‘Peace’ is something everyone can sense, and yet, find difficult to define. Its complexity, and simplicity is reflected in our restricted definition of peace as an absence of war/violence, even though we sense it is far beyond that.
Peace is a concept that exists beyond the boundaries of empirical reality, but we seek it within the realms of empirical reality, where power has the final say. We conceive it as a static state, where a world view palatable to us will reign over all else.
But, is Peace what we define it to be?
The color white is often used to indicate peace as in calling for a truce with a white flag held high, or when a white dove is set free to express the desire for peace. None of us give a second thought to the fact that the color white is complex, on an RGB (Red, Green, Blue) color model, where it has the RGB color value of (255, 255, 255). The only color that has a simple RGB value is black, with RGB (0,0,0) or no color (1).
Unless we see or infer beyond what we want to perceive, it may be difficult for us to understand any peace process or the realities governing acts of war or violence. The greatest fallacy we all fall prey to is negative peace as the final solution. A clear example of this is the ongoing declaration of all-out war between Israel and Palestine, even with the most advanced negative peace technology Israel has been unable to ensure negative peace for its citizens, and there remains the possibility that society will implode from within, given the limited scope for the governance system to totally isolate its population from the continuous conflict it is embroiled in.
The present negative peace strategy will bring peace neither to Israel nor Palestine. Afghanistan is another instance where negative peace has had limited success in attempts to democratize the governance system or ensure long lasting peace.
It is the over emphasis on negative peace which may have directly or indirectly exposed the human race to the realities of this ongoing pandemic. Our perception of Peace sees it as directly dependent on making others powerless, be it a different race, ideology, religion, culture or system of governance. To this end, countries are willing to try all forms of negative peace, for which they keep evolving the requisite knowledge, including that of Biological Warfare, knowing very well the possibility of accidental exposure to harmful experimental products. In this regard, all countries with resources and capabilities can be held culpable for strengthening this perception and making it possible for such approaches to survive.
The Time for Art of War is Over, it is Time for Peace
We guard our borders with intensity that can evoke envy in any species, the passion associated with a line of demarcation, largely hypothetical which few citizens would have seen or conceptualized beyond maps is remarkable. Yet, we treat human beings within the borders as disposable ‘products’ whose aspirations need to be addressed as and when their expression of dissatisfaction crosses the limit of violence palatable to our ‘sensitive souls’... Read More
Internal Conflict in Manipur-Beyond Conventional Approach
We take pride in being the enlightened species on planet earth and yet in our efforts to secure national boundaries or assert the uniqueness or superiority of our ethnicity we would transgress any ethical boundary to have the winning edge. That is a feeling that has gained strength during my recent visit to Manipur and hence this note. When security measures focus primarily on violence; its means, methods, and analysis or countermeasures it ignores - silent spectators in the conflict zone, active impressionable minds that are being molded for life. Read More