Everyone needs a voice

Rebuilding society is always a mash up of ideology. In essence this mash up is why wars are fought and why violent conflicts rage on for centuries. There is no way of getting around the heated discussions of social order and governance. However the main piece of such arguments are always seeking what is best for all. Within that understanding there is a number of phrases which have come to be in recent years. These phrases are negotiated governance, hybrid governance and other longer terms such as governance of relatively self-governing networks. Each of these phrases talks about how societies can manage through the difficult issues while keeping general peace. Every society endures this balance act. Some fall apart into war more often than others. As we study the methods of governance there is a reality which is becoming quite clear. This reality is that the system of governance is rarely the main source of social destruction. The main source of destruction rests with the people who operate the systems. For example it is often stated that the best leader/form of government is a benevolent dictator. When a society comes to a point when war and violence ends and the process to the formation of government begins, there is always an unease as to how the government is to be set up. This is the continuation of the mash up of ideology and the unending discussion of how governance will work. We can play with the style of governance all we want but if the same people are put in place, expect the same results. With that, it is not the system that needs to change, it is the ideology and therefore the people who are operating the system that needs to be changed. Also we must understand that no government can operate without the agreement of society. Even though that is true, the leaders must work to keep people engaged, informed and understand a desire to have each one non-violently engaged in the political process. Each person needs to have a voice and as the structures of governance are built that voice will erode. How to lessen that erosion is imperative for each person to feel they matter. In most cases of post conflict peacebuilding the voice of the individual is of great importance. The first hurdle is to come up with an agreeable ratio for representation. The lower that ratio is the greater the involvement an individual has because they feel they matter. Any method which increases the ratio has a long term impact of lower civic engagement. To have a low representation ratio does make the job of those in government more challenging. However the impact for society to have as low a ratio as possible will be a more engaged society. In practice we find that over time those who represent the people will seek to increase the ratio. The reasons are based upon a more efficient government. The reality is that efficiency is no substitute for the person who will lose their voice. As each step is made to increasing the ratio, that individual who lost their voice will see society one step closer to a dictatorship. Why has the increased ratio taken place, because those who are chosen to do the job can no longer handle the tasks they must perform. This is when efficiency is used to streamline the decision making process (dictatorship philosophy). The entire society must lose their voice because a small group can not handle their job. This situation is exactly what transpired in Libya, Iraq and Syria in recent years. With the evolution of peace, all of these situations must be understood. As prosperity sets in many people will forget the need to have a deeply rooted governance system which is engaging to each individual, in a peaceful manner. Such a job is not easy as each person will have their own thoughts yet to take that persons voice away is an even greater harm. Thus the need to change the people not the systems of governance.

Bowing to our Fears

With each international summit there is always the question of where are we going? Each leader will give a prepared speech which is summed up in one word – PEACE. The complexity begins in that not everyone agrees on how to get there or if it is even possible. Many times the argument falls apart with answers being too simple or too complex. In reality simplicity is needed in order to get through the complexity. There are a great many options for us to understand as we seek to obtain peace. For example we have the recent crisis with ebola, Syria still has the world’s attention as does, Iraq, Ukraine and the entanglement of global spying scandals. The most deplorable acts we engage in is the trafficking of ourselves – human trafficking, slavery, prostitution of both mind and body. Most of these elements have taken place due to fear with the exception of illness and even that has been questioned to some point. There is very little we can do to prevent every outbreak of illness. What we can control is the fear element. Fear begins with the decision to not trust others. To a certain extent we must be understanding of insane actions. These actions are also unpredictable, hence the term insanity. So here we are with the understanding that a sane person is not to be feared. This should be true since a sane person, in theory listens, understands and has a balanced mind toward peace. However in reality many actions taken by world leaders do not hold up to a peaceful reasonable line of thought. This is when fear takes hold, distrust sets in and we have spies, wars, scandals and corruption. Being peaceful is not easy yet it is what is needed in the face of fear. I guess this attitude delves into the realm of a person spirituality as well. What does it take for a person to be peaceful? To live without fear of the those who seek to traffick, enslave, harm and corrupt takes great courage. This is where the inner peace of each person and spirituality mix. We must carry a spirit of peace and let us not get tangled into fear based religion. Spirituality is not a complete match to religion. Spirituality is what a person has as a core rationale of why they act the way the do. To have a spirit of peace is what a sane person would rely upon in times of fear. This is what the world is in deep need of. The courage to understand, reason and love the differences of each other without the threat of harm. The constant mix of religion, politics, patriotism and other forms of spirit have rooted themselves in fear. This fear brings harm to those who object to our reasoning. This fear base eroded the reality of peace we should have across the world. The elements of fear have been used to bolster our spirit in patriotism, religion and politics. Take away these boisterous mouths that spew fear and what are we left with? The answer currently is only a guess as we have not tried such a method yet on a global scale. All we have are the individuals who have obtained such a state. At times we have even killed those people out of fear. We are trying to reach a peaceful state yet we keep bowing to our fears.

