Peace on Earth

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing

Political conflicts and warfare is the most difficult obstacle to self sustainable living. We need Peace for all our brothers and sisters, regardless of color, gender and religion, to be able to move forward to self sustainability.

Love

The English language has one and the same word for universal love and love between two individuals. When it is used in connection with peace it is always universal, i.e. love of Mother Earth, the Universe and all its natural wonders, dead or alive.

This is the key word when you enter-into peace discussions or negotiations. Because if you switch your attitude to love before talks commence, you spread that kind of energy around you, which is vital to the ongoing talks.

Independece

Neutral approach almost automatically ticks in once you have your love attitude turned on. Neutrality is vital to the success of the following talks.

It is not enough to convince yourself that you can stay independent regardless of your own opinion. If you have been outspoken about your opinion recently, you may have to stay behind and transfer your role as leader of the discussion over to someone else. So, make sure you make the right decision here.

Know your counterpart

If you have a day or at least a few hours before talks begin, use it to get to know your counterpart. Is he/she likely to make real efforts to bring a fair solution about?
Are his/her ideas on what is at stake realistic? Has he/she or his people prepared any kind of a case study like the one here below on the Gulf war?
Is he/she aware of the number of human lives to possibly be sacrificed on each side? Have they tried to figure out the financial losses they might become responsible for?

And most importantly have they tried to visualise the benefits of the best win – win solution of their negotiations?

What damages does warware cause?

Damage to infrastructure instigates disease and ill-health spreads.
Damage to water purification facilities (and related electricity supplies) causes major shortages of clean water
Chemical/ biological/ nuclear weapons plants bombed – toxic/ radioactive releases may be a cause of long term irreversible illness.
Damage to sewage plants causes serious pollution
Oil well fires – smoke blocks the sunlight – temperature fall by 10C; CO2 released contributing to climate change
Oil polluted groundwater
Oil spills into sea – causing oil slicks – devastated local bird, mammal, fish populations – prawn fisheries decimated
Landmines and other UXO, e.g. cluster bombs – many innocent people killed/ injuries
Depleted Uranium (DU) – super-dense metal used in armor piercing weapons – source of low-level radioactivity and toxicity
Damage to desert ecology – obvious bomb damage, but also movements of armored vehicles broke up fragile soil surface –

(References: UNEP (2003); Additional info from: New Scientist (2003); Friends of the Earth (2003); MedActiv (2002))

Imagine

Imagine all the carbon footprint damage we can turn into non pollution activities if we are successful negotiating peace in just one warfare scenario.