Our world is in Disarray
People often think that what can bring destruction to them must be mightier than them. How true is this understanding?
During one of the session on A World in Disarray, facilitated by Amy Sands, participants at the 2017 Summer Peace building Program were asked to name one thing each of them feel is a threat to world peace. Their responses make me think deep and I am still pondering on how many of the things we see as good for our development are also the likely things or issues that are threatening the peace of our world today.
Science and technology has made the movement of people from one part of the earth to another very smooth but the poor management of refugees who are compel to move to other safer areas either by forceful deportation or dehumanizing them is threatening the peace of the world.
Social media that is seen to have bring people closer and make information available on our finger tips is also another threat to world peace with terrorist using it as a medium to recruit young people and how fake news and inciting messages is causing escalation of violent conflict in many parts of the world. It is sad to note that many lives and properties worth Millions to Billions of dollars have been lost due to incitement or fake news from social media.
Despite the claims from some quarters and reports from world Bank of the progress in reducing the gap between the rich and the poor, addressing the challenges of epidemics and disease, the reality is that the rich are only getting richer and the poor are still dying of diseases .Our multinational have not help in reducing the gap.
What can we say about ignorance, climate change and denials, authoritarian governments in Africa, Europe and America? Can these styles of leadership bring about peace? When we force our brand of Democracy on others and think that conducting a so called free and fair election will bring peace and reduce poverty, what do we see afterwards, more fighting, more corruption, leadership with evil ideology etc.
Trafficking in human and Arms is growing big every day. No deliberate efforts to stop or address the challenges, instead countries with serious records of terrorism are having a better Arm deal.
Is our world not in Disarray? Who will help to make this world a safe and peaceful place for us and our children to live and enjoy it?
I therefore call on peace builders, peace makers, and peace actors to come with practical ways of intervention.
