How Do We Bring About Peace?


The answer is simple, yet so difficult. Tolerance and understanding are what is wanted and needed at this time. Tolerance and accepting others as they are; intolerance breeds more intolerance. We all started out as one people, but now it seems we have forgotten this. We treat those with different beliefs, cultures, and skin color as a completely alien species. What happened and how can we change this attitude? These are things that I feel need to be addressed.

We are afraid of what we do not understand and tend to hate that of which we are afraid. We need more understanding of each other. I have found that people can be prejudiced against a group of other people, and yet, can be friends with one of the persons from that group, if they happen to be a neighbor or a co-worker, and hardly notice that they are of a race, color or religion they are usually prejudiced against. Most people do not want pity or charity, they just want acceptance for who they are and tolerance for their differences.

This is what needs to be developed and spread to more people. How do we do this? By talking to people we think are different, and learning that we are more similar that what we first thought. We can learn so much in spite of our beliefs and differences, if we just open our minds and try to understand and accept these differences. Through tolerance comes understanding; through understanding comes friendship; through friendship comes peace. Peace can only be achieved through the people and not through governments.

War is nothing but a game of politics, and if it were left to the politicians to do the fighting, there would be no wars. They should all be thrown into an areana and forced to fight it out amongst themselves. I hate wars and politics, and the things done for political advantage or personal gain. Such as giving aid to one country, because it is politically advantageous, and letting the people of the other country suffer. I see no reason for people to kill each other. Where is the justice in equiping one with modern arms and letting them annihilate those armed only with stones? Everything seems to depend on politics instead of what is the right thing to do. I don't think we can place blame on any one person. All politicians are guilty. In turn, we are all guilty as well.

We all know what war does to our children, but what can we do to stop all of the horrors of war? Words are very powerful and can be used for peace and understanding or can be used to further hate and wars. What can we as writers do to promote tolerance and understanding? As I have said before, words are very powerful and we need to unite and use these words to make changes in the attitude of the peoples of the world.

Jan Haile Clark



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