Destruction of culture

Remember when the Taliban destroyed the Buddha statues of  Bamiyan during 2001?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ndwNgeYMQU&NR=1&feature=endscreen

Such acts reveal the complete disregard for human history. No matter what your religious, political or cultural beliefs are, such pieces of history cut through ideology and become part of the total human experience. The statues can be rebuilt and there is an effort to do just that through UNESCO, Japan, Switzerland and of course Afghanistan where the site is.

The reason for that memory was the news that a library in Timbuktu was destroyed. Within the library were manuscripts of great importance to cultural heritage belonging to all the people of the world. No matter if you never set foot in Africa, each one of us is here because of the work done by those who came before us.

There are times when such treasures are lost in the course of war that make the world feel pain collectively. When Mostar bridge was destroyed during the war in Yugoslavia, the world felt that peace was completely lost. On a parellel, the looting of museums in Baghdad was forseen but still the actual event was viewed with disgust and loss.

These moments of insanity speak to frustration of people who commit such actions. History and culture are of little to no value in the minds of those that destroy such artifacts. Although looting does hold some desire of monetary value but the true value of the items looted belongs to the entire population. Such items are icons to the collective works of our past builders.

Some things are built to last forever others only survive due to care and respect. Peace is one of those realities that lasts only due to care and respect. Burning down libraries that house cultural treasures is of little help to any peaceful solution. So we are are left with the thought that peace is not the focus for those that set the fire. That mentality will always be apart of war.

Libyan peace efforts

During a transition period where elections are to be held, people are in a state of vast hope. This state is a fragile state of being. Before elections are held there sits the options of the peoples’ future. Libya is an example that has moved to the back of the line for most. However the experiment that is currently taking place in Libya has global importance and a very integral one for the peace of North Africa.

There is always the desire to point out the wrongs of past decisions in such cases. As important as it is to know history, it is also important to understand there is nothing you can do that will erase the past mistakes. What is the status of Libya at the moment?

The situation in Libya has improved in some ways. The celebration of independence was reported as a great family event.[1] In that small manner the people were provided a sample of what life is to be like. Underneath the celebration is another reality. Weapons are still a major problem, armed groups hold the balance of military power and the people live with uncertainty daily.

The issues with elected officials will always be front and centre, no matter what country a person lives in. The emphasis on elected officials is even greater during a period of transition. Looking at Libya during its transition a large critique of elected members deals with armed groups. There are armed groups that carry out more targeted attacks, focusing on foreigners and diplomats, most recent being Italy’s Guido De Sanctis.

One area of major concern for Libya and surrounding countries is the tightening of borders. Libya has been working diligently at border security, which is very complicated, evident with the Mali fallout due to Libyan transition. As a response to such fallouts Libya, Tunisia and Algeria are working on this issue. Any improvement along such lines will go a long way to securing peace in the region. 

Further to those countries we can not exclude the increased role of France. Although France is operating in Mali, the reality is that such a role is a direct result of Libyan transition. Will peace in Libya be as influential in other countries? In theory it should but in reality, that is different.

Of all the violent conflicts around the world, the current situation in Libya is one where success can be had quickly, not easily, nor without great efforts but the transition period to peace is being felt.

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[1] http://www.tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=5&i=9677

Character of peace

When rebuilding or even building a society there is one question that is ever present. That question is, “Who do we want to be?”

For the most part that is what a constitution spells out for the larger society. Not all societies have constitutions though. For some the society has religious text as the guiding source. Also there is often a divergence in what the guidance material strives to explain and the actions of the people.

For example we can look at the various religious texts. The three main religions being Jewish, Christian and Islam each proclaim to be religions of peace. We all know that these three religions have long histories of violent conflict. Such conflicts are still being carried out at this very moment.

Another example of actions not meeting the goals set out is the divergence within the United Nations. The organizational/systematic goals of the United Nations are supported with all the avenues to ensure peace throughout the world. At odds with those goals are the actions of its members.

Being at odds with the goals set out by the builders of society is a reality of life. We grow and we experience events that bring new points of view. As these events unfold we silently ask the question, “Who do we want to be?” In many of the responses to that answer such words as trusting, honourable, caring, compassionate, unifying, strong, ethical and genuine are descriptors we all seek. Such an image is a lofty goal. It takes hard work and determination to build such a character. Looking around the world, where are those that emulate such character? Where are the role models for such a society?

There is a component to having such character that is lost. That component is the will to sacrifice all you have to live up to such character. By that I ask, what country today would be willing to lay its entire life on the line to uphold such pillars of character? For the most part I have witnessed more cowardice actions than any of the descriptors mentioned. For the most part I have witnessed leaders throwing money, soldiers and weapons at problems and when each of those fail it is time to leave. Examples are Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Haiti and there are others.

Such actions have only left the swords of division in the world. Those divisions grow as the children are educated about the actions of others. The people are taught to not trust, to be fearful, to hate, to destroy and to fight because they have known no other reality. Just think of the children in Syria that have only the last few years of memories, or a similar child in Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti or Somalia. How are they to perceive the world?

We glorify the violent victories and supress the peaceful victories. This is the reality we are building yet we strive for the day where peaceful victories are the norm. We are told that peace is boring, no one wants to hear about unending talks, yet we are enthralled with unending violence. We wonder why peace has not returned to Libya, has been a rarity in Israel, Palestine and Afghanistan.

Many people are willing to die for a cause but no country is willing to change for peace. If such a reality existed, Israel and Palestine conflict would have been long over, Afghanistan would be a peaceful country as would Iraq. Under the current reality, our leaders still believe that violence will bring peace, which is evident in the actions concerning Syria.  

Is thar who we want to be?