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Ecology of War and Peace: Using Nonviolent Methods for

Sustainability
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Introduction:
Wars may often times be considered irrational since they reduce a
populations overall income by consuming resources and often destroying
property. It may never become universally understood that war must be
avoided by conflicting parties pre-emptively holding constructive discussions
with open minds. Sadly, the majority of the leaders attending summits for
world peace are not willing to place themselves in the position of another
and reach a unanimous decision. Hence, the trust that people seem to attach
to summit leagues as a means of preventing wars is a delusion misused by
numerous political leaders (Klare). Through Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
(SALT), mutual discouragement has been reflected as the primary method of
controlling wars. World peace is a far-fetched dream, which can only be
achieved if all political leaders universally agree to boycott wars and
promote discussions with the aim of resolving issues and seeking mutual
benefits (Hastings).

Why do Wars Occur?

It is important to understand why wars occur before their
consequences and alternatives are discussed. There are primarily two
requisites for a combat between two groups or countries. Firstly, the
expenses associated with wars should not be tremendously high. This means
that the decision makers must have a reasonable stance to initiate war such

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that the expected advantages from a combat in the form of capitals, control,
exaltation and land surpass the predictable expenses of battle, as well as
predictable harms to material goods and human life. Therefore, for war to
happen, at least one of the groups has to anticipate that the advantages
from the battle will overshadow the expenses sustained (Beer). Secondly, as
lucidly claimed by Fearon (2008), negotiation between the conflicting sides
must be an unsuccessful process such that for some purpose there is an
incapability to attain a communally beneficial and implementable
settlement. Hence, the main step to understand why countries indulge in
conflicts is to see why negotiation flops and what reasons or conditions
cause nations to fight such that the predictable welfares from conflict prevail
over the expenses for at least one group (Flint).
The following are some of the reasons that provoke countries to
participate in wars:

Religion:

Sometimes the reason behind wars is not material wealth. In fact, groups
with different religious beliefs indulge in wars to increase the size of
population following one religion or to eliminate the other (Fry). In order to
understand this, let us consider one important example from the history that
is often reflected to be a somewhat religious conflict: the crusades.
Though the crusades were complex due to the reason that the attacker
was an alliance of domestic and non-domestic militaries, they followed the

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same religion. Undeniably, several Crusaders were stimulated by an

unpretentious religious reason. However, the notion of Christian unison was
futile to attain political veracity. As a consequence, the Crusaders not just
ended up in turning the recently attained Eastern lands into trivial territories
but also struggled continually against one another in Europe. Eventually they
were unsuccessful in holding the East specifically since they could not match
their specific interests with the world-wide notion that had stimulated them
(Falk, Johansen, and Kim).

Revenge:

Another important reason why countries invade each other is revenge.

However, it is vital to differentiate emotional revenge with the one which
appears as a repeated game and is more rational. Retaliation in emotional
context comprises of activities driven solely by annoyance for a previous act,
and not driven by the possible incentive concerns. Conflicts induced by
retaliation are also occasional, though renowned instances comprise of the
impetus of the Achaeans' in the Trojan Combat (Thomas and Conant).

Socio-political Massacre

Another significant reason why wars happen is because of socio-political

objectives where one ethnic group intends to eradicate or subdue the other
so as to acquire a greater share in the social cake. Such ideologies are
usually inflexible and not defensible by coherent choice but by alluring to

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other philosophies. For example, the fiasco of the Munich Contract was
because of reliable pledge glitches, and would have been unsuccessful even
if background and irrationality were not involved (Akehurst 472-478).

Natural Resources

One of the obvious causes of war is the desire of one country or group to
acquire desirable resources. However, countries with rich agricultural assets
probably indulge in the trade with neighbouring countries and are less likely
to initiate war since their dependence on foreign trade good is minimal
(Brierley). Presently, Arab leaders now have it in their power to cut off the
Wests petroleum supplies. What would the U.S. do if this were to occur?
Senator William Fulbright, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee,
actually indicated in the Senate during the oil crisis in 1973 that American
decision-makers may conclude to use armed forces to guard American oil
securities (Wetta and Beer 431). The history is full of such examples where
issues like resources and wealth have initiated wars among countries which
were once neutral.

The Consequences of Wars:

Who suffers from Wars?
The destructiveness of war has also increased by the huge advances in
technology in the last century (Ukaga, Ukiwo, and Inaba). Warfare was

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previously waged with primitive weaponry, causing less catastrophic damage

whereas modern militaries utilize the most lethal and destructive
weaponry (Ang 365-371). As industrialization proceeds, countries become
increasingly dependent on technical devices for their physical sustenance
(Gjessing 125-138). Hence, they unsurprisingly become more vulnerable. To
understand this, consider the vulnerability of a large modern conurbation. It
depends on a fresh water supply for composite sewage, purification plants,
and agriculture. It requires numerous resources to provide prosperity that
simultaneously prevents its inhabitants from succumbing to all kinds of
physical and psychological deprivations. Along with this, it needs a massive
national wellness service with local hospitals with adequate supplies, a large
police force, and all resources necessary to maintain a governing body.
Likewise, it will require an increasing number of factories, office buildings,
and department stores, to provide its inhabitants with employment and the
necessities of life. The whole of the metropolis could collapse like a house of
cards in case of strikes, sabotage, or simply because of a nuclear attack by a
rival country.
This is true for every country which is subjected to war. Combats not
only result in material losses but also human life is put to danger. Numerous
soldiers and civilians at both ends suffer from severe casualties for no fault
of their own. In fact, a large amount of civilian tax money is wasted in wars
and in funding military activities rather than investing in education and
healthcare. With the aggregation of nuclear weapons, the possibility of their

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accidental use, if not on purpose, grows correspondingly (Boulding 757-759).

