Reflections on War and Violence – “Let Us Beat Swords Into Ploughshares”

by John McLaughlin

Let Us Beat Swords Into Ploughshares

As I share these thoughts, it seems appropriate as today, September 21, is the International Day of Peace. The theme of the discussion at last month’s IGR meeting was “War and Violence”. By co-incidence our monthly meeting fell on September 11, the anniversary of the horrendous attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York that killed thousands of people and shocked the world. The effects of this tragedy have rippled throughout the world and into so many aspects of our lives even after 24 years. As significant as this event was, our attention since then has been again and again drawn towards new conflicts between peoples on the basis of religion, culture, politics or inter-state rivalries.

Meanwhile, on September 9 of this year, the 80^th session of the UN General Assembly opened. In his opening remarks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres shared a dire assessment of global conflict and crises, warning of fragile international cooperation and a significant increase in the destruction caused by war. He urged world leaders to act decisively to silence guns, end suffering, and build peace, emphasizing that peace requires nations to look beyond their national interests to find collaborative solutions. Does this sound familiar? It seems that such warnings and appeals for rational actions on the part of nation states are shared annually but with no noticeable progress towards their accomplishment.

Many people view the UN with skepticism or scorn, criticizing it for its shortcomings, especially with regards to addressing matters of peace. Yet it is the best humanity has yet achieved in coming together to address global issues. The primary mandate of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security, foster friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation in solving global problems (economic, social, cultural, humanitarian), and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. Who can argue against this? Isn’t this an expression of the noble goals of all of our religions and humanistic philosophies? The goal of the end of war and peaceful coexistence is celebrated in the bronze sculpture “Let Us Beat Swords Into Ploughshares” outside the UN headquarters in New York. It was inspired by and depicts the prophecy of Isaiah of ~2500 years ago, "They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

Why, after many years of effort, has humanity been unable to achieve this goal? WWI, “the war to end all wars”, WWII, with >50 million civilian deaths, including the genocidal murder of 6 million Jews, the Rwandan genocide (~1 million killed), and other disastrous conflicts too many to list, have stirred the consciences of good-hearted people and gave rise to calls for the establishment of peace on earth. In fact, the “League of Nations” was an early attempt at global cooperation created after WWI, and the UN itself was established in response to WWII. So, why have such calls gone unanswered and such attempts fallen short? What are we missing?

It is apparent that good intentions alone cannot bring about the peace so many of us long for, and the efforts of statesmen at the diplomatic level have also fallen short. Perhaps a new vision generated by a new consciousness, along with a new structure of world order, are needed. In the 19^th century, Bahá'u'lláh, called upon humanity to adopt a new, world-embracing vision, “Let your vision be world embracing, rather than confined to your own self” and, “The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.” He also assessed the existing world order and warned, "The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing Order appeareth to be lamentably defective." 

Sadly, our current vision of the world and humanity falls far short, with endless combinations of “us and them” generating and fueling conflicts. No lasting good can come from such limited vision. Rather, a firm conviction of the “oneness of humanity” allows us to approach every issue with the understanding that the welfare of the part lies in the welfare of the whole, and to see that national interests are best pursued, as encouraged by the UN Secretary-General in his message, by finding, “collaborative solutions.”

And what about the obstacles to peace rooted in the current world order? International relations are dominated by the theory of “political realism”, which views international politics as a struggle for power and security among self-interested states. In an anarchic system (one without a central authority), states prioritize their own national interests and survival, leading to competition rather than cooperation. This philosophy guarantees that conflict and war will occur. International relations, however, do not need to be conducted according to “political realism.” An alternative approach was prescribed by Bahá'u'lláh, an approach aimed at protecting the unity, security and well-being of all of humanity. In the latter half of the 19^th century, Bahá'u'lláh called for the election of a World Parliament and also stated, "The time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding of a vast, an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally realized.  The rulers and kings of the earth must needs attend it, and participating in its deliberations, must consider such ways and means as will lay the foundations of the world's Great Peace amongst men." Concerning the proceedings for this world gathering, Abdu'l Bahá, the son of Bahá'u'lláh, offered these insights in 1875, 150 years ago: "They must make the Cause of Peace the object of general consultation, and seek by every means in their power to establish a Union of the nations of the world.  They must conclude a binding treaty and establish a covenant, the provisions of which shall be sound, inviolable and definite.  They must proclaim it to all the world and obtain for it the sanction of all the human race.  This supreme and noble undertaking - the real source of the peace and well being of all the world - should be regarded as sacred by all that dwell on earth.  All the forces of humanity must be mobilized to ensure the stability and permanence of this Most Great Covenant.  In this all-embracing Pact the limits and frontiers of each and every nation should be clearly fixed, the principles underlying the relations of governments towards one another definitely laid down, and all international agreements and obligations ascertained.  In like manner, the size of the armaments of every government should be strictly limited, for if the preparations for war and the military forces of any nation should be allowed to increase, they will arouse the suspicion of others. The fundamental principle underlying this solemn Pact should be so fixed that if any government later violates any one of its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise to reduce it to utter submission, nay the human race as a whole should resolve, with every power at its disposal, to destroy that government.  Should this greatest of all remedies be applied to the sick body of the world, it will assuredly recover from its ills and will remain eternally safe and secure." Thus, a system of collective security is envisioned, with an effective international peace-keeping force empowered to intervene between warring parties when necessary.

The gathering of world leaders called for by Bahá'u'lláh and described by Abdu’l-Bahá is long overdue. How long will we have to wait, and how much suffering endured, before humanity takes this necessary step on the path to real and lasting peace?