which is the visible part of the peace, ensure continuity and as such is called perpetual: perpetual Securitas. Objectively, but the absence of war, otherwise known as 'negative peace', indicates a situation very close to what we would call today a long truce. Such a situation means within the exercise of tolerance, but not beyond a certain point and leaving a gap to the privilege.
The Christian religion is involved in this project, and sometimes occupies the privileged space.

The Emperor, as Vicarius Gods and primary responsibility, it is the hero with all of its ownership of propagator imperii, Victor, etc.. And the list of virtues to practice: piety, iustitia, Clementi, Providence, philantrop, megalopsychia, moderately, indulgent, etc.. That make the emperor worthy of his office and produce the effect Securitas, tranquility, hilaritas, pax.
Finally, "the system works," the court ceremonial, propaganda (the panegiristica and currency) are expressions - at least they were designed so that time - prosperity, a sign of divine favor and effect peace. You may recall the construction of the new capital Constantinople, the construction of public buildings, Christian basilicas, and triumphal arches. A church of the Holy Peace was built in Constantinople, at the (competition?) With the Ara Pacis of Augustus in Rome.

This illa pax sanctissimae fraternitatis is primarily an inward gift of God - carried here by the writings of Constantine and Eusebius of Caesarea quotes, and then is his commandment, a duty towards the divine law, custody, peace, and to reassemble as soon as is somehow flawed. It is the desire of the Emperor first, is the meaning of his action toward the Church (including, if necessary, with the help of taxation taxes). The faith, peace and harmony are vital as the air of God's people. The Empire itself draws sure help. It is therefore of totally incomprehensible to compromise this incomparable gift in a struggle for dogma.

Of course, reading the many expressions of concern for the peace of the Church (and Empire), the question arises as to what religious conviction and responsibility (calculated?) There was political empire. A point solution to this problem, typical of our time is that, in the mentality of that time, específico in that of Constantine, so there was a distinction of planes (religious and political), but not practiced in areas where the only political-religious . This is for a deeper reason, as rightly noted the Dories. The words, expressions fraternitatis indicate that pax, which is nothing but brotherly love Christian, and that, even in approximating a Soldatenglaube (Josef Vogt), as is that of Constantine, remains something completely new and different .

Nor is silent on, rather than contradictory religious policy of peace, certain pragmatism, typically Roman, Constantine in this regard. The coinage after the inauguration of the new capital clearly shows that it is the center of the Christian ideal of universal empire. It is represented as a female figure, which corresponds to that of the goddess Roma, full of symbols that define Queen of Peace Victory and Abundance. As winged Tyche, whose scepter will appear on the globe which overlaps the cross of Christ is the deity that brings together the attributes typical of peace:

In those years, however, the Imperial Mint put into circulation commemorative coins with the legend Securitas Rome, where he expresses about the ancient capital, the same message of the poet and songster pay 325, Optaziano Porphyry, after the defeat of the Goths in the territory the Sarmatians, "So can you, while the swords are bent to make plowshares, enjoy full rest in your snow-white rock. Roma sister, the decorum of Pontus, enhances the Rome of Tuscia, we see with our eyes." It put as compared to the well-deserved rest and idle the old mother-city with the successful promotion of peace by the new capital.

Emergence of Islam and its Concept of Peace

2010-02-28T23:21:00.000-08:00

Background

Islam was introduced to the world when Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the last of the prophets of God was sent to the people. The prophet hood of Muhammad marked the culmination point of the era that started with Adam (the first of the prophets) and consisted of a large number of prophets sent to all nooks and corners of the world, where ever the human societies exited. The holy book revealed to Muhammad, Al Quran, is the last of the holy books and marks the end of a direct one–on-one dialogue between the man and God. Quran is the only book whose responsibility of safe custody to maintain its originality has been taken up on by God Himself. One can now say with authenticity that whatever is written in the Quran is the true word of God. Similarly if someone now claims a direct talk or communication with God in any form, the claimant will be a false person. Quran is now the beacon of guidance for the whole mankind for all the people and for all times to come.

The Islam is a complete system of life. It is not only a collection of few prayers or religious rituals but encompasses all the aspects of social life like politics, economics, research and knowledge and international relations/contracts, just to name a few. The outlines of this system are given in the Holy Quran and were further elaborated by the holy Prophet Muhammad with his practical actions and sayings. After the death of the holy Prophet his sayings were compiled by different authors who were renowned religious scholars of their times. These books are called the books of Hadith ie the saying of the Prophet. Later on a large number of books were written by many scholars, thus laying the foundations for the Fiqa or the schools of thought. The authority of the Holy Quarn is supreme, followed by the Hadith and then the other books.

Concept of Peace

The word for peace in Islam is ‘salama’, which is akin to the Hebrew word ‘shalom’ in Judaism. This word is all encompassing and covers many aspects of human life, both in this word and hereinafter. The basic meaning of the word ‘Islam’ is also ‘peace, submission’. Islam demands submission of mankind to the sole authority of God and no one else. Once a person or the mankind as a whole totally submits to the will and authority of God, they come into the protection and then the peace follows automatically.

