It was 100 year ago August 1914, all it took was one bullet to start World War One. November 1919 marked the end of the Great War by way of an armistice, the Treaty of Versailles. It was celebrated as the Treaty that was to end all wars – and gave birth to the League of Nations. In reality the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I was the preamble to what set about in motion the triggering of World War II. Since the end of World War II we have witnessed and lived through actioned events promoting the illusive perception of national interest at loss of life, instigated and supported proxy wars and engaged with relentless tenacity in a Cold War.
On speaking of war at the end of the Second World War, Albert Einstein said “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
How far have we come when the Human Interest has been misplaced for the perceived weighted national interest? Nations clearly have interests and the competition of these interests are essential, necessary and productive on diverse and varied scales. However, when these interest out shadow and make expense of the human interest then the national interest simply in rational and historical context fails to prevail. Indeed how can there be a national interest in the absence of the Human interest, the very matter and essence – PEOPLE, which makes and defines the national interest.
Today conflict and war continues to rage over our planet – the middle-east is in endless turmoil from decades of Israeli-Palestinian aggression to the more recent conflagrations in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, tensions persist in the Korean peninsula and in Kashmir, strife is ongoing in the corners of Africa and most recently a conflict ready to spillover on the frontlines of Europe and Russia over the Ukrainian matter.
In the past 100 years, we have, learned a great deal about conflict, how to start it, slow it down, end it but we need to continue our focus and relentless effort on preventing it. Post the Second World War we set up the successor to the League of Nations – the United Nations, carrying the same mandate its predecessor had – to prevent war and the devastation of lives and society by acts of aggression or war. Other regional organizations developed like ASEAN and OAS all with the mandate mission of security for the respective country members. World courts and tribunals were established to bring the aggressor to account. Clearly we have travelled far in our journey, and yet we find ourselves in the glare of conflict – for any number of reasons. Most do not wish to recognize the threat but that was also the case in Europe just before the event referred to as the “Guns of August” – the actions that triggered World War One. Many then like now saw humanity far too evolved, civilized and certainly horrified by the acts of aggression to ever allow for it again. Yet acts of aggression and loss of life is occurring everyday – the “collateral loss” humanity is being challenged and is infact at stake – every life matters. We are a race full of hope and optimism, by nature we fail to see the possibility of the worst, even as the worst peers its head. Appeasement and complacency are nothing less than the good remaining silent and silence becomes the consensual sword for aggression to strike. Peace, democracy, fundamental freedoms, human rights and the preservation of life requires untiring, unwavering and unrelenting vigilance. The sacrifices laid by prior generations must not be set aside, forgotten or cast into a realm that bears no significance to our time. The journey of humanity has been challenging, we profess a character that prevails through adversity. Let then our character and the sacrifices in history laid, bring forth actions made for peace, preservation of life and sensibility that national interest does not prevail in the absence of the human interest. All that we are is at peril, if in fact we fail to action peace.
Shaan Shahrukh Dhanji
August 23, 2013
Geneva, Switzerland