Prof. Fani Bhusan Das

Ms Chloe Joquel

1. Manas and Peace

Thought  process and intelligence of humans are now limited to five senses. Normally, toady it is accepted that five sensory instruments influence intelligence that determine the global happenings in all sectors  of human activity. It is also presumed that peace and violence are also outcome of the intelligence evolved from five senses. This is perhaps the greatest blunder the mankind has made , for which more and more negative challenges are emerging eluding peace and goodwill  towards all men and women.

 Conflict management is to be conceived as a holistic understanding of conflict process  from which solutions are to be designed through planning ,organizing ,directing and controlling the conflict initiating causes for switching over to total sustainable peace and development. This is the key challenge before the humanity today. “India Today”,  a  premier news magazine of the country in its issue of April 9, 2007 brought out a vivid picture of present conflict/ideas in the world through organizing a global level conclave on 23-24 March 2007 at New Delhi, India, where leaders and some of the eminent personalities of the world  spoke out their ideas for better understanding of the world of today and ideas to create a sustainable future .

 (h) “Let’s ensure globalization reaches 300 million people who live on less than a dollar per day”

Kamal Nath
Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India

(i) “As we look at the tremendous benefits that globalization is generating right now today, think about how sustainable the current situation is .  Will the Americans be able to indefinitely consume more than they produce ? Will the Chinese , the Japanese  and the OPEC indefinitely buy the American treasury bonds to finance their export to the US ? Will the dollar remain the world’s currency ? Will oil be priced in dollars in ten years ? Will semiconductors be sold in dollars in ten years ? Is this sustainable ? Nobody knows the answer to this but that is something that those of us who are benefiting from and promoting globalization, should be addressing”.

Clyde Prestowiz
President, Economic Strategy Institute, Washington D.C.

(j) “Prepare for change “ 
“Uncertainty  is the best thing about globalization, because the uncertainty is our opportunity”.

                                              Paul Saffo
 Director, Institute for the Future
                and
                                         N.R.Narayan Murthy
                                         Chief Mentor, Infosys.

            The above quotes of some of the eminent and illuminating personalities of the world highlight diverse views for meeting of minds and exchange of ideas. Diversity of views being a natural part of human relationships may lead to both constructive and destructive changes  and conflicts. Conflict resolution, transformation and management are continuous process producing changes in personal, relational , structural and cultural dimensions of human experience. All these process aim at one and only one solution to “create sustainable peaceful world for all “ at all the four dimensions. Therefore it is necessary to design a mechanism with effective institutional structure to  minimize destructive effects of social conflicts and maximize the potential for personal growth at physical, emotional and spiritual levels which correspond to inner peace. Domestic and  global peace are  variables of relational, structural and cultural dimensions  of human existence and experience. Relational dimension deals with effective communication and understanding. Structural dimension addresses to root causes of violent conflicts, and design structures   that promote peaceful mechanism to erase violence and to meet the basic human needs of all without any discrimination , beside maximizing rational and positive public participation devoid of unethical political interventions. Cultural dimensions need to understand diversity of cultural patterns and identify cultural patterns contributing to the rise of violent expression and resources for constructive construction to move towards a culture of peace.     
            Knowing and interacting  some of the ideas of eminent leaders of the world, the world citizens may  react keeping in view the techniques and technology of construction of conflict management structures and institutions which will constantly adapt to the changing pattern of human life and are very crucial components of sustainable peace building process so that all the basic needs of each and every world citizen are fulfilled in a peaceful manner.

3. Youth Violence

What went wrong with Cho Seung-Hui, a 23 years student at Virginia Tech University on 16 April 2007 ? Cho, from South Korea was living in USA since 1992 with his family in centreville, Virginia. At 7.15 am local time on 16 April 2007, Cho entered west Ambier Johnston Hall, a dormitory housing where some 900 students were staying and shot down two students. Cho and the entire Virginia Tech University remained clam  after the shooting killing two students. Then after about 2 hours at about past 9.0 am, Cho rushed into Norris Hall in Room-207 with two handguns and shot German instructor Christopher James Bishop in the head. Then he shot a girl in her mouth, a boy in the legs and shot after shot he killed 32 people of the university and finally killed himself.

