Already 20 years passed since the act of communist system collapsing began. In almost all European Union countries this anniversary is celebrated as a freedom festival. Watching no further than our country or even the continent, we can easily imagine that our planet became peaceful and quiet place...
Of course each mature member of the global village watching TV news, reading newspapers or having access to internet is conscious that this apperances are very confusing. Conflicts between nations, political systems or etnic groups still take place in nowadays world and don't seem to end in the nearest future. Let's take a closer look on some examples of today's wars and reason making them happen.
South America
As one of the poorest areas of the world, with overpopulated cities and extremely weak economy, South America after World War II had favourable conditions for revolutionary contingents activity. People like Che Guevarra or Fidel Castro gave signal for almost all South America to create guerillas like their and fight for people's freedom. It actually meant begin of devastating for the Latin countries rebels.
In fact, paramilitary units are still acting in America, but their purpose appear not to have much in common with fight for improving people's status. Organisations like columbian FARC are controling huge teritories of countries' province, attacking and robbing travellers, kidnapping tourists and politicians, terrorising poor villagers.
In fact, paramilitary units are still acting in America, but their purpose appear not to have much in common with fight for improving people's status. Organisations like columbian FARC are controling huge teritories of countries' province, attacking and robbing travellers, kidnapping tourists and politicians, terrorising poor villagers.
Furthermore, the situation is complicated by drugs problem. Coca leafs is natural element of diet for south-american Indians and people living in Andes. In Bolivia huge plantations of coca are not only legal, but their owners brought to election of populist Evo Morales for bolivian president. However, coca leafs are used to produce cocaine - for poor areas of South America the source of considerable profits. Money connected with drugs business is also supporting guerilla's operations. Without it paramilitary units wouldn't exist and America would probably be much more peaceful and developed region.
The Kashmir
The British Empire in XIX-th century used to rule over a quarter of world. During this period one of the main parts of the Empire was India called the Pearl in the Crown. In 1947 India regained independence and divided into two countries - islamic Pakistan and hindu India. Conflict between this two religions existing on Indian subcontinent originally comes from XVI-century, when descendants of Genghis Khan conquered India, but didn't get a larger scale until the British dominated the region. Political support given to one group or another allowed British to rule India easier. Since that time antagonism between the two groups of India's habitats remarkably increased.
The Kashmir region is mainly inhabited by muslims, but after a decision of it's maharaja from 1947 it became part of Hindu Republic of India. It caused dissatisfaction of the locals and prothests of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. After two regular wars the region is devided between three countries, because also China took part in the conflict and still occupies Akksai Chin province.
The Kashmir region is mainly inhabited by muslims, but after a decision of it's maharaja from 1947 it became part of Hindu Republic of India. It caused dissatisfaction of the locals and prothests of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. After two regular wars the region is devided between three countries, because also China took part in the conflict and still occupies Akksai Chin province.
Nowadays Kashmir is still politically restless. From time to time riots caused by antagonistic groups of region's inhabitats take place, bombs are planted and explode, border clashes with military units participation occur. Both sides of the conflict are in posession of nuclear missiles.
AfricaPolitical existence of many of the African countries is as young as the end of colonial era in european history. Up to early 1960's major part of the continent was ruled by the British Empire and few other european countries. When succesive countries gained independence, most of them still didn't have their national, but only tribal community membership spirit shaped. Moreover, borders between the states didn't in fact cover natural borders between the tribes and religious divisions. It all caused that new born countries like Burundi, Rwanda or Congo faced insuperable political difficulties and plunged into internal wars, escalation of which we could observe in 1990's.
Almost each of this bloody african conflicts costed lifes of hundreds of thousands people and produced thousands of orphans. It turns out that for military organisations children are extremely useful. Being given alcohol, sometimes drugs and fire-arms these underaged soldiers commit awful crimes.
Almost each of this bloody african conflicts costed lifes of hundreds of thousands people and produced thousands of orphans. It turns out that for military organisations children are extremely useful. Being given alcohol, sometimes drugs and fire-arms these underaged soldiers commit awful crimes.
African problems seem to be unsoluble by the international community, help comming from charity organisations is often wasted by corrupted local governments. Conflicts in Africa won't probably end until certain political solutions are reached.
Multimedia sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X87zcC6bntY
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/GuerrilleroHeroico.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCPNAZaMCXM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0HKSYEPwV8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHls2gCrcLo
http://www.freeclipartnow.com/d/20963-1/Africa-large.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YqiMYHnpSU
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ReplyDeleteHow awfull is it, ha? Unfortunatelly it's true. The worst thing is that people who used to live in same villages and comunnicate normaly are killing each other with no mercy. Kidnapped children are often made to kill their relatives or friends. That's a tragedy. The question is, if there is really nothing we can do to stop those wars? ONZ is probably doing something, charity fundations are helping to, but how can we force people to use words instead of gun to come up with political solution.
ReplyDeleteIf you are interested in this matter I could recommend a great film touching this problem in Africa. The film is called "Last king of Scotland". Really it's worth seeing