Hence, the risk of total destruction for masses is imminent with the
acquisition of nuclear arms.
Who benefits from Wars?
Apart from the risk of fortuity, there is also the danger that nuclear
weapons might be acquired by a terrorist chemical group (Bannon and
Collier). In such a scenario, the wrong use of nuclear devices by such groups
becomes relatively feasible. These terrorist organizations are desensitized to
human emotions and needs and may utilize the nuclear weapons for
personal benefit while putting human life to danger (Mller 100-106).
Meanwhile, as pressure mounts, the industrialized nations will turn out
to be more aggressive to keep up fares so as to pay for the expanding social
and natural reactions of modern action. In the meantime, they will be
progressively distracted with keeping up unemployment at an adequate
level. One can accordingly anticipate that the combat weapon business will
keep growing, and the countries of the world will indulge in this trade. This
will make situation favourable for the arms dealers as more and more
countries will purchase advanced weapons from them to strengthen their
position in the world as the one behind will be crushed to death by the rivals
(Ang 469-476).

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Peaceful Alternatives to War:

Over the period of several thousand years, the technology and tactics
of war have advanced, with a significant increase in the last century. For
example, the US has abundant military resources and expends about six
hundred billion dollars annually for weapons development, training, and
other resources. It is estimated that the world presently expends more
than one trillion dollars annually on martial strength. One could argue that
peace time overall lasts much longer than time at war, and maintenance and
upkeep at such a cost is unrealistic for the global economy. Contrarily,
peaceful alternatives to war are still in their early stages. Though being
around since ancient times, the equipment and approach of peaceful
alternatives have only been methodically established in the previous
hundred years. Expenses on peaceful substitutes to war are limited to a few
million dollars annually. Despite this, much has been achieved in this regard.
Multiple groups are now evolving the model and exercise of peaceful
measures, and various others are now peacefully interfering in global
clashes. If such parties had capitals similar to those delivered to the military
services globally, they would certainly have an incredible influence on the
globe (Metres 171-177).
In order to reduce the number of wars prevalent worldwide, the
governments should be held accountable by the civilians as well as the
soldiers. Military training, in general, desensitizes soldiers to the horrors of
war. They are trained to follow the instructions given by their superiors

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without thinking or questioning. Hence, the primary function to implement

peaceful measures is to counter this training by humanizing the soldiers and
by helping them in developing compassion for fellow humans (Williams 189192). This is only possible if the military forces of a country confidently
question the government and not blindly follow the instructions given by
higher authorities. This will force the governments to adopt transparent
policies regarding wars and will ensure that no personal motive is involved
behind invading other country.
As discussed previously, the most important reason why wars occur is
the quest for natural resources. This issue can be resolved by either peaceful
negotiations with fellow countries to trade their natural resources in lieu of
funds or through the utilization of alternative renewable resources. Latter
seems to be a better approach since natural resources are limited and their
depletion is inevitable. Hence, through the usage of alternate sources,
enduring solutions could be developed. For example; the worldwide
dependence on petrol and fossil fuels would reduce considerably if solar or
hybrid solutions are adopted.
World peace can also be ensured if all countries are on equal terms
financially which is an ideal solution. However, steps could be taken by the
developed countries to assist those which are still developing. This can be
done through economic trade and investment which is mutually beneficial. If
every country becomes self-sufficient then it will neither initiate war nor

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become an ally to someone indulgent in war. An important example in this

regard is of Japan that extended assistance to upkeep restoration in
Nicaragua, which witnessed a non-violent changeover of authority in April
1990, as well as in El Salvador, which prospered in formulating a peace
treaty to terminate the civil warfare that had persisted for more than a
decade ("Ensuring World Peace And Stability").

Conclusion
It can be concluded that many factors increase the possibility of war.
These conditions are established principally by the increased dependence of
societies on each other, the increased financing of militaries and weaponry,
and general tension built between countries over time (Fletcher 215-215).
History has proved time, and again that war is not the best solution. Instead
of reaping in benefits, it has caused greater stress and mishap to the world.
In the quest to capture resources and strengthen ones position on the world
map, powerful countries have destructed weaker nations, thereby, wiping
them off the globe. Several groups have now started working on peaceful
and non-violent alternatives to war to bring world peace. The primary focus
is on sensitizing the soldiers to understand the emotions and needs of the
opponents and instilling humanity in them so that they find it difficult to kill
fellow humans. These groups serve the crucial purpose of considerably
preventing conflicting parties from provoking each other by engaging
themselves in between. Furthermore, they also endeavor to initiate

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negotiation between discordant parties to reach some conclusion without

fighting. Moreover, governments and developed nations can play a pivotal
role in restoring world peace through transparent policies and assistance to
low income countries, thereby, eradicating the financial barriers which are an
important aspect of wars.
While it is impossible to prevent war altogether, it may be feasible to
encourage world peace on a global scale. Of course, this will take time and
resource reallocation, as well as proactive alternative approaches to
conflicts.

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