There is a growing need for the global community to come together to create a safer and better future for humanity, for all life forms and for future generations
NO one can be unhappy about the people of Gaza getting at least temporary relief from daily warfare, and everyone should hope and pray for lasting peace. Nevertheless, the limitations of the recently reached peace arrangement should also be evident to all.
This is peace without justice, without resolving the basic issues. There is no promise here of either the two-state solution, or any other such justice-based approach. There is no promise here that the Palestinians can have sovereignty and choose their own government even in the limited Gaza and West Bank regions. The governance proposed for Gaza has no base in international law. What is more, there are no signs of Israel giving up on its extremely aggressive agenda in the Palestinian areas or in the wider region.
In fact, prospects of renewed aggression against Iran remain high. In another part of the world, the continuing aggression against Venezuela can anytime aggravate into something much bigger. On October 15 The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump’s administration has secretly authorised the CIA to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean.
“The agency would be able to take covert action against Mr Maduro or his government either unilaterally or in conjunction with a larger military operation.”
The huge humanitarian toll of several conflicts in Africa continues to increase, led by the conflict in Sudan which shows signs of extending into South Sudan and some other neighbouring areas. The entire situation is becoming even more difficult to bear for ordinary people due to outbreaks of diseases and disasters like floods.
However, what may ultimately prove to be the most high-risk war is the Russia-Ukraine standoff. It appears that the most suitable moments which appeared this year to bring early peace have already been lost. In the past this has been the war which has thrown up several crisis situations of the kind that can blow up into a wider conflict and a world war. This situation now prevails again.
Thus, despite stage-managed celebrations of peace at some places, in fact the world continues to drift towards even more dangerous path than before on several fronts. While many countries and forces are aggressive in their own ways and all these aggressions need to be checked or at least moderated, attention may be drawn here particularly to three aspects.
Firstly, there is the persistence of the United States to pursue hegemony in highly aggressive and arbitrary ways in glaring violation of legal and rules-based norms. Despite the hollowing out of US industry and economy due largely to self-inflicted harms, it is still possible to strengthen US leadership role in world in various enlightened ways. Unfortunately, the present leadership does not appear to have either the ability or the inclination for this and so its quest for hegemony is being pursued in ways that are dangerous for various foes and ‘friends’ alike but in addition are also ultimately self-destructive. This playing with fire can ignite the entire world in unintended ways, for example by starting a world war which is more likely now to be a nuclear war with the potential of destroying the world.
The second factor is the increasing aggression of Israel against a number of countries in the Middle East region. More immediately this can take the form of renewed aggression against Iran, with more efforts to draw the US into the conflict.
Thirdly, the European leadership has not been able to become a force for peace at a time the world really needs such a role, and is instead worsening the existing situation with a variety of misguided decisions, including an extended drive for its own militarisation.
Thus, the overall situation is a highly dangerous one. In such a situation the worsening humanitarian crisis in many countries, particularly in Africa but also elsewhere, is likely to be increasingly neglected resulting in increasing distress for millions of people already suffering in terrible ways.
In addition, in the wake of such serious dangers, the other high risks faced by worsening environmental problems are likely to suffer from increasing neglect, and hence the relentless march of these crisis situations, some of them with tipping points beyond which they can get much more out of control, is likely to continue or accelerate further.
In such extremely difficult and high-risk times, increasing numbers of people worldwide need to come together to create a safer and better future for humanity, for all life forms and for future generations. This is the best gift we can leave for our children and grandchildren.
_______________
Bharat Dogra writes extensively on environment, development and welfare issues. The views expressed here are the writer’s own, and Clarion India does not necessarily subscribe to them. He can be reached at: bharatdogra1956@gmail.com
