Instead of Getting Used to War...

Three years after September 11 we experience on the one hand the desire for peace and reconciliation. On the other hand we are faced with the ugly reality of wars and power struggles.

Human rights, the heritage of the Geneva Agreement of the Red Cross, and international law are all being abandoned. Instead bombs are offered to open the door to democracy, bombing as the good remedy against evil.

Whenever new bogeymen are being created and new enemies along with them, we should prick up our ears. 'Culture wars' has become the battle cry. However, it is only a useful pretence to capture the world's emotions. It leaves out the fact that different cultures have more in common than they have differences. The new bogeymen invite parliaments to more readily accept the enormous costs for armament programmes and tax payer encumbrance. Systematic thinking and rational consideration of the consequences of one's actions are superseded by misused patriotic feelings.

One must fight against the dulling of one's intellect and civilized sensibilities. The evening news is becoming boring: Here, carpet bombing, there, bomb attacks. International law conceived as a protection of the weakest against the more powerful and as a safeguard of the common good has been made impotent as if it itself were bombed away. How do we avoid the inner withdrawl and numbing of humane feelings that go along with becoming accustomed to war? The articles in this edition are designed to be a contribution and an inspiration to help those experiencing that struggle.

Truly, many are becoming habituated and resigned or even paralyzed. But this is counterbalanced by many prominent voices, e.g. that of the Pope with his peace messages or that of the Secretary General of the United Nations insisting on the triumph of Human Rights.

'Culture Wars', in Europe and the US, incited by ideological and economical motives, left wide marks on society and virtually eroded the religion-based value system. This erosion affected all the generations that followed it, especially the parental generation that today holds leading positions in the economy and society of the western hemisphere. However, the young generation is demonstrating its sensibility. When protesting against the Iraq War many young people took an honest stand.

In this way the ideological delusions of the 20th century may have served to open the door to commitments to humaneness and down-to-earth solutions. This year the Pope entitled his peace message 'Peace Education'. He pointed out that there are many places in the world where 'isles of humanity' are to be found, where wise and sympathetic adults, parents, teachers and clergy try to prepare young people for a different life - not one characterized by violence, war, selfishness and using one's elbows.

We do not need invent the wheel anew. The 'Declaration of Sevilla' was dated 1986 as the knowledge has been available for years: Violence is not a necessary element of man's nature, and a peaceful community life is possible. As the Pope said, 'Peace is possible and therefore imperative!'

War violates the dignity of all human beings and displaces their lives. It is the very annihilation of human life and nature. It completely disrupts society. Where souls have been hurt new confidence must be built up, empathy and humaneness promoted and strengthened. This must happen especially for the developing young - in our families, kindergardens and schools.

How can we teach our children those values so indispensable to meeting the demands of human dignity? Here again the wheel does not have to be invented anew. There are many valuable approaches in the disciplines of anthropology, psychology and educational science. The fundamentals are the love of the child, the joy to see it grow, the pleasure to watch its steps into the world, its curiosity and its developing personality. At the same time it is necessary to give children guidance in relating and understanding other human beings. Parental relationships that create confidence are key to creating commitment and sympathy. They are the basis for the child's ability to respond to the parents' values and words, and later integrate them. That way the foundation can be laid for the youngster's awareness of the social dimension of human life, of law, justice and dignity of man.

But education for peace is not restricted to educating the next generation. Whenever we involve ourselves with another human being we find in that other person some potential for social responsibility that can help promote mankind as a whole: Grown-ups aren't just models for children but for each other as well. Whoever leads the way in displaying virtues like justice, wisdom, courage and level-headedness appeals to others. When waiting for others to make a start is futile, we ourselves can take the first step.

Humaneness and independence do not mean taking a stand against one's fellow human beings. When - like today - there are attempts to stir up hostility among peoples we hear voices like the one of the Secretary General of the United Nations urging attention to Human Rights as the common bond and property of mankind. Perceiving and emphasising the commonalities of all people and cultures is of essential importance today. All humans have a right to live and that is the cornerstone of peace. An important goal is to build bridges between human beings, in families, kindergardens, between neighbours, peoples and cultures. Peace is possible and as long as it is possible it is imperative!

Editorial Board Current Concerns