Is world peace really possible? This is one the most debated questions and everyone has their own opinion about achieving world peace. According to Debate.org, statistic shows that 57% of people who responded believe that world peace is not possible while the rest, 43% believe that it is something achievable.
Can we really live in peace where every country in the world co-exists with each other? When it comes to world peace, you must understand that war, brutality, killings, or violence happen because of people. The countries did not go to war, but the leaders who have the power to command the army did. It is the people who are living in this world that make or break the world.
The Causes of War
When it comes to achieving world peace, you must understand that it is the people, especially the leaders of the nation that determine the war. Leaders are human beings with emotions. They exhibit the same failings and weaknesses as the rest of the people in the world. They can get angry, let their egos drive them, and send troops to war.
Therefore, the real causes of war lie in the unchecked rampaging of human behaviors. And if world peace is to be attained, everyone who is living in this world must educate themselves and raise their intellect by keeping a peaceful ethics in them, especially the leaders.
And to create a peaceful world, people must learn to master themselves, tame their ambition, and never let their egos and greed rule their minds. At this current moment, world peace may seem impossible because a large number of people in this world are yet to achieve enlightenment and raise themselves as the experts at living.
According to PsychologyToday, one great way to become an expert at living is through the achievement of wisdom and joy. When people are happy, they are wise. And when people are wise, they are happy. Thus, if enough people in this world are happy and wise, there will be less violence and conflict. And as long as people feel that they have little or no hope for a good life, unable to tolerate others, and allow their negative behaviors to affect them, war and violence will continue.
World Peace through a Transforming Culture
After the World War I, the Americans have successfully campaigned for a pact which renounced the use of war as an instrument of national policy. It remains as a statute and was also signed by a few other countries. Well, this commitment may not have lasted, but it can serve as an inspiration for world peace. For example, the states of Costa Rica and Panama have no official armies and Marinaleda, a town in Spain, has no police.
Everyone plays a role in bringing peace to the world. In fact, our surroundings are beginning to change for the better. The United Nations has adopted annual resolutions in supporting of the ‘culture of peace’.
The basis of human thought and behavior are important in making the shift toward world peace. According to a survey, as high as 20% of the Europeans deeply cared about “ecology and saving the planet, about relationships, peace, social justice, self-actualization, spirituality, and self-expression”. Each individual has a role in world peace.
Besides, statistics have found that there is a growing appetite for plant-based diets. Over 10% of the population of Israel, Italy, Sweden, and Germany are now vegetarian and this trend is constantly increasing as human started to see the benefits of having a peaceful behavior towards animals. The changed in farming systems is given as one factor which normalized institutional killing in a human species.
World Peace Starts with an Individual Act
According to an article from HuffingtonPost, world peace is possible and it starts with each individual. The article suggested five easy ways how one can take the responsibility and make the world a better place. And below are some of the easy steps mentioned:
1. Finding Inner Peace
Violence often stems from stressful thoughts and the only way to get rid of violence is through finding peace in your mind. The American Institute of Stress reports that 44% of American is feeling more stressed than they did five years ago.
And to find inner, one can practice meditation and exercise. The world is made of societies, and societies are formed because of individuals, thus, finding inner peace in you is the first step in achieving world peace.
2. Perform Selfless Acts of Kindness
A selfless act of kindness can uplift your consciousness and bring comfort and solace to others. When Ellen DeGeneres received the People’s Choice Humanitarian Award, she said, “Deep down we all love one another, and we need to get back to that. We need more of that right now in the world. That is what most of us feel.”
3. Resolve to be Happy
When you are happy and joyful, you will uplift others around you and you will never want to fight or get into conflict with others. It seems that leaders make the decision to go to war because the happy factor is not there.
Researchers at Harvard University, James Fowler, and Nicholas Christakis suggest people’s happiness extends to three degrees of separation. This means that your happiness can affect not only those around you but also those around your circle.
Is World Peace Possible?
The real barrier to world peace are the people living in this world themselves. It is the individual that can determine their own fate and affect the fate of others. And hence, achieving world peace is possible if enough people raise their consciousness and become an expert at living.
Although world peace may not be possible immediately, it is possible as long as each individual makes causes for it to happen now. One can spread kindness and selflessly help others like what Mother Teresa did. As what Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” And world peace is possible and it has to start with you.
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