Jain Spirit 2004 06 No 19

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 30

28 FEATURES
A JAIN FOREIGN POLICY?
PARAS SHAH APPLIES JAIN PRINCIPLES TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
ince September 11th 2001, the world has seen two new wars for the new century. Both Iraq and Afghanistan have been attacked as part of the
it would seem, an integral part of the foreign policy of the United States and its allies. Fighting continues on virtually every continent. It is a sad state of affairs that military actions are still applied to deal with problems of terrorism and other kinds of disputes. Military actions are more likely to create new problems than solve old ones. In most cases, they perpetuate and intensify underlying conflicts. Peaceful dialogues, by contrast, can offer us hope when we seek to resolve complex issues, as South Africa's Truth Commission and the (incomplete) Northern Ireland peace process bear witness.
Jain ethics emphasise respect for biodiversity as well as human diversity and point towards a less
This is why I believe that Jainism.
and its values play an invaluable
role in promoting global peace. The virtues of nonviolence (ahimsa) and the principles of truthfulness (satya) and non-acquisitiveness (aparigraha) are more important in today's interdependent world than ever before. The notion that it is legitimate to attack sovereign states in order to force them to submit to the will of 'greater' powers is not only dangerous and immoral, but also counter-productive. It will encourage further violence as we are already seeing clearly in Iraq - and give rise to a seemingly endless cycle of violence. Societies will feel less safe and become less free, as the movements and rights of individuals and groups will be ever-more heavily scrutinised and curtailed by the state and the terrorist organisations alike.
To help make the world a peaceful place, world leaders owe it to us to pursue the path of non-violence. They must address the causes of terrorism and show patience, a quality sadly lacking in modern politics. Gandhi, who was influenced by Jainism, reminded us that 'an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind' and we should remember this before resorting to the bayonet and the bullet or worse. The years of Indo-Pakistani conflict have taught leaders on both sides that force will not resolve the issue of Kashmir and therefore peaceful dialogues are necessary. Jainism teaches respect for diversity of culture and opinion. It acknowledges that there can be many paths to the same truth. Therefore, Jains believe in cooperation rather than conflict between different communities. In the modern world, the European Union proves that states with a long history of conflict and war can work closely together and in the process become one of the most stable and prosperous regions in the world. There is a sense in which the European Union can be seen as an example of ahimsa in action. Furthermore, we need to learn to consume less, to live within limits and be less dependent on the world's scarce resources. Most wars have been fought over resources such as land and oil. It is now reckoned that future wars will be fought over water supplies. The nations of the world should work together to find alternative sources, in particular ones that will not cause tensions. Jainism believes that acquisitiveness is incompatible with virtue because it breeds corruption. The acquisitive person is quite literally eaten up with
materialistic way of conducting human affairs
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