'We cannot change the past, but we can change our attitude toward it. Uproot guilt and plant forgiveness.
Beyond the Agony and Hatred, Destruction and Pain, There is Always Hope
On the 1st Anniversary of the war in Ukraine, it is right first and foremost to express our sympathy to those wounded in or bereaved by War. We also give thanks for those who sacrificed or risked their lives for others and for those who labour for reconciliation amongst nations and peoples. Blessed are those who are peacemakers.
Nota bene
The Best Way to Honour the Victims of the War in Ukraine is: ‘To transform each one of us into builders of Peace.’- Europe for Peace
From time immemorial, humanity, it seems, has not learned an iota about the stupidity and absurdity of war and its horrors. War is nothing but a folly, lest we forget, again and again.
All Wars are Acts of Savagery
All Wars are Acts of Barbarism
'Let the horror in the Ukraine open our eyes to the suffering of war around the world.'
Remembering the Victims of All Wars
Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine,... – our world is scarred by violence
War is not the Answer. Tanks, Fighter jets, or God forbid, Nuclear bombs Are not the Answer: Diplomacy, dialogue, mutual respect, building trust and believing in non-violent, nonekilling conflict resolution are the only ways out of the madness of wars. We urge our leaders who never go to the battlefields themselves to remember this!
Stop making meaningless speeches praising the folly of your wars. Seize the Moment. Discover your Humanity and Become Instruments of Peace and build a Better World.
Lest we forget, 'Any fool can make war. Peace requires greater vision and courage'!
At 9 years old, Kim Phuc, better known as “Napalm Girl,” became a symbol of the horrors and savagery of the Vietnam War when she was photographed running naked, screaming in pain, after getting caught in a napalm explosion.-In 1973, photographer Huynh Cong "Nick" Út won a Pulitzer prize for his photograph
Recalling the Horrors of Wars and Remembering the Victims of All Wars
The Savagery of War Shatters our Humanity and Dignity.
N.B. Similar to the great wise teacher, the man of peace and humanity, Dr. Martin Luther King, I, too, ‘refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.’
‘Every war is a failure—of leadership; common sense; “policy”; concepts of “manhood” or “courage”; of “loyalty” and “patriotism; of imagination.’- Pressenza, Peace and Nonviolence journalism
War is the Failure of Humanity: The Tragedy of What We Are Collectively Doing
The spectacular defeat of western pseudo-values: The Afghan Debacle
‘The war that was based on a lie not only destroyed Iraq and unleashed a sectarian war that would engulf the region, but it permanently crippled democracy in the Middle East. So, democracy was another victim of the criminally incompetent administration. “You want democracy? Didn’t you see what democracy did to Iraq?” became the repeated refrain of dictators and potentates throughout the region.’: Baghdad memories: what the first few months of the US occupation felt like to an Iraqi
George W. Bush Declares Mission Accomplished. From aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003, standing directly under a "Mission Accomplished" banner, President George W. Bush declares, "In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed."Photo:amazonaws.com
Mission Accomplished? The Human and Economic Cost of US Wars Since 9/11
'Every war is a failure of empathy, a triumph of dehumanisation…Every war represents a failure of our species to free itself from the shackles of expansionism, greed, colonisation, exploitation, ignorance and violence. Every war is a failure of humanity.
'There are no good wars…So… every war is a failure of humanity—a triumph of prejudices and ignorance; the innocents caught in the vises and machinations of the more clever, the more manipulative, the more immoral; the more “savage.”
'As Pete Seeger used to sing, “When will we ever learn?”- (Excerpts from War is the failure of humanity)
...‘As I watch the terrifying and soul-destroying images of war in Ukraine, I am taken back to the dehumanising and horrifying images of the invasion of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya-supported directly or indirectly- by NATO forces. The same NATO that today is seeking to save Ukraine!
‘They were, it seems, on a mission: To ‘Civilise’ the ‘Barbarians’, bringing them democracy and market economy, very similar to what they were doing in many ‘non-white’ regions of the world in past centuries! A practice that has so tragically remained their hallmark up to current times. Lest we forget.
‘I am recalling the images of the Iran-Iraq war, the eight-year war that nobody cared to end. They said it was a good way of recycling the petro-dollars. They kept selling arms to both of them!‘I am recalling the horrors of what is happening in Yemen, thanks to the abundant supply of weapons of mass destruction by many NATO countries to a few countries in the Persian Gulf, to recycle the petro-dollars again!
‘Still going back in history, I recall the horrors of slavery, the plundering and destruction of mother earth, and the dehumanisation of the indigenous people of North America, Australia and New Zealand, to name but a few, by Europeans who are today wishing to be the saviours!
‘We are also witnessing the destruction and degradation of our host, our home: Our Mother Earth and Nature, our only source of life, living and survival…’-War is the Failure of Humanity
'We don't want to be accomplices to such irresponsibility.
