At a time when a year is ending or has just ended, it is common to wish for a better world in the new coming year. In recent times the world has experienced so many serious threats and disruptions that the prayers for better times should be more intense. Keeping in view the disturbing trends, perhaps we can start by wishing for what should be avoided at all costs.
In this context it is clear that what the world should be most concerned about is to avoid any possibility of a world war or a nuclear war. In fact the world should keep miles away from any such possibility or brinkmanship relating to this. Normally there should be no need for emphasizing so obvious a fact. Unfortunately in recent times the safety norms in this context were violated in a very reckless manner and this is why it has become essential to list this at the top of the priority list.
With the weapons becoming increasingly destructive, avoiding any new wars or stopping all wars and domestic wars becomes a very high priority. Hence no matter how serious the problems, peaceful solutions must be found.
Take a long-pending problem like dollar dominance and increasingly unfair use of this including using this as a weapon in ways that can cause mass distress and destabilization in other countries. This problem has to be resolved at some stage in justice-based ways so that a fair and just currency system can be created at world level. This is certainly a very important objective to be taken forward. But given the present conditions of the world, it is equally important to add and emphasize that this issue should be resolved in peaceful ways without causing a big war. This is the kind of issues that can ignite a big war, particularly when taken together with some other issues. So resolving some quite complex problems in peaceful ways without resorting to wars is the big challenge ahead.
But even leaving aside any complex problems, there is the very straightforward issue that the USA is most likely to continue on the path of pursuing the non-rational objective of seeking unquestioned supremacy and dominance of world, with military might being used to secure economic superiority as well. This leads to all sorts of non-rational aggressive actions against rivals, potential rivals and others who do not follow dictates in keeping with this seeking of global dominance.
In such a situation the possibilities of big wars can emerge in many places, particularly with a close ally like Israel also having entered one of the most aggressive phases in its history in pursuit of achieving the objective of Greater Israel, something which can be achieved only at the cost of further extreme injustice and violence against millions of people.
Hence the task of avoiding big wars including nuclear war has become increasingly important in these times, something that needs a much bigger and stronger peace and disarmament movement in the world working with continuity. At times millions of people came out in the streets even in the aggressor countries for avoiding or ending wars. This gives hope but such actions by themselves cannot lead to durable results unless there is mobilization of people with much greater continuity for world peace.
So one very important need, perhaps the most important need for 2025 and beyond is to strengthen the anti-war efforts, the peace and disarmament efforts and give them continuity on a big scale. Some of the world’s leading scholars and retired diplomats, particularly those based in the west, who are widely known and respected for their commitment to peace and justice over the years, can make an important contribution to this.
It is increasingly becoming clear that nearly a dozen serious environmental problems at world level have reached such a stage that apart from causing numerous health problems, livelihood loss and distress, these are also threatening the basic life-nurturing conditions in very real ways. Unfortunately, only isolated and inadequate responses have emerged to this on the basis of reductionist understanding. Those working in sincere ways to protect environment at the grassroots level are increasingly aware of and dissatisfied with the inadequacy of these responses. Hence there is clear need for a more adequate, hope-giving and effective response to the environmental crisis based on comprehensive understanding and holistic approach.
While a lot of exaggerated claims have been made regarding the reduction of poverty, hunger and other forms of deprivation in several countries, and hence also at world level, serious questions can be raised regarding several of them as other evidence of increasing distress also exists. Moreover there is also the question of how long even real gains can be sustained in conditions of worsening environmental problems, wars and civil wars as well as related disruptions and displacements. In such conditions it has become more important to strengthen justice-based actions and reduce inequalities.
Hence there can be no sustained solutions to most serious problems without strengthening the forces and movements of peace, environment protection and justice and ensuring that they are able to work with mutual cooperation and with continuity for world-level impact. This in turns increases the need for opening up and strengthening more democratic spaces and for the overall strengthening of democracy at various levels.
In what ways is the present world very wrongly structured in several ways, causing many serious problems, and what are the alternatives that are needed? Such important questions have been neglected to a surprising extent. Even those who speak against the world’s injustices have found it easier to make criticisms than to explore alternatives.
Whatever little work that has been done has not gone far enough.
A lot of such efforts in the west are unable to go far enough in challenging ideas and thinking which have resulted in so much injustice being caused by the actions of western countries.
On the other hand there are others who challenge the west but unfortunately quickly start presenting the Chinese achievements as the most promising model to emerge, ignoring many problems with these experiences.
As a result a pathway of future based on sustained pursuit of justice and environment protection, peace and non-violence that can inspire a very large number of people particularly youth to aspire and work with commitment for an alternative world has not really emerged.
It is not surprising therefore that much that is happening in the name of solutions has a short-term and reductionist vision.
So one of the important tasks of the year 2025 should be to create a holistic vision of a world based on justice and environment protection, peace and non-violence, along with a lot of very meaningful and sincere discourse on how all of us ordinary human beings can link up with this vision of the world in our own small ways.
If we keep progressing along this path, perhaps in a few years millions of small efforts of us ordinary people can bring the world closer to those important solutions which have been so elusive for the world’s big leaders.
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Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Protecting Earth for Children, Planet in Peril, Man over Machine, Earth without Borders and A Day in 2071. He has contributed about 400 books/booklets and about 11,000 articles, several stories, novellas and poems in English and Hindi.
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