| ABU Otsuki Award "World Peace-through the experiences of a pearson with disability" Sri Lanka Riensie Benedict (61/male) |
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"BOOOOOOOM".. shattered glass, screams and moans, the thud of falling debris, plumes of smoke soaring skywards, crackling flames, people running helter skelter hither, thither and yolk. This scenario has been a regular occurrence in my motherland, Sri Lanka, during the last quarter of a century. After twenty four years of conflict, there does not appear to be any fight at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, terrorism, killings and destruction in Sri Lanka have been in the forefront of world news also for over two decades. Other such situations have been prevailing in Kashmir, Assam, Mizoram and Nagaland in India; bomb attacks in lslamabad, Karachi and Waziristan in Pakistan; regular political violence in Bangladesh; the decade old Maoist insurgency in Nepal; clashes in Myanmar; Muslim rebellion in the south of Thailand; bombings in Bali, Aceh province and other parts of Indonesia; and insurgency in Philippines. Sri Lankans are only too well aware of tile urgent and imperative need for peace in our hearts, minds, homes, workplaces and in our nation. World peace is of paramount importance for the survival of the human race. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it is a sad reflection on the state of the world that much more has been spent on arms, ammunition, and other devices of destruction; than on medical research and equipment. Is this the contribution the powerful and wealthy nations of the world have made towards world peace? Communism, capitalism, imperialism, socialism, globalization are some of the pet themes blamed for the non-existence of peace in most parts of the world. Another threat to peace is the widening gap between the haves and have-nots. The disparity between incomes of workers in developed countries and those in less developed countries is several-fold. While many in developed countries have the finest health care facilities, poor patients in the LDCs have to survive on the barest of facilities. The resulting anger and resentment causes dissension and protest in LDCs, and may metamorphose into revolution and rebellion. Religious fundamentalism or extremism is another catalyst which undermines peace and stability. The causes for such religious intolerance must be researched into and eradicated at the initial stages. Several decades ago, communism viewed religion as the opium of the masses. Has that become a reality? Religion and religious leaders have a major role to play in the attainment and maintenance of peace. Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Buddha and Prophet Mohammed have peace as the cornerstone of their preaching and doctrine. Christians refer to Jesus Christ as the "prince of peace" and " peace be with you" is a regular saying in Christian services. So do other mainstream religions espouse the need for peace. Thus it is a mystery how extremism and violence have surreptitiously inveigled themselves into such holy and hallowed doctrines. Pacifism should be the beacon spreading a message of peace and goodwill, of love and compassion, of giving and forgiving. Clergy and laity should ask their conscience whether they have made genuine efforts towards achieving lasting peace. All religious activities should objectively pursue tolerance and respect for the beliefs of others. Religion and politics should be kept poles apart. The breakup of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s appeared to give a glimmer of hope for lasting world peace. But alas, this was short-lived with the 8 year Iran -lraqwar in the 1980s and the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in the early 1990s(the infamous mother of battles). This precipitated a war-like environment in other parts of the world too. Caught up in this vortex of war and terrorism, what chance do the disabled, have to survive attacks or escape from them? They have not even the chance of an ice cube in hell! The disabled have no opportunity to speedily escape from sights of bombs and landmine explosions, suicide bomb attacks and aerial bombing which is regularly practiced by not only terrorists and mercenaries but also by so-called democratic governments. Thus, persons with disabilities must unite with one voice against war mongering and terrorism. We cannot lie idle and unconcerned and let the world and war go by. The school is the ideal temple for inculcating the basic, facets of peace. What better way to familiarize students at an early age on how vital peace is for the survival of humanity, than by introducing peace and stability as a subject in the syllabus. Students who realize that peace is an essential pre-requisite for growth and stability will disseminate these facts amongst their colleagues and families and this would serve as a vast outpouring of world peace. Disabled persons should mobilize others to resist military operations by their governments. A conciliatory approach is more likely to resolve disputes rather than confrontational attitude. We, the disabled, should highlight that during the past five decades or more, no country or group has succeeded in obtaining their demands or suppressing an uprising by the use of force and resorting to war. These significant features should be emphasized by the disabled through their national and international organizations by making representations to the warring parties; the UN; religious hierarchy and powerful world leaders. We should urge our national and international organizations to form an Universal Movement of the Disabled for stopping and preventing wars and establishing world peace and stability. This Movement, or even national disabled organizations, could align with the Greenpeace movement or Red Cross, both at domestic and international level, to achieve our vision of a war-free world. If it is our contention that the death and destruction from wars is a hundredfold more severe on persons with disabilities than on non-disabled persons. Then, like night follows day, it must naturally follow that our efforts to end wars and create peace and stability, must similarly be a hundredfold more active than those of non-disabledpersons. Concerned parties must rise and act now: Let the disabled be in the vanguard of peace for all; once and for all. |
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