The year of 1986 had been specially named the International Year of Peace. But when one looks at the state of affairs in the world of today, he may wonder if the present time is entitled to that cheerful and honourable appellation. I think we should rather call it the International Year in Need of Peace. Obviously, we are now living in the period of time when the world is badly in need of peace. It is not peace that prevails in the world at this time, but its antithesis, war and violence, that is prevalent.
The International Year in Need of Peace
Instead of peace, wars and conflicts become widespread and develop both in kinds and in degree of fatality. People are too familiar with news and reports on racial conflicts, fighting between religious groups, fanaticism, terrorism, ideological persecutions and warfare, chemical warfare, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons to the point of risking a nuclear war and the mass destruction of mankind. In addition to these lethal operations, so many conditions pointing to the state of social disorder and degeneration predominate such as domestic crimes, drug addiction, drug trafficking, environmental pollution, energy crisis, unemployment, serious mental disorders, suicides and all forms of violence, Seemingly, men are making all efforts to turn the earth into an unsafe place to live. Peace and happiness seem to be farther and farther away if not beyond reach. Various forms of problems affecting peace are on the in crease, eroding the hope of happy and peaceful living.
The official symbol or logo of the International Year of Peace is portrayed by a dove above two hands in the enclosure of an olive branch. To stray a little from the traditional symbol ism, the dove represents peace and the olive branch prosperity while the two hands stand for the whole mankind. The dove looks like flying out of the enclosure of the olive branch away from the two hands which are trying to hold it back. In an arbitrary interpretation to suit the current situation, peace has slipped out of the hands of man who, even though in the midst of wealth and affluence, lost it and is desperately struggling to get it back.
It has been a hope and a dream of man that, with scientific and technological advances, man will be in possession of all that he wants and in control of everything he comes into contact with and then live happily in peace. Truly, man has succeeded to a considerable extent in scientific and technological endeavours. Through scientific and technological progress, man seems to have been equipped with all that he needs to make himself and his society happy and peaceful. However, on the contrary, problems have so increased that man himself cannot find peace and society is in turmoil. While, through medical advances, the life span of man has been lengthened, more and more people, including the youth, find their lives and society so unsatisfactory that they seek to shorten their lives by suicide. These people turn their hate and dissatisfaction inside to kill themselves, while many others turn it outwardly to cause conflicts with their neighbours and troubles in society. Moreover, in man's efforts to conquer nature, natural environment becomes polluted and causes many to live shorter unhealthy lives. Nature is not on good terms with man. Finding no peace with nature, man's hope for happiness is even more frustrated. All in all, man fails to realize peace and happiness. His dream does not come true. The year of peace does not turn out to be the year when peace prevails, but the year when peace is badly needed. The road to peace turns out to be the road out of peace, and the path to happiness transforms into the path away from happiness. At least, peace and happiness are on the wane, while troubles and miseries gain the place of eminence.
Phra Rajavaramuni - Payutto
Freedom - Individual and Social
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