Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand
June 7 2005

Kamala Sarup: Winning A Peace
Opinion: Kamala Sarup

Winning A Peace From Global Perspectives

By Kamala SarupI see the many recent wars in many countries around
the globe as the inevitable clash between the different political
cultures and ideologies. Radical terrorists are attempting to
preserve their culture from contamination by the non-radical
cultures, but the pervasiveness of worldwide media make this
objective impossible, in my opinion.

It is a case of the rich, irreverent, profane, and materialistic
versus the poor, devotional, fervent, ascetic, and theocratic.
Ultimately, it must be resolved, as are all past wars, but it will
likely take many years because of the large populations involved.

But the majority people in favor on Peace, and they want technology.
I believe the technology will prevail, ultimately, to preserve the
economic interests too. In my opinion, the U.S. and its coalition
partners temporarily will quiet Iraq and then leave, but I have
little confidence that there will be continued peace there and in
Afghanistan because of the many internal ethnic, religious, and clan
differences.

Suffering of civilians in war is increases substantially during any
kind of war. Because of the bloody war, many countries are strewn
with landmines, which kill thousands of people every year. Most of
the abuses against children, including sexual assaults on girls, take
place. Children often suffer alone, afraid of speaking out or being
punished.

The cold war ended with the collapse of communism, but on the other
hand, radical forces bent on spreading fundamentalist ideologies have
arisen. In the past several years, the fighting for power has
continued not only in Nepal but in Sierra Leone, Burundi, Angola,
Nigeria, Sudan, Liberia, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Congo. Several years after
mass killings in Bosnia, Somalia, and Rwanda, there are at least six
major cases of genocide. The mass killings of Armenians by Turks,
Jews by Hitler, Cambodians by the Khamer Rouge, Kurds of the northern
Iraq by Saddam Hussein, Tutsi of Rwanda by the Hutu and of Croats,
Muslims and the Albanians of Kosovo by the Serbs.

Recently, UN Secretary-General Annan has also said a number of
countries underscored proliferation as a grave danger, while others
argued that existing nuclear arsenals imperil us. He also points out
that since the review conference last met in 2000, North Korea has
announced its withdrawal from the treaty and declared itself in
possession of nuclear weapons. Libya has admitted that it worked for
years on a clandestine nuclear weapons program. And the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has found undeclared uranium enrichment
activity in Iran.

The 1972 BTWC prohibits the development, production; stockpiling,
retention or acquisition of biological weapons is a unique class of
weapons. Today, 143 States are parties to the Convention. Security
Council Resolution 1325, adopted in October 2000, specifically
mentions the need to consider the different needs of ex-combatants
and their dependents in DDR (disarmament, demobilization and
rehabilitation).

Even this year had been a significant year in disarmament and arms
control. The Moscow Treaty was a major bilateral achievement. A group
of countries, the G-8, also took an important initiative to prevent
the proliferation of sensitive technology and material related to
weapons of mass destruction and reduction of conventional weapons.

Recently, the secretary-general issued the report of his Policy
Working Group on the United Nations, which contained 31
recommendations for action against this global threat, including
several relating to disarmament. Recommendation 18, for example,
urges the consideration of the establishment of a mechanism in the
Department for Disarmament.

As a general principle, all disarmament obligations should indeed be
rigorously enforced – compliance is an absolutely vital issue for the
effectiveness and credibility of disarmament activities.
non-governmental organizations, media organizations and peace and
human rights organizations could play in promoting and implementing
missile control and disarmament.

So, there are plenty of problems and plenty of reasons why any
governments, and International organizations, have an enormous role
to play. Any International organizations and governments of the war
torn countries must help to bringing peace. So toward eliminating the
condition that sustain terrorism and violence, International
organizations should work between the government and rebels and
support a negotiated settlement.

It is not easy to bring peace in the conflict areas. International
organizations and governments must expand its role and program in the
troubled countries including Nepal.

It is Universal truth, People want peace. “Having to fight, having to
pay the costs of wars from their own resources, having painfully to
repair the devastation war leaves behind, and, to fill up the measure
of evils, load themselves with a heavy national debt that would
embitter peace itself and that can never be liquidated on account of
constant wars in the future”. Immanuel Kant said. To promote peace
promotes a deeper and more durable peace because it promotes a social
field, cross-pressures, and political responsibility; it promotes
pluralism, diversity, and groups that have a stake in peace.

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(Kamala Sarup is editor of )