‘Let's take responsibility for our future, let's appeal to our deepest aspirations, which bind us to the heart of every human being, to change the destructive sign of events.
‘We want peace. And peace is achieved through dialogue and negotiation, not supporting the conflict by sending arms and soldiers. Human life has the highest value and no geopolitical reason, no economic reason, no alleged war for liberation is above human beings.’- Europe for Peace
Europe for Peace
‘To transform each one of us into builders of Peace in our daily lives.’
‘The real revolution is to believe that each of us can and must become
Peace Builder(s) through Active Nonviolence
and we believe that this is absolutely
the best way to honour all victims of war.’
‘The idea of carrying out this campaign arose in Lisbon, in the European Humanist Forum of November 2006 in the working group of Peace and Nonviolence. Different organisations participated and different opinions converged very clearly on one issue: violence in the world, the return of the nuclear arms race, the danger of a nuclear catastrophe and the need to urgently change the course of events. The words of Gandhi, M. L. King and Silo resounded in our minds on the importance of having faith in life and on the great force that nonviolence is. We were inspired by these examples. The declaration was officially presented in Prague on February 22, 2007 during a conference organised by the Humanist Movement. The declaration is the fruit of the labour of several people and organisations and tries to synthesise common opinions and concentrate on the issue of nuclear weapons. This campaign is open to all, and everyone can give their contribution to develop it.’-Photo:europeforpeace.eu
See also: Europe for Peace- A Message from Coventry
February 24 and 25, 2023: Europe for Peace
Peace through People
Illustarion: Peace through People, Valencia Library, Santa Clarita, CA 91355, USA
‘On the anniversary of the outbreak of war in Ukraine, we believe it is fitting to take a moment to remember all the victims of this umpteenth catastrophe. Moreover, we believe it is important to take a moment and clarify internally whether one is for War and Violence or for Peace and Nonviolence. Because we cannot know how this situation may evolve and in what timeframe.
On this tragic anniversary and with the prospects of a potentially nuclear war that persists and will continue to persist, the proposal of Europe for Peace is to accompany the many demonstrations for Peace that will take place all over the world, by making a concrete gesture, each one of us:
To transform each one of us into builders of Peace in our daily lives.
Making a conscious choice to “be Peace and bring Peace”. Whether it is adhering to and contributing to a campaign or demonstration for Peace and Nonviolence; whether it is putting a Peace flag at the window; whether it is opposing or refusing a form of violence in our daily lives; whether it is dedicating time to those in need or any other gesture of solidarity; whether it is a profound reconciliation with someone who has hurt us or with ourselves, whether it is a simple heart-to-heart embrace or whether it is even just circulating this Request for Peace and Nonviolence.
It doesn’t matter whether the gesture is large or small, addressed to many, to one person, or to ourselves, it only matters that it be a gesture with an unmistakable flavour of Peace and Nonviolence
We believe that this is the real revolution we need today: to realise that change depends on the coherence of our daily actions and we can no longer delegate to a contradictory, violent system in free fall towards self-destruction.
The real revolution is to believe that each of us can and must become
Peace Builder(s) through Active Nonviolence
and we believe that this is absolutely
the best way to honour all victims of war.
Finally, do not imagine that you are alone or lonely in making this gesture. However much it will be your own free act, your own coherent and valid choice, you will feel resounding within you those who in the past, present and future have made Active Nonviolence their Peace, their Strength, their Cheerfulness.’- Read the original statement: February 24 and 25, 2023: Europe for Peace
Nonkilling and Non-violent Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding
Peace, Friendship and taking action in the interest of the Common good has always been our Motto, Vision, Mission and Hope
A pick from our GCGI archive
A Non-Violent Path to Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding- Kamran Mofid (Editor), et al
War is the Failure of Humanity: The Tragedy of What We Are Collectively Doing
The spectacular defeat of western pseudo-values: The Afghan Debacle
Mission Accomplished? The Human and Economic Cost of US Wars Since 9/11
The man who taught me about war and peace, hatred and love, despair and hope
Coventry and I: The story of a boy from Iran who became a man in Coventry
Israel and Palestine: Can there be Peace?
'Any fool can make war. Peace requires greater vision and courage'
Compassion, kindness, hope, courage and joy: The Path to a More Loving World
Forgiveness and Reconciliation: The Path to Conflict Transformation and Peace building
Nelson Mandela: The Man for the Common Good
Ubuntu Education: Nelson Mandela’s Lasting Legacy
‘I Have a Dream’: Yearning for Dr. King’s Interconnected World
‘I have a Dream’, 57 Years On and Why We Must Carry on Imagining the Dream
World in Chaos and Despair: The Healing Power of Slow Reading
The prophetic legacy of John Ruskin: A Man ahead of his time
Peace Portraits, Pathways to Nonkilling
This is the surest path to no more Afghan-like debacles
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Journey to Healing: Let Me Know What is Essential
Smoky Sunrise-Yellowstone River, a painting by Paul Krapf/Via fineartamerica