Marwan Saleh’s Post

JFK's "Peace Speech" from 1963 is a call for self-examination, as relevant today - given the West's stance on Gaza (“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.") & undermining of the U.N. - as during the Cold War. Soviet leader Khrushchev was so impressed with this speech, he allowed it to be printed in it’s entirety, uncensored, in Pravda. Imagine if in each dispute with a partner or coworker, one resorted to threats and giving the other party no option but to retreat in humiliation?  It takes a bigger person to show tolerance, respect, and a genuine desire to find common ground. Quotes (full text below): .... "With such a peace, there will still be quarrels and conflicting interests, as there are within families and nations. World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbor--it requires only that they live together in mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement." .... " But it is also a warning--a warning to the American people not to see only a distorted and desperate view of the other side, not to see conflict as inevitable, accommodation as impossible, and communication as nothing more than an exchange of threats." ..... "No government or social system is so evil that its people must be considered as lacking in virtue. As Americans, we find communism profoundly repugnant as a negation of personal freedom and dignity. But we can still hail the Russian people for their many achievements--in science and space, in economic and industrial growth, in culture and in acts of courage." ..... "So, let us not be blind to our differences--but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal." "We are not engaged in a debate, seeking to pile up debating points. We are not here distributing blame or pointing the finger of judgment. We must deal with the world as it is, and not as it might have been had the history been different." "Meanwhile, we seek to strengthen the United Nations, to help solve its financial problems, to make it a more effective instrument for peace, to develop it into a genuine world security system--a system capable of resolving disputes on the basis of law, of insuring the security of the large and the small." Video: https://lnkd.in/eGyHgHyS Full Transcript:  https://lnkd.in/emd6BC7c  -------------------------

Are we headed toward civil war here in the United States? That’s the question John Paul Lederach, renowned peacebuilder and Senior Fellow at Humanity United, is asked with increasing frequency. In today’s op-ed in The Washington Post, where he draws forward lessons and stories from his newly released “Pocket Guide for Facing Down a Civil War,” Dr. Lederach says “the best way to end a civil war is to stop it before it happens.” From his work in conflict zones around the world, Dr. Lederach shares inspiring stories of people around the world who have defied violence and pursued peace. As America faces deepening divides, political violence, and polarization, everyday people may be asking themselves what role they play in breaking the cycles of violence. Indeed, everyday people's courage, relationships, and humanity are the key to bridging divides and choosing a different path forward. This is a #mustread for anyone committed to peace. Please help share it far and wide. Pocket guide: https://lnkd.in/gH2FNyiV 

How low American statesmen and leaders have fallen, since that moment? I do not know if things happened exactly as portrayed there, but it does express values that, alas, disappeared from US foreign policy. America lost its magnamimity: humanity, honesty, and mercy. All that was destroyed, from the inside, by a group American academics, who brought back an infamous foreign policy doctrine from the rubbles of war-ravaged Germany, and revived it in the 1950s. It's called 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑚: developed and refined by Otto von Bismarck, founder of the Second German Reich (which ushered not unsurprisingly into the Third). A character whom they raised to the status patron saint and idol. For political realists, international law, honesty, morals, ethics and truth are empty words. They smirk when they hear that. Their motto has been, ever since: 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡. Force of arms, and military violence only determines what it right and what is wrong. Needless to say, political realists understood the rule of a Militaristic caste over Japan from 1932 to August 1945, since they thought along the same line. According to that philosophy, Japan had obviously been "doing right" in Manchuria, Korea and China, by virtue of the fact it had the military might to do so. And they will likely disapprove General Mc Arthur for not having punished and degraded the Emperor of Japan, in the same way as American Presidents became eager to demean other chiefs of state, since the early 2000s. Witness the smugness with which American Presidents have liked to travel around Europe lately, and the way they treat European heads of states: as lackeys. Of course, Donald Trump was a caricatural instance of this, an oaf who did not bother to learn geography. But so were George W. Bush and his gang of cynical thugs, who left Europeans and Arabs stunned with their demeanor. And what about Barack Obama, who came to a speech in Stockholm to humiliate a Committee who had (probably unadvisedly) granted him a Nobel Prize for Peace?... and went on to broadcast worldwide the extra-judicial execution of a terrorist? And what about Joe Biden, who doesn't seem to tell the difference between (sordid) family business and US affairs of state? It's heart-wrenching: the latest American Presidents have completely turned their backs to what America used to be. Their moral justification is their bombs and cannons. These are not statesmen, but second-class politicoes, barely good enough to grasp their parrochial affairs, and wilfully ignorant of the rules and needs of the broad world. One of the reasons, is that they learned this claptrap about political realism at university. Just like the British of the 19th century, they have no problem going to war for the freedoms their own country, but can't figure out why they should grant those same rights to non-American people? Political realism might be a euphemism for pre-1945 ethnic supremacism.

