World Peace: A Fantasy or Distant Reality?

The goal for world peace seems fantasy or distant reality—we are in dark days for world peace.

The attack of Russia on Ukraine and the potential crisis that may arise from this war has made me reflect on all the wars and crises humanity has suffered for years. Like that one saying, “There have always been wars. There will always be wars as long as humanity exists.” But is it supposed to be this way? Can’t we do better than turning on each other?

With all these crises happening around the world including the one between Russia and Ukraine have kept me awake, wondering the true meaning of the word “peace.” I looked at various dictionaries and searched for the meaning of “Peace.” Most definitions stated that “Peace is a state of tranquility or quiet—freedom from civil disturbance.” Others say, “It is a state of nonsuffering as well as a celebration of life.” Looking at all these definitions, I realized that peace has always been among humanity's highest values, but we have always failed at it.

Wars and crises of all kinds have been a part of human history for thousands of years and have become increasingly destructive as industrialization and technology have advanced. Causes such as Economic gain, Territorial gain, Religion, Nationalism, Revenge, Civil war, Revolutionary war, Defensive war have made us always turn on each other instead of turning to each other.

The world has become a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it. Countries around the world spend billions of dollars on weapons, and that is their pride. The more money they spend on weapons, the less money they spend on their people’s welfare. More weapons, less happiness—more weapon, more misery.

Nations that are proud of their weapons are deprived of humanity. Jimmy Carter once said, “we will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other’s children.” War cannot prevent war—everyone is a potential victim.

Humanity is not about saving yourself from crisis or taking control of another person’s or country's wealth, but rather helping each other persevere entirely. We need to rebuild our world for better because our shared humanity's highest values demand that we make the impossible possible. Nelson Mandela once said, “It is easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.” So let’s all aspire to make peace and build.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Ukrainian people and those around the world affected by this war. I also pray for peace, prosperity, and stability in different parts of the world, dealing with wars, conflicts, and crises of all kinds.