Islam is a religion that advocates peace and harmony among the mankind. Its message of peace is universal and above the distinctions of faiths, beliefs and races. According to Islam, man by virtue of being a human being is to be respected as God has made him respectable.

A Golden Principle of Islam: There is no Compulsion in Religion and no Coercion in Islam

2010-02-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

Unlike many other religions where people were offered either conversion and then safety or death, Islam came up with the just word of our Creator.The verse from the holy Qur'an which states this principle of no compulsion in religion is the following:

"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: Whoever rejects Evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows all things." (Surah 2, Verse 256) .

The holy Qur'an reminds us that there must not be compulsion in religion. It states that the truth stands out clear from error, and that those who reject error and believe in God are the saved ones.

This means that Muslims are not allowed to force people to convert to Islam. Muslims should only seek to make the truth clear to others, and talk to them about Islam, then let them decide for themselves. In fact, most people who study Islam without having made a decision to hate it first, come to love its message and convert to Islam after learning about its values and principles.

Another verse that also states this principle is the following:

"If one amongst the Pagans asks thee for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the word of Allah; and then escort him to where he can be secure. That is because they are men without knowledge." (Surah 9, Verse 6).

This beautiful verse instructs Muslims to grant asylum to non-believers, and make them safe, and allow them to hear the word of God. Then they are to be escorted to whatever place they will be safe and secure. This is because these non-believers simply have no knowledge of Islam, and no knowledge of the message from God. Once they are given asylum, they will get a chance to be in close contact with Muslims and hence may enter the circle of Islam after understanding it.

There are many other verses in the Quran that deals with the nature of spreading God's message. One of such verse is:

"If it had been thy Lord's Will, they would all have believed, all who are on earth! Will tyou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!" (10:99)

These verses and many others show how much emphasis Islam places on the free will of people, both Muslims or non-Muslims.

There is no Room for Violence in Islam

2010-02-26T22:19:00.000-08:00

Islam clearly prohibits all forms of aggression and violence against anyone. Islam is a complete code of life that has to be implemented in every aspect of life. The basic teachings of Islam focus on the peace, faith, sacrifice and cooperation. Peaceful coexistence among the people is the hallmark of the social concept of Islam.

Islam also accords very high value to justice, and recommends a system that will disallow and eliminate the aggressors and unjust people from the society The system so designed is required to punish such people according to the law. Even in the legal and punitive system the emphasis is laid on the reformation of the people who have left the righteous path. A lot of importance is attached to the repentance of such criminals before they are brought to justice. At the same time, Islam encourages people to forgive those who have wronged them, whenever possible.

These concepts are vividly elaborated in the Holy Qur'an and are also found in the Hadith, (the sayings of Mohammad peace be upon him), A few extracts of these rulings from the Holy Qur'an are listed below::

"Nor can Goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate!" (Surah 41, Verse 34).

"O those who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you swerve, and if you distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do." (Surah 4, Verse 135).

"God advocates justice, charity, and regarding the relatives. And He forbids evil, vice, and transgression. He enlightens you, so that you may take heed." (Surah 16, Verse 90).

"And if you do punish them, punish them no worse than they punished you: but if you show patience, that is indeed the best (course) for those who are patient." (Surah 16, Verse 126).

"The prohibited month, for the prohibited month, and so for all things prohibited, there is the law of equality. If then any one transgresses the prohibition against you, transgress you likewise against him. But fear Allah, and know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves." (Surah 2, Verse 194).

"…and let not the hatred of some people in (once) shutting you out of the Sacred Mosque lead you to transgression (and hostility on your part). Do help one another in righteousness and piety, but do not help one another in sin and rancor: fear Allah: for Allah is strict in punishment." (Surah 5, Verse 2).

The above verses indicate that the goodness and evil are never equal, and that we should repel evil with good actions. This means that when someone is unjust to us or commits evil against us, we are encouraged to respond with kind and good actions, so that the hatred between us and that person may evaporate and become an intimate friendship!

Muslims are instructed to stand up for justice, even if it is against themselves or their family, and even if it is against those who are rich or powerful, because justice applies to everyone. It also reminds us that God knows everything we do, and so if we act unjustly even in our hearts, God knows what we did and we will be accountable for that.

God enjoins the mankind to follow justice, and that God forbids us from committing evil, vice and transgression. If somebody is punished for bad deeds, the punishment should conform to their deeds only and should not exceed. However, the Muslims are reminded that forgiveness and patience are the best and most recommended acts.

If someone transgresses against Muslims, they should respond to them likewise, and it reminds Muslims to fear God and to restrain themselves to this limit. It reminds Muslims not to let hatred of some people for past reasons to lead them to transgress against those people or be hostile towards them. It also instructs us to help each other in good and righteous actions, and not to cooperate in aggression and sin. It reminds them finally of the strict punishment of God to encourage them to abide by these principles.

Some of the wonderful ideals of Islam are as appended below::

To pursue peace with everyone including past enemies, except when they fight the Muslims and refuse peace, then Muslims are allowed to fight in self-defense.
To ensure that we always apply justice and never transgress against others even if they are our enemies.
To repel evil actions with good actions, in order to replace hatred with an intimate friendship.
To give punishment according to the intensity of crime, but that forgiveness and patience is even better than retaliation and revenge.