IDERD DAY - HUMANITY, NOT RACISM The 2024 theme of the International Day is “A Decade of Recognition, Justice, and Development: Implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent”. LEARN MORE (United Nations) https://lnkd.in/ggyHWVN

A Century of Lies: https://lnkd.in/ghKkczkN We all live at a very dangerous time in history. The world’s leadership is in the hands of warrior nations that have caused the most pain, misery, and suffering throughout modern history. They have divided & conquered the world through wars, propaganda, false flags, sabotage, bribing, blackmailing, and threatening political leaders, creating a world that is perpetually at war, under the guise of promoting freedom, justice, equality, and world peace. The world has been seduced by a biased Western media, controlled by plutocrats who control puppet governments. Major media outlets under their ownership only report whatever coincides with their agenda. Without the truth, freedom, justice, and equality is just an illusion. The war is escalating in the Middle East and the only way to prevent further escalation is by stopping all the lies perpetrated by governments and the media. The truth disempowers those who use lies to manipulate us. Spreading the truth is imperative. 

Excellent and thought provoking perspective.

"Let us reaffirm our commitment to bridging divides, fostering religious understanding and cooperation among people of all cultures and beliefs. Together, let us forge a path towards a more peaceful, just and harmonious world for all." UN Secretary-General António Guterres Learn more about International Day of Human Fraternity at https://lnkd.in/gdDgNMc and help create a world of peace and cooperation.

Frequently, on the way to work I will listen to the words of historical world leaders in times of challenge.. One's that envisioned a world that does not exist, but one that could be. A vision of of a world that may be extremely difficult to build, but one they would fully commit to themselves to helping us get there. President Kennedy has many that fit this description. This is one of my favorites. A person that made his fame in war (World War II) but devoted the rest of his life to peace... "What kind of peace do I mean and what kind of a peace do we seek?..... I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, and the kind that enables men and nations to grow, and to hope, and build a better life for their children -- not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women, not merely peace in our time but peace in all time...I speak of peace, therefore, as the necessary, rational end of rational men. I realize the pursuit of peace is not as dramatic as the pursuit of war, and frequently the words of the pursuers fall on deaf ears. But we have no more urgent task...Our problems are manmade; therefore, they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Man's reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable, and we believe they can do it again...And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's futures. And we are all mortal." https://lnkd.in/gyi2CbnW

1.5.2024 DAY OF DIALOGUE Two sides of a coin Express beliefs and reasons Argue? Agree? Learn. 1.4.24 mhq #haikuchallenge24 Did you know we have a National Day of Dialogue dedicated to finding common ground, building a more empathetic society to overcome hate and division? https://lnkd.in/dfyDQ5kT. As Tacoma’s Peace Laureate, my lessons from Oslo and a lifetime of work conclude that peace making depends on each person’s commitment as well as large scale efforts to resolve the root causes of injustices, violence and armed conflict. Sign the Pledge: 
I recognize that the current state of division in America is at a dangerous level and that I can play an active role to change it for the better. I pledge to do what I can to improve the current tone of political conversation in my community. When I encounter disagreements with others, I pledge to listen first to understand the perspectives of those I disagree with, and to be an example of constructive dialogue whenever possible. Most importantly, I pledge to see those I disagree with as fellow citizens, and treat them with the same dignity and respect I want for myself.

I aim to transform the world for the betterment of our nation's future. To initiate this process, I am currently engaging in discussions with the programs I am involved in, focusing on the crucial need for curriculum modification in the historical context. The narrow focus on European history without acknowledging the diverse histories of other cultures is deeply disturbing to me. It is essential to give due recognition to the stories of our ancestors, and not allow them to be disregarded or distorted due to the influence of white supremacy. The construction of our world was made possible by the contributions of Native Americans, Black people, Latin people, Asian people, and others. The unfair desire for dominance by white supremacy must not be allowed to continue, as it leads to the marginalization and oppression of other groups. Why must we all suffer due to the desire of a single group to control our beliefs, actions, and religion? It is time for us to come together as a society and nation, and work towards a harmonious coexistence, rather than perpetuating conflicts and wars. The survival of our planet depends on our ability to unite and respect each other's differences.