ALTHOUGH modernization demolishes geographical barriers and moves the world toward an amalgamated economy, clashes among cultures continue to have a damaging impact on world peace and security.
Grim news of insurgency and terror attacks make international headlines every day. Because of cross-cultural ignorance, the essence of civilization is compromised.
The international community has valiantly dealt with these threats through various military campaigns. But even with successes in containing one group, another coercion manages to pop up.
Recently, the world condoled with Kenya as it mourned the deaths of nearly 150 people who were mercilessly slaughtered last week by al-Shabaab gunmen at Garissa University College. According to reports, after besieging the university, the al-Shabaab gunmen lined up non-Muslim students before executing them. The massacre was the country’s worst attack since the 1998 bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi.
President Barack Obama, who is scheduled to travel to Kenya later this year, joined the international community in extending condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of the heinous attack. The United States also offered assistance in targeting the terrorist group al-Shabaab.
The Philippines is no stranger to this kind of conflict. Since the 1960s, armed conflicts have persisted in Mindanao. Major fronts such as the New People’s Army (NPA) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have long fought for communist insurgency in the region, leaving national reconciliation as still an ultimate goal for its government.
The prevailing discord in Mindanao stems from what Moros believe as historical and continuing injustice committed against them, resulting in a majority-minority relationship that manifests itself in underdevelopment and dispossession in Muslim areas.
Peace negotiation were already underway, but it all hit a snag after the Jan. 25 Mamasapano incident. What could have been just a deadlock in the peace process turned into a question whether an all-out war is the last resort for the government.
People behind such atrocities must be reminded that it took millions of lives, thousands of years and hundreds of wars to achieve international order. While there is a lack of a comprehensive data on the total number of people affected and resources lost or destroyed as a result of these conflicts, reported estimates have been disturbing.
In the meantime, national governments must remain vigilant and ardently put these recent deplorable attacks in check. It is easy to aggregate power and instigate the war during these turbulent times.
To foster peace and security remains the world’s formidable challenge and greatest hope for its citizens. This goal must be initiated through mutual respect and humanitarian resolve, and not just remain aspirations.
(AJPress)