This was not the first incident in a highly prosperous country like USA. Violent act perpetrated by and on youth, although received wide media as well as political attention, no political leader stood up to debate on gun-drug-violence control issues.

Rewards, social recognition release dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and   ventral tegnmental areas, which communicate with regions in the mesocortex, cortex and frontal lobes forming the basis for long term planning. Touch, affection and positive status release serotonin which inhibits aggressive behavior by stimulating serotonergic axons in the forebrain and amygdala. Low level of serotonin gives rise to depression and aggressive behavior, whereas high level of serotonin associated with non-violent behavior. Adequate level of dopamine improves positive behavioral control and social responsiveness . The level of dopamine increases with social and affectionate stimuli like kind words praise and physical touch. It is well established that levels of serotonin increase in both the recipient and the giver in these exchanges.

Threat , coercion and negative environmental impulses decrease available serotonin and release norepiniphine, cortisol and other hormones and neurotransmitters which increase aggression and violence.  Thus it can be surmised that biological factors also affect the probability that violent action will occur by changing sensitivity to the environmental events. Anti-social and violent youths are the product of combination of factors like chaotic and coercive parenting, poverty and side by side path way crisis of overdose of affluence,  drug abuse, family violence, different forms of harsh inconsistent behavior, company of anti-social children/friends in school, colleges and work places, exposure to media  glorifying sex and violence, lack of access to food, job and shelter security, and coercive processes to justice system, education and social relations etc. Citizens indifference attitude to absence of political will to curb drug-gun-violence culture also contributes from individual violent behavior to societal and national violence. Cho, the 23 years youth of Virginia has  fallen victim to some of the above biological , socio-cultural and environmental systems  of one of the most prosperous countries of the world , the USA . Is it not a warning bell for the entire humanity ?  And what is going to be the response to such anti-social and violent power with a wide range of undesirable side effects ?

The response should evolve violence prevention programmes through Peace Building menu, with the younger children even from the child in the mother’s womb. Biologically, can the scientific community advance knowledge from “Stem Cell” research and induce unspecialized cells in the brain which will release adequate quantity of serotonin and dopamine to generate violent –free and peaceful responses ?   The “Stem Cell” research should be conducted  in this direction , so that biologically human species become peaceful.  Besides , principles of socio-cultural learning emphasizing peace power modules  should be embedded in the cultural entities – family, schools, organizations , agencies and work places, and communities etc.

The role of the society / nations  should not be only limited to constructing factories for producing money / material prosperity , but it shall have the bounden duty to transform the society/ nation to an entity of “Wholeness of Peace”  by eliminating generation of conflict/violent impulses/responses and through improving the situations at the personal,  relational, structural and cultural level.

                 Recognizing and analyzing the destructive power of visible (direct violence) and invisible(cultural and structural violence) , principles of designing of education system and social learning process should be reoriented and promoted with reinforcing  actions by parents , teachers  , staff and other community members as well as youth themselves. Political organizations should be  revamped and irrespective party lines, politics  as a structured system should unanimously design and implement policies to counter both visible and invisible violence  by adopting “ Peace” as a critical input to all kinds of human activities and development programmes. If the humanity adopts  this broad approach  to Peace Building Process, human species like Cho will in course of time disappear completely from the society. High level of research should be initiated in the sector by establishing institutions like National Peace Academy in each and every country of the world, who shall be given the responsibility to design conflict transformation service and Peace Building Process by networking the organs of the society like family, schools, colleges , universities, work organizations and communities etc to solve the most challenging problem of violence – the world is facing today. There should be a time bond programme , failing which culture of violence will overtake the humanity and wipe out its existence from the biosphere.

4. Prospects of Peace   in the midst of Middle East conflicts

In 1850, the term “Middle East” originated in the British India Office and became widely known when American Naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan used this term. The Peace Path Finder (PPF) of the site www.worldpeacetech.com attempts to make an in depth analysis   of reasons of continuing conflicts in the Middle East and will explore possibility of establishing peace in the region starting with this issue of PPF and continue next few months onwards for putting before the world citizens a clear  picture of conflicts and prospects of peace in this troubled landmass.

The earliest civilization of this region was established in the land around the Tigris and Euphrates known as Mesopotamia . Through out history , the Middle East  has been a major center of world affairs. It remains till date a strategically , economically , politically , culturally , ethnically and religiously sensitive region. 

                 Historically from ancient times , the Sumerians , Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians , Israelites and others built important states  in this region. Empires like Persian empire of Achaemenids , followed by the Macedonian founded by Alexander the Great and successor kingdoms as Ptolemaic Egypt and Seleucid state in Syria.

In the first century B.C. expanding Roman Republic , united this region with most of Europe and North Africa as a single political and economic unit, with spread of Christianity. By fifth century B.C. much of Middle East was Christian. In 5th century A.D. , Rome was succeeded by Constantinople leading to Greek-speaking Christian empire known as Byzantine empire.

Middle East , as a distinct cultural region was created with rise of Islam in the Arabian  peninsula .  In 634 the followers Muhammad  set out from Medina, occupied Palestine  in 636, Mesopotamia in 637, Syria and Egypt in 640 and Persia in 642. Only Anatolia remained Christian till the arrival of Turks 400 years later.

Most of the population of Anatolia conquered by Arabs converted to Islam within next two generations. In course of many such upheavals , Middle East became a permanent cultural frontier  of Muslim world and continue as such till date.

The territories  and regions of Middle East as on today constitute of  Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain , Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,  United Arabs Emirates, Yemen, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraqi Kurdistan  and Gaza Strip. The total area of all these territories is  6.28 million sq km with a population of 247.37 million. Arabic language dominates the entire region. Government wise it consists of Monarchy, Semi-presidential republic , Islamic republic , Parliamentary democracy , Constitutional heredity , Federal constitutional monarchy  and Palestinian National Authority. Numerous ethnic groups occupy the Middle East namely, Amhara, Arabs , Armenians, Bahraini, Egyptians, Berbers, Africans, Assyrians, Azeris, Druze, Georgians, Greeks, Jews, Kurds, Persians, Turks, Turkmen and Somali .

(a) Dominance of Gun-culture and killing Spree in the world

“Hyderabad , India April 21, 2007 – A third year B.Tech student of Decan College of Engineering , Hyderabad on April 21,2007 walked into the college and shot at his junior injuring him seriously as fellow students watched helplessly . The alleged shooter Umedullah Khan (22) pumped at least 3 bullets into 20 years old Mukarram Ali Khan Siddiqui whose condition is now serious.”

  “Houston, April 21,2007 USA – At NASA’s Johnson Space Centre , USA , a space engineer killed a co-worker he has taken hostage and then killed himself. Another female co-worker was found with duct tape but was not harmed.”

“Bomber kills self, wounds civilian at Sadr City checkpoint,BAGHDAD (CNN) April 21,2007  -- A suicide bomber killed himself and wounded a civilian after Iraqi police stopped his vehicle at a checkpoint in eastern Baghdad's Sadr City on Saturday, police said. The bomber detonated his explosives laden Toyota Costa bus while police searched the vehicle. “

“3 civilians in Baquba shot dead,BAGHDAD (CNN) April 21,2007 -- Gunmen killed three civilians in Baquba on Saturday night, according to a security official in Iraq's Diyala province. Two of the civilians were shot dead in a market in central Baquba.Earlier today police raided the same market and detained seven suspected insurgents. Another civilian was found shot to death in a different neighborhood. Baquba is the capital of Diyala -- located north and east of Baghdad. “

“Fighting spreads, intensifies as more Ethiopian troops arrive in Mogadishu; at least 64 dead, more than 100 wounded, scores displaced on Saturday,MOGADISHU, Somalia (CNN) April 21,2007  -- Fighting raged on Saturday in the Somalian capital of Mogadishu, and a local human rights group on Saturday reported dozens of casualties and scores of people fleeing the chaotic city -- a persistent hotbed of violence spawned by the fighting between Ethiopian troops and Islamic insurgents. Sudani Ali Ahmed, the head of Elman Human Rights Group, said on Saturday alone 64 people were killed, 52 civilians and 12 insurgents. He said more than 100 civilians have been wounded, and many people have been displaced.

Fighting has intensified in the past two days, as more Ethiopian troops arrived Friday in Mogadishu to suppress the insurgency. Witnesses on the ground described a continuous stream of mortar bombs and Katyusha rockets slamming into markets and neighborhoods in Somalia's capital city Saturday. According to Somali journalist Mohamed Amiin, a civilian minibus was struck by the shelling, killing an unspecified number of passengers. One witness told Amiin the blast was so powerful body parts could be seen scattered in the street.”

“1 dead, 1 wounded in Israeli missile strike near Gaza CityGAZA CITY (CNN) April 21,2007  -- Palestinian security sources said one person was killed on Saturday in an Israeli missile strike on a car believed to be carrying Islamic Jihad militants, north of Gaza City. Another person was wounded, the sources said. Earlier, a house in the Israeli city was by rockets fired from Gaza, police in Israel said. People there were treated for shock.”

“Civilian killed, 4 wounded in Iraq car bombing, BAGHDAD (CNN) April 21,2007  -- A civilian was killed and four others were wounded near Baghdad on Saturday when two parked cars detonated, the Interior Ministry said. The incident occurred east of the Iraqi capital in Mada'en.”  

………and there are many such violent incidents around the world continuing almost each and every day. How long the humanity will tolerate such terror, violence and killings ?

(b) Published on Thursday, March 8, 2001 by Inter Press Service

New Peace Prize to Honor Women

by Mithre J. Sandrasagra

UNITED NATIONS - Four women and three women's organisations from war-torn and conflict-ridden nations are first winners of the new Millennium Peace Prize for Women, to be awarded Thursday.

The prize, the first of its kind, is a global award to honour the vital role that women play in peace-building and the indispensable contributions they have made to resolving and preventing conflicts.

While the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded since 1901, only 10 of the approximately 106 winners have been women or women's organisations.

The prize is being launched as a joint initiative between UNIFEM and the London-based non-governmental organisation International Alert that works with organisations and individuals to identify the root causes of violence and contribute to the just and peaceful transformation of violent internal conflict.

The first Millennium Peace Prize recipients are Flora Brovina (Kosovo), Asma Jahangir and Hina Jilani (Pakistan); Venerananda Nzambazamariya (Rwanda), Ruta Pacifica de las Mujeres (Colombia), the Leitana Nehan Women's Development Agency (Papua New Guinea), and Woman in Black (based in Belgrade).

''These women symbolise the future of our dream for this millennium - where adversity can be surmounted and peace can be achieved,''emphasised Heyzer. ''The prize winners are important role models for millions of women around the world who are engaging in strategies for peace at the local and national level.''

(c) Child Abuse Report of India – April 2007

New Delhi, India -  Government of India, Ministry of Women and Child Development has for the first time documented prevalence of  child abuse, including prevalence of violence in schools. Some of the  major findings of the documents are

•      Two out of every three children were physically abused.

•      Out of 69% physically abused in 13 sample states 54.68% were boys.

•      Over 50% of children in all the 13 sample states were subject to one or the other form of physical abuse.

•      88.6% were physically abused by parents.

•      65% of school-going children reported facing corporal punishment – two out of three children were victims of corporal punishment, most of them from government and municipal schools.

•      53.22% children reported having faced one or more forms of sexual abuse.

•      5.69% were sexually assaulted

•      Every second child (both boys and girls) reported facing emotional abuse.

•      50.2% of children reported they worked seven days a week- this includes children formally enrolled in school.

•      Most children did not report the matter to anyone.