Its a shame when innocent people on both sides of a conflict die, without the world getting involved. I mean the conflict in Gaza of course, which has seen civilian casualties on both sides of the conflict, and shows no signs of slowing down until one side or the other is exterminated.
Now is the time for the world, especially the US and UK to get invloved, by seeking a United Nations mandate for peace-keeping activity, and enforcing it on both sides. Not only would this prove that we care more about human life than oil or weapons sales, but it might also settle the rumours that we are just interested in stopping Muslim states. A PR victory for the governments, and the chance to do the right thing for the civilians.
Will it happen? In all honesty I doubt it, I’m amazed the US didn’t use its veto in the security council the other day, but somehow I can’t see foreign troops acting as peace keepers in this conflict, for a variety of reasons. So what can we do?
First, we can pray for an end to the conflict, and for the families who have lost loved ones. We can ask our local politicians to make their voices heard, raising public pressure on our own governments all over the world. Finally we can write to the UN, to World Leaders, to Barack Obama when he is in power, and ask them to act in the name of human decency, to stop a terrible situation getting worse.
Then we can start on the real hard work, making a peace that lasts, and a friendship that can blossom, which will take many years to build up trust, understanding and acceptance.
Tags: gaza, Inter-faith, UN, understanding
January 13, 2009 at 7:36 pm |
I lost my nephew in afghanistan last June. He was 28 years old. He was one of the soldiers that died with Sarah Briant.
I’m afraid wars will always be, because you can never get total peace.
There is always someone who thinks he can run the world his way, as in the second world war, with Hitler. He thought he should and could run the world.
As for making ‘ a peace that lasts’, I doubt that I’m afraid.
January 16, 2009 at 10:50 am |
So sorry to hear that Annette, I knew a lot of the lads who were out in Iraq and Afghanistan last year from my time in Aldershot, and what touched me most were the courage that they had, from youngest to oldest. They didn’ always understand why they had to go, but they had chosen to serve their country and would do it.