NOBEL Peace Prize recipient Nelson Mandela once said: “Peace is not just the absence of conflict. Peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish regardless of race, colour, creed, religion, gender, class, caste or any other social markers of difference.”
Daily, we read on social media platforms and watch horrible stories on television about the death of thousands of people in the Israel-Gaza war.
Since October, more than 12 000 people have been killed in the West Bank and Gaza. Sadly, even the lives of media practitioners who are the eyes and ears of the world have not been spared, as at least 39 journalists have also been killed in just over a month.
As political analysts and commentators reflect on the conflict, maybe one day, more energy and time will be dedicated towards uncovering and exposing those who benefit from the barbaric murder of women and children.
While thousands of people recently marched through the streets of the Durban CBD and in Chatsworth in solidarity with the people of Palestine, war profiteers celebrated the bombardment of more mosques in the Gaza strip.
To date, more than 26 mosques have been destroyed and damaged. The bombing of four hospitals have been condemned globally and described as a gross violation of human rights.
The World Health Organization recently announced that “Gaza’s health system is on its knees, with 18 of 36 hospitals and two-thirds of its primary health centres not functioning at all”.
As world condemnation against apartheid Israel intensifies, Israel airstrikes are a source of satisfaction to the arms manufacturers who wait in anticipation for Hamas to retaliate.
The escalation of the conflict that has resulted in the destruction of water infrastructure is what increases the salaries of chief executive officers and other senior workers of arms manufacturers.
The whole world is at the mercy of war mongers who are celebrating the destruction of socio-economic infrastructure.
The murder of women and children is a performance that is rewarded with bonuses for arms dealers – some who are linked to the politicians of various governments.
It’s disheartening to witness the stranglehold the forces have over world governments, particularly in the US.
It is not my intention to prescribe the posture of lawmakers serving in both the US Senate and in the US House of Representatives.
However, it is sad that US House of Representatives has passed a Republican plan providing $14.5bn (R265bn) in military aid for Israel as it has been widely reported. This equals to more than R270 trillion.
Many ordinary members of society all over the world are outraged by the fact that trillions of dollars are poured annually into the military at the expense of essential socio-economic infrastructure.
Many parts of the world have become breeding grounds of orphans and widows.
Corruption in conflicts, like the Ukrainian crisis, only exacerbates the issue. The sale of weapons on the black market not only fuels violence but also unwittingly arms terror groups, leading to more global instability.
The power of Western countries, often not directly involved in conflicts, to determine the acceptability of peace treaties is an unfortunate reality. It is not their people who are dying, nor their countries being destroyed, yet they exert a disproportionate influence.
The influence is glaringly evident in the failure to resolve the Palestinian crisis. Numerous UN resolutions intended to create a two-state solution have floundered, partly due to the powerful friends that Israel has in Western nations.
The continued militarisation of the South China Sea poses yet another potential threat to global peace. Imagine the world’s reaction if China deployed its navy to the Gulf of Mexico, justifying it as protection against a supposed US invasion of Cuba. The double standards are clear.
Conflicts in the Middle East and Africa are largely driven by the insatiable need for resource extraction. This sends a damaging message that one country’s interests often take precedence over the world’s collective well-being.
The world today yearns for peace, stability and justice. When African leaders attempted to mediate a peaceful solution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, some ridiculed their efforts, failing to grasp how conflicts in Europe or elsewhere have far-reaching consequences on developing nations.
Many African countries bore witness to the horrors of the two World Wars and served as proxy battlegrounds during the Cold War. This was all before the era of globalisation.
In a world without wars, we could redirect the vast resources spent on militarism toward building a better, more equitable world. We could prioritise diplomacy, dialogue and co-operation over aggression.
It is high time we break the chains of militarism and challenge the undue influence of powerful nations in shaping global peace and justice.
A world without wars is not a distant dream: it’s a moral imperative that we must strive to achieve for the sake of our shared humanity.
Finally, it is encouraging that the people of eThekwini have not forgotten that the world supported us during the fight against apartheid. More people must be part of Palestine Solidarity marches and demonstrations involving alliance partners – the ANC, SACP, Cosatu and SA National Civic Organisation – religious leaders across all religious line and broader civil society including the following organisations:
• Palestinian Solidarity Network
• Minara Chamber of Commerce
• Boycott-Disinvest-Sanctions
• People Against Oppression
• Palestine Solidarity Forum
• United Palestine
• Islamic Medical Association
• Peace Foundation
• Pakistan South African Association
•Association for Muslim Network
• Amnesty International
• Khidmatul Khalq
Councillor Nkosenhle Madlala is the deputy secretary of the ANC eThekwini Region, executive committee member of the eThekwini Municipality and chairperson of Governance and Human Capital Committee. (The international relations function falls under this committee). He writes in his personal capacity.