Islamic State fighters, war and the individual

Living in the region where Islamic State fighters has been fighting is a terrifying reality. Sadly that region is expanding and once again we are dealing with acts of terror across the world. The world is dealing with a group of people that are acting in complete contradiction to the values of their own religion. Each member makes the choice to kill others for the end purpose of peace. How do we deal with this situation? The history is well documented. We know the direct link of today with the crusades a thousand years ago. More recently we know the links between the Jasmine Revolution, Arab Spring, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Palestine, Israel, Iran, and the illegal invasion of Iraq 2003. The history is there to see and with each step we have responded with bullets, violence and death. Within the Middle East the options are very limited due to the violence/war. In this case a military option with soldiers on the ground is what must take place. Peace has been lost and hatred has already won. There is no winner in the Middle East anymore. We have all lost because violence is too wide spread in peoples minds. Moving away from the epicenter of the ISIS combat zone, the tactics involve more conversations than bullets. At the base root, a persons joins such a gang as Islamic State because they are frustrated with the current situation. That person needs to gain control, needs to gather some support, needs to give their voice to change and that need has come in the form of violence. At this point a person may be too far along the decision of being a violent person to. However the need to talk is more important than ever. The singular item we are dealing with is hatred. A person is taught to hate another. Teaching is done through discussions and reinforced with actions. Teaching peace is similar and teaching peace or hatred is the front lines of this war. Are you teaching peace or hatred? A peaceful teacher understands that discussion is constantly needed, never ending. A peaceful person never needs to be feared. If the tactics the individual engages in has an ideology of bringing fear, that is rooted in a violent ideology which leads to war. Are your actions that which bring fear to another? The person that acts with fear is a person that is already defeated within their own mind. That mindset can not be fought with bullets. A discussion with that person is the only way to bring peace back to that person. Using violence only reinforces the mindset of fear. That reinforcement brings escalation of violence, more need for fear and a larger group of people to fight the fearful situation manifested within the mind. Peaceful society begins within the mind of each of us. We must bring peace to the mind first and lead peacefully within our circle. No one should fear your actions because a peaceful person is open to finding agreeable solutions, understandings and a path forward. Violence has only one solution which ends with everyone dead.

History of hatred

History is always important, however when peace is the goal a great deal of history must be let go of. This reality needs to be understood as soon as possible in regards to the international chaos taking place from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea to the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. The tension within this region has deep historical roots. We have one of the oldest battles between Islam and Christians taking place also Russia and the Republic of the United States are squaring up. There are other long term fights taking place such as radicals spouting rhetoric which places eastern philosophy and western philosophy at odds. The world economic system is being put into question as sanctions are levied in response to what is taking place in Ukraine. International travel has been impacted as well with passenger airlines being targeted. As the world moves along into an uncertain future we must stand strong and begin to rebuild peace. We must begin to act differently. We must begin to work together. The radicals will always be with us. However, there are relations that have grown out of step with what the world needs. Most importantly is the working relations around the Security Council table. These five members need to let history go. We all know that the invasion of Iraq was an illegal act. That invasion has caused the situation we are dealing with all across the Middle East. Now we must deal with that fall out. The International Criminal Court must deal with those responsible. That is their task. The task of the current world leaders is to let the history go, work to solve the chaos and bring peace to the region which is expanding. We only have a few short years before Afghanistan blows up again. When that happens there will be an even wider area of unrest. This widening of unrest will put the entire world in a situation that we have not seen since World War Two. War will have broken out in the widest area since 1945. From Libya to Afghanistan to Ukraine to South Sudan. This area will have a major impact if left unchecked. At the moment there is no one willing to do what is right and break old lines of hatred. We can not count on the permanent 5 members of the Security Council because they are the ones that got us into this mess. We must find new avenues of what was once called smart power. Circumvent the idiocy of those five countries and bring in a new future. On another front, the individual front, please act peacefully. Even though there is great unrest globally, peace starts and ends within each of our minds and hearts. Each of us must fight the devil of war within our own minds and hearts. This devil never leaves yet we have the choice to act. This is our most important role, to act peacefully in the face of the devil. There will be history of our own minds and hearts. I have expressed as much within this article. My own hypocrisy creeps out. Peace is possible though we must fight it first within our own minds and hearts. Let the history of our hatred be transformed into a desire to seek change within our own selves first.

