Educating for peace
When you see on television or on your mobile phone the images of the death and destruction being caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, indignation grows in tenths of a second and helplessness in the face of unscrupulous aggressors makes you question the human condition. Rather, the condition of some who claim to be human, but have no scruples whatsoever and put their own personal and political ambition before any other consideration of respect for the lives of other human beings, for human rights in their deepest essence and for the international law that should allow us to live together in peace.
The case of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his oligarch protectors is neither the first, nor the cruelest, nor the most shameful, but we should be obsessed that it should be one of the last. Throughout the history of mankind, it has not been possible to do away with the law of the strongest. No one could have imagined that such an atrocious outrage as the one in Ukraine could be unleashed on European soil. We thought we had seen it all in Bosnia, but we were unwilling to see the risks of violence in countries such as Syria, Libya, Yemen and several African countries because they were so far away. However, authoritarian populisms such as the one Russia is suffering from were trained in these countries with impunity and now apply themselves to achieving their goals by force.
Liberal democracies have an obligation to make a commitment to stop and stop the ambitions of these dictators, even if there is a price to pay. The principles and values of democracy and freedom have always cost effort and sacrifice, only now that they have been relaxed in their preservation have they allowed the emergence of political, social and communication tools that use the levers of democracy itself to seize power and hijack it for their interests. We must not assume that violence is acceptable to subjugate one's neighbour. Life is not a bed of roses, nor is there Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, which is why we must start with children, educating them in peace so that the next generations will put principles and values before the use of force and violence.
In Dakhla, in the Sahara, we attended a meeting of people from many countries of the world to exchange opinions and experiences and to contribute their firm will to overcome hatred and the spirit of revenge that terrorism provokes, whatever the circumstances. URI MENA organises these meetings where one of the main conclusions is: "Educate, that is the key". It is possible through coexistence and inter-religious dialogue.