by J Michael Heynen
As this year's #Christmas is confronted with further violence and wars, it becomes understandable that the world, after phases of pacification, is once again moving further away from a 'culture of peace'. This applies even more globally: There is neither a so-called world order nor a culture of peace that preserves human dignity. On the contrary: sources of conflict and military technology as well as the inability to renounce violence and far-sightedly transformative conflict management have reached civilizational proportions in the sense of mechanisms of action that endanger humanity.
In fact: Human development has reached the Anthropocene, i.e. the extensive domination of the planet by humans, at the same time to an extent that endangers humanity. This control does not refer to a spiritual level, but - that is exactly the problem - exclusively to the biosphere and geosphere. So the question is: Is it human limitation, not to say stupidity? Or is it negligent acceptance of a rather incomprehensible development? Or is it - also not to be excluded - simply long-term planning - with whatever goal?!
War and massive violence have returned to the forefront of people's minds - by whom and for whom? And shouldn't it actually be the complete opposite? Foreign ministers babble about war, about “having to win,” etc. Is even the word détente disturbing? Why have we (states/societies with a liberal-democratic basic order) not managed to move from détente to a sustainably established culture of peace as the central global benchmark for international politics? Why do entire systems keep falling back into the 20th century? Why doesn't at least Europe - the much-vaunted and incompetent peace force - manage to put the "European House" (Gorbachev) in order? Is it that so hard? What does it take for this?
A way out? As long as statehood forms the main structuring of international relations, states (even democratically constituted) will always tend towards absolutist foreign policy governing and will no longer be in control of the central, transformative, solving processes and human developments. Monetary, selfish, and geopolitical interests, the classic sublevel („Unterbau“) with no real sustainability, are obviously decisive. Every new generation begins a-historically, so history repeats itself - even without convincing reasons.
Derivation / Insight: A
culture of peace only emerges individually, supported by knowledge,
conscience, ethics, and shaped by reflection and inner
self-determination. So the supremacy of peace lies within in order to
achieve success externally. In the long run, only the subject (!)
human being is the central perspective of international relations,
because states have historically failed - or to put it another way:
How long do we want to watch them practice? Time and again sheer
(ideological-religious) political failure at the expense of human
life? This is exactly where we have arrived again at Christmas 2023
and are discussing further additional risks of war. Isn't it finally
enough?
It is up to the human’s individual Self to manifest a culture of peace, starting from within. Everything else is more like "child's play" - but without weapons and puberty! - Peace is not higher than reason, peace is through reason!
© J
Michael Heynen | Nomoi Institute