The right to exist, to sovereignty and to live in peace.

Those three elements of life are the crux of the issues within every war taking place. The right to exist is without question. The right to peace is also without question however each of us will always have an ongoing personal struggle as we search for inner peace. The homeland territory or sovereignty is an element which complicates both the existence and peace elements. Territory wars are well documented and are fought by every living thing. We all battle for space to live, exist and to be at peace. In regards to actions Israel and neighbours are engaged in, sovereign territory is a major part. Compare maps of the area in 1947, 1967 and today. What you will see (as I am sure you know) is an ever increasing size of Israel. The right to exist and to have sovereign land are the reasons for the 1947 map change, however it sparked a war that rages today. When will the leaders of the world do what is necessary to end this war? I have written my plans for the solution many times. Basically it is a two state solution based upon the 1947 map. The largest International force ever assembled must completely remove of all weapons from the region of the Middle East. While the international force upholds the law, leaders negotiate the reality of peace with the condition that the international force remain for 75 years after the agreement is finalized. Everyone has the right to exist. We have seen enough of the ineptness of the stuttering peace efforts within this region. Another method must be tried. If we continue on with the same tactics, peace will never come. Greater death tolls and less peace will be the result.

From your mind to your hands - let Peace flow.

In my past writings concerning the wars taking place around the world, the plan to solve such wars are very easy to understand. The major barrier to peace is the cold reality that people are not willing to allow peace to take hold. Libya wanted a change of government and they have it. Sadly the hope of peace has not taken root. In fact the people of Libya are far worse today than they were five years ago. Libya is a perfect example of how the world geos about bringing peace. Basically it is a point, shoot, kill and leave a power vacuum for the shell shocked citizens to deal with. This is the leadership of our world when it comes to peace. More effort was put into stabilizing world banks after the Ponzi schemes began to collapse in 2005. What is more shocking is that we know peace is a very profitable environment to work in. We know that peace increases wealth. Yet there is a small, powerful element which works to ensure chaos. Millions of people live in hostage like environments as they must endure explosions, gunfire, death and injuries. As families are raised in this environment the children understand no other way of life but the chaos of war. This is what children understand as acceptable and proper surroundings of life. The most damaging part of this life is not the bombs or bullets. The most damaging element is the ideology of hatred and acceptable actions to kill another to solve conflict. This is what we are teaching are children when war breaks out. Yet almost every soldier who returns from war tells you that such an experience/existence should be avoided at all cost. When (or if) you read past writings posted here, you will notice a strong message of inner peace. Each of us has a duty to find peace within ourselves. We have the capacity to bring peace to the entire world. The only barrier to that goal lies within each of our minds. As you may read in past writings, war needs to met with a global effort. That effort is a total weapons ban, especially in such cases as Palestine and Israel, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan and many other areas.

Middle East Insanity

Palestine and Israel are at it again, well to be more accurate, Hamas and Israel are at it again. There are few conflicts that hold the worlds interest as this conflict. With each peace talk and cease fire agreement that fails there will always be one more thing left undone. In no small part is this one thing an easy solution yet it is simple. What I am eluding to is a complete and total arms embargo in this entire region. The Iron Dome which Israel boasts about is not a solution nor a deterrent. In reality it is an imaginary cage in which the people of Israel have engulfed themselves in. This conflict is ideological in nature and thus no weapon we make will ever end the struggle. To end this struggle all weapons must be taken away and none brought in or made within the region. Already the politicians are playing with lives by giving way to perceptions of strengths and co-operation. Reports are being made that Israel agreed to a cease fire to give the impression they are co-operating. While Hamas has not agreed because they need to have the perception of not giving in. This is a war of ideology that is costing real life. How do we get to the point where perception gives way too reality? The United Nations Security Council is one of the problems. The permanent five members have acted childishly for their own ends. This dictatorship lead by the permanent five needs to find the courage to end the systemic violence that is now taken root in the Middle East. An arms embargo, more security forces, and a concerted effort to stop the ideological hatred between the people of the Middle East needs to start. The next step is to have educational programs that target the deep hatred set in the minds of the people. Of course many people will say that such a plan will take too long. Well we have had this garbage situation since 1948, so how much longer shall we try the same thing expecting a different result?