World of Philosophy

Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan

Page 433

CONFLICT RESOLUTION - THE GANDHIAN WAY
- Dr. S. Indira
Humanity has entered into the new millennium. The important task before the humankind is maintaining tolerance and keeping the world at peace. In fact Twentieth century is the era of wars, revolutions, violence and crises. This is because of the unending quest for power among the individuals and nations. The competition for power is an undeniable part of human existence in the modern world. It is in the process of transition from the industrial civilization to the post-industrial civilization with its heavy emphasis on science and technology. In spite of significant material advancement made by man, crisis and instability have become the order of the day. The quest for peace has become the continuous process. This is mainly due to the differences of opinions and also due to the aberrations in the thinking and attitudes of the individuals. The differences between the individuals lead to the quarrels between the groups in society led to civil war and between the states led to war. It became one of the paradoxes of the present century. Conflicts are inherent in a rapidly changing society. The history of the world reveals that it has been the aim of every monarch to wage war, expand his dominions with a view to establish an empire and to be called emperor. Wars have been conducted for the sake of wealth and material profit. Even the twentieth century has seen the treacherous greed of nations and their leaders to conquer and rule over others. With the advancement of science, wars have become more and more brutal and devastating. Various attempts made for the abandonment of wars and establishment of peace also found in the history. The Buddha preached the message of ahimsa and compassion. Ashoka followed Buddha's path of peace. Jesus Christ also preached the message of love, forgiveness and peace.
In addition to this, the persistence of terrorism, nationalism and consumerism have emerged as challenges facing the entire global community. The modern international terrorism with its complex network of funding, arms purchase and supply, training and planning makes the life of the people more miserable. It has provoked a global consensus condemning terrorism in all its forms. Almost thirteen international conventions agreed to work against terrorism. In fact international cooperation is the key to combat terrorism as a global problem. With multinational entities like European Union and other regional and global organizations also started working against terrorism. The United Nations was established with the hope of eliminating war and terrorism and ushering the global cooperation of freedom, peace and human rights. The dangers arise from the support for terrorism by some countries or groups lead to the international rivalries. It can also be self-destructive as terrorist groups created for specific purpose may strike back even at their own creators. The Taliban financed by CIA against the
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