Dear friends of peace,
“World Without a Compass” is the title of the new Peace Report (FGA) by the four leading peace research institutes. That, at least, appears to be a very accurate analysis.
It is certainly correct and important to note that the year 2023 recorded a sad record in wars and conflicts, an insane peak of 2.4 trillion dollars in worldwide armaments spending, and was also the climatologically hottest year to date.
Not enough: On Europe’s doorstep, two senseless, murderous wars are raging in Ukraine and Gaza, in which we are also involved.
In this situation, shouldn’t peace research provide a clear impetus for an end to violence, an indispensable, clear guide to peace that requires a radical departure from the previous logic of war? Because violence, hatred, and rearmament only ever provoke a spiral of new violence?
Instead, the report’s recommendations state: “To enable negotiations in the war in Ukraine, military support for Ukraine must be sustainably guaranteed and increased.” And since the USA is expected to reduce its support, the demand is: “Europe must compensate for this decline, and that also means it must rapidly increase its armaments capacities.”
This reflects the same military security thinking that has been proclaimed for years at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) by the leading representatives of highly armed states. Its head, Christoph Heusgen, sets the tone: “We must return to a certain logic, as we had in the Cold War,” and he believes he must urge Western states to “expand their military support for Ukraine,” stating that the West must “go all out” with its military aid.
This fits into the general political and societal war hysteria of a so-called “Zeitenwende” (turning point). Sociologist Andreas Reckwitz sees in this an “increasing friend-foe thinking,” “everywhere there is a new culture of mercilessness.”
Should we still uphold our earlier demand to prominently discuss the FGA’s recommendations at the MSC? Or is it precisely now that we should?
What do you think about this? We look forward to hearing your views!
With peaceful regards
Erwin Schelbert
Founding Member of MSKverändern e.V.
Study Group for Peace Research