World Citizenship and Peace

May 24, 2017 Opinion , OPINION/NEWS

By

Florence Joseph

 

If we are to move forward to a peaceful world, we must recognize that in the midst of the magnificent cultural diversities and life forms, we are one human family and one Earth community with one common destiny.

No man is an island. Prevailing conditions in the world are such that every human being needs one another and are in some way inter-dependent on each other. Every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings. So any groups of people interested in the progress of mankind must communicate if they want to succeed in society.

Today the issue of “world citizenship” has become crucial. A world citizen has knowledge of physical and social global forces that affect every person’s life, understands culture and its differences, can analyze world issues from various perspectives and can generate new ideas about the world.

This implies that there should be a relationship between cognitive ability, self-development, identity and action in the contemporary world. So as responsible world citizens, we must think and act to bring about changes in the community. One such change is global peace.

Finding solutions to global peace are what all countries need to seek today. If global peace must be achieved, global-scale education, with the use of modern digital telecommunications, will be needed to create mutual understanding among nations, cultures, ethnic groups, and religions.

Today’s most advanced technology has enabled us to get linked globally. The internet has broken down all barriers connecting world people with relatively little money with just a click of a key. The Internet can be a medium to building peace among nations.

Communication is a huge benefit of the Internet. Today millions of people the world over use highly sophisticated applications to communicate. Nonetheless, news groups, chat rooms, or the most popular E-mail method continues to be in trend for the unaffordable.

Interestingly, with the invention of the Internet phone, many people now even talk across the Internet, just as one would do on a voice phone, without paying long distance charges. It is just a fact; the time it takes to send a letter or reply to a phone message is no match for E-mail’s speed and convenience.

The burning question is, if the Internet phone can connect global economy, competition and marketing, why can’t this this very technology or any other more advanced systems be conducted to establish peace??

The internet radio bug has bitten providing thousands of stations at our fingertips. The Internet has also opened ways to connect, learn and collaborate globally in many ways.

Last but not the least, learning about the history, language and politics of a new friend’s culture are just a few examples of what it means to be connected globally. But despite the endless amazing possibilities which this hi-tech has made available for us via internet, our world regretfully is wrecked with, bloodshed, suffering, poverty, hunger, hate and injustice, racism and violent conflict, causing great suffering for mankind.

The leading production and consumption patterns are further causing ecological devastation, depletion of resources, and a massive extinction of species. Communities are undermined and developmental benefits are being inequitably distributed, broadening the gap between the have and have-nots.

An unprecedented rise in human population is overburdening the environmental and social systems too, threatening the very foundations of global security. These trends are perilous – but not inevitable.

People the world over have yearned and hoped for the realization of the ideal of world peace throughout the ages, but never in history has everlasting peace been achieved. So how could we inculcate in our children, as future responsible world citizens, to cultivate a culture of peace and understanding for others?

The concept of a culture of peace is based on the belief that a better world can be built through mutually beneficial dialog and negotiation among the peoples. A culture of peace embraces values, principles and practices based on respect for life, human dignity, inter-cultural understanding and solidarity, ecological care, social and economic justice, sustainable equity-led development, democracy, non-violence, broad-based education and several other key issues.

The need of the hour is to cooperate to bring forth a sustainable global society based upon the above-stated issues, and the cultivation of inner peace. And to achieve this goal, there is need to train our offspring and instil in them, in their tender minds, the virtues of peace. Then and only then, will they grow with serenity in their hearts, minds and actions.

Toward this end, it is imperative that as peoples of the Earth, we need to sincerely declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.

Only then will humankind be awakened to the reality of the ideal of this creation.

 

 

 

florence-joseph

Florence Joseph

Florence Joseph is a freelance journalist, editor and writer, based in Iran. She worked previously as editor at the IRNA news agency, Press TV and Iran Daily newspaper in Tehran.

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