Tariq Mahmood Awan
The horrific videos from the Israel-Palestine war are disturbing, especially those of children and women who have traditionally not been active in war games. Then, modern wars are more brutal, as modern weaponry can destroy whole cities, unlike the traditional battles where most armies would fight each other. Furthermore, wars have been an art of hunting for the powerful to conquer for pride, ideology, price and crown. It is human nature to fight. Therefore, they have fought, they are fighting, and they will fight. However, wars must have some rules. Even presently, there are conventions for the game of war, but for the powerful, imposition of brutality is the art of war, even at the cost of humanity.
Humans fight wars for various reasons, such as political, economic, ideological, religious, or ethnic conflicts. Yet, wars also cause immense misery and suffering for humans, such as death, injury, disease, displacement, trauma, and destruction. Therefore, humans may avoid fighting wars and instead seek peaceful and cooperative solutions to their problems. Modern war is one of the leading causes of human mortality. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 231 million people died as a direct or indirect result of war in the 20th century. War can also increase the risk of other causes of death, such as famine, disease, or violence.
War can also cause severe physical and mental injuries for both combatants and civilians. War can result in amputations, burns, blindness, deafness, chronic pain, and disabilities. War can also cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. According to the WHO, around 10 per cent of the people who experience traumatic events will have serious mental health problems. Modern wars are inhuman and brutal and a curse for humanity. The sophistication of weaponry is one of the critical challenges to modern humankind.
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Furthermore, war can expose people to infectious diseases, malnutrition, and environmental hazards. War can disrupt the health care system and reduce access to medical services and supplies. The recent bombing of Palestine Hospital by Israel exposes the relentless nature of modern war. War can also damage the water and sanitation infrastructure and increase the risk of waterborne diseases. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than half of all war-related deaths are due to disease and malnutrition.
Then, the displacement of people is another reminder of the merciless nature of modern war. War can force people to flee their homes and seek refuge in other places. War can create refugees and internally displaced persons who face uncertainty and hardship in their new locations. War can also separate families and communities and disrupt their social networks and support systems. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there were 82.4 million forcibly displaced people worldwide at the end of 2020.
Modern war symbolizes trauma. It can cause intense emotional distress and trauma for both combatants and civilians. War can induce fear, anger, grief, guilt, shame, and hopelessness. War can also affect the emotional development and well-being of children who witness or experience violence, abuse, or neglect. War can also impair the emotional attachment and intimacy between partners, parents, and children.
Modern war represents destruction. It can destroy the cultural heritage and identity of a people, such as their language, religion, art, and traditions. War can also damage the infrastructure and resources that support human life, such as education, transportation, agriculture, and industry. War can also harm the natural environment and contribute to climate change.
Consequently, modern wars are fought at every level of human existence. Wars are not only costly in terms of lives and resources but also in terms of human dignity and rights. Wars are not inevitable or natural but rather the result of human choices and actions. Therefore, humans should not fight wars but rather strive for peace and justice because wars do not settle conflicts. A war will always beget more wars; therefore, humans must consider that mutual co-existence is the only way forward for the preservation of human civilizations and humanity. Again, war is a state of armed conflict that causes immense suffering and destruction for humans. Wars are cruel for humans from various perspectives, such as psychological, cultural, physical, life, emotional, inhuman, and others.
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It is a matter of record that most of the wars are fought for certain conflicts in the civilizational cycle of humanity. Therefore, resolution of conflict is critical for lasting peace and settlement. Pacification of the conflict will only bring more damage and less control. Accordingly, dialogues and negotiations are alternatives to wars that can help prevent or resolve conflicts peacefully. Dialogues and negotiations involve communication, cooperation, compromise, and mutual understanding among parties with different interests and perspectives. Modern humankind, nation-states and power corridors must value resolving conflict through dialogues. Modern wars are a product of superior weaponry, and divergent communities or groups may develop them at any stage and avenge all war crimes. Therefore, the settlement of conflicts is critical because the pendulum of power is always unsustainable.
Dialogues and negotiations can also help avoid or end violence that causes death and injury to people. Discussions and negotiations can also address the humanitarian needs of people affected by conflicts, such as food, water, shelter, health care, education, and protection. Negotiations save money and resources. Dialogues and negotiations can help reduce or eliminate the costs of war, such as military spending, debt servicing, reconstruction, compensation, and rehabilitation. Peaceful settlements can also allocate resources more efficiently and equitably among parties according to their needs and priorities.
Dialogues and negotiations protect the environment and mitigate climate change. They can help prevent or stop environmental degradation caused by war, such as pollution, deforestation, desertification, and wildlife loss. They can also promote environmental cooperation and sustainability among parties, such as sharing water resources, conserving biodiversity, reducing emissions, and adapting to climate change.
Dialogues and negotiations uphold human rights and civil liberties. Dialogues and negotiations can help prevent or end human rights abuses committed during war, such as massacres, torture, rape, displacement, and discrimination. They can also help enhance human rights protection and promotion among parties, such as respecting human dignity, ensuring accountability, strengthening democracy, and fostering dialogue.
Therefore, dialogues and negotiations are preferable to wars as they can help achieve peace without violence. Peace is not only the absence of war but also the presence of justice. By engaging in dialogues and negotiations instead of wars, we can create a more peaceful world for ourselves and future generations. Lastly, we are all humans and killing humans is not our sport. As an individual, societies and nation-states, we need to create awareness about the ugly side of wars, as was the spirit behind the making of the United Nations. Let the United Nations implement the objectives of its creation!
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