Nationalism is on the rise in much of the world. It keeps threatening the fabric of democracies and instilling fear in people, resulting in human rights abuses, arms proliferation, proxy wars, and waves of refugees. In countries like Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, and the US, nationalist politicians continue building roadblocks to prevent the arrival of migrants and refugees, causing an international crisis. Instead of the roadblocks, they could clearly define the criteria for admitting migrants and refugees with an aim to unite families.
The US President Trump has not been helpful. He has popularized nationalism among democracies worldwide. His erratic decisions have shocked the world. He has discarded Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran against the advice of his advisors and British, French, and German leaders. Mr. Trump has denied the climate change despite the international and US reports that the climate change will have severe impact on the world economy and widen the US trade deficit. He has triggered trade wars that already adversely impacted the economy bilaterally. He has interfered in Venezuela, causing many more to flee the country. He has unwaveringly supported the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen, contributing to the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. He has ignored the CIA’s conclusion that the brutal murder of the dissident reporter Jamal Khashoggi was ordered by the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salmon (MBS). A great country as the US must work to bring Americans together and promote global peace rather than generating trade wars, stirring up crises in other countries, and supporting dictators.
The humanitarian crises continue in Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Congo, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Myanmar’s forces continue committing ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya. The Chinese brutal crackdown against the ethnic Turks, India’s lynching of Muslims and Dalits, and the global oppression of the indigenous people continue. China, Egypt, Iran, Russia, and Turkey continue harassing and arresting their perceived political opponents. Consequently, thousands of people have died in conflicts and millions more are fleeing their countries. The UN Refugee Agency reports the two-thirds of the world’s refugees come from conflicts in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria. The UN Security Council must fulfill its responsibilities by keeping international peace and security.
According to Amnesty International, indigenous people constitute about 5 percent of the world’s population and they are spread out in 90 countries. Wherever they live, they generally face discrimination, oppression, exploitation, eviction, and other human rights abuses. Their lands are often confiscated by the government for development or they are forced off by corporations and landowners in order to access their natural resources. The indigenous people have been suffering much pain. It is time for the UN to devise protection for their persons and properties.
The #MeToo movement went global. Women are now speaking out in France, Italy, Spain, and other countries, detailing how they were discriminated and sexually exploited. It has awakened us to ongoing savagery inflicted on our daughters, sisters, and mothers. Women and girls globally continue be discriminated against, manipulated, and oppressed. Even in Western nations, relatively few women serve in legislative assemblies or are among top government officials. Seldom are they ever represented in the supreme judicial bodies. We should all stand up for women’s protection and their rights.
A review of the global conflicts, including those in Syria, Libya, and Iraq reveals that the UN veto powers (the US, the UK, Russia, China, and France) are the culprit of much of the problems. They stockpile offensive chemical and nuclear weapons, arm other nations, have military presence in other countries, give military aid to belligerent parties, and participate in military alliances. Instead of leading the world to global peace and security, they are amongst the first to violate their commitments to the UN, making them the world’s worst troublemakers. The UN veto powers must retrain themselves if we are ever going to achieve world peace.
We must work together to solve global issues by creating platforms for positive change driven by holistic peace and equality for all humanity. We are one. We must open heart-to-heart dialogues across borders. We must strive to advance understanding, compassion, and peace everywhere. We must create a world where no women will be used sexually by men, particularly for financial gain. We must realize that none of us will ever be truly free and happy unless we are all free and happy.
Dr. Mehdi Alavi, President
Peace Worldwide Organization
Or Connect with us on the following social media accounts:
Instagram: @peaceworldwide_org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pworganization
@pworganization
Please support our peace mission by generously donating and sharing this article with others.
