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Thursday, March 28, 2024

S.O.S. for peace in the world!

classbaBy Ardain Isma

CSMS Magazine

There are so many hotspots around, it feels like the world is on fire. In the Middle East, Israeli bombs are once again pummeling the Palestinians city of Gaza, the most densely populated place on earth. Few miles up the road, in both Syria and Iraq, thousands have already been decimated by the savagery of war—a war triggered by Islamist militants, fueled by Gulf States billionaires and those who have interests in imperial politics. In eastern Ukraine, a low intensity civil war has already killed hundreds, including 298 passengers onboard of the Malaysian airliner last Thursday. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the red spots are countless—from South Sudan to Central Republic of Africa, to Guinea, to Nigeria, to Niger to Mali etc… Most of these are proxy wars, and the vast majority of the victims are civilians.

While I understand the catalyst behind these wars—social inequalities, raw exploitations, ethnic cleansing etc…—but I can’t stop myself from asking this question: Couldn’t these wars be avoided? We’re living at the cutting edge of technology, at a time when mankind is making inroads over some of the most complex issues of our world. Yet, instilled egocentrism and unquenchable thirst for money and power simply blur our strategic reasoning. It appears the more sophisticated we become, the sharper is our ambition to kill without mercy, to subjugate weaker neighbors, or to shoot our way to the top.

It’s sad, but we don’t have to remain idle and do nothing. We can do like the French citizens did over the weekend. Demonstrations spread all over France, denouncing the government complicity by offering lips service to the Palestinian suffering. The latest opinion polls in the United States show more than 60 percent of Americans oppose to any form of US military involvement anywhere in the world. In western democracies, politicians listen to their constituencies. So, don’t feel powerless. Use your clout and do something.

Note:Dr. Ardain Isma teaches Cross-Cultural Studies at the University of North Florida (UNF). He is a career educator and he is the Editor-in-Chief for CSMS Magazine. He is the author of “Alicia Maldonado: A Mother Lost” and the author of the soon-to-be-released novel: “Midnight at Noon.” He may be reached at publisher@csmsmagazine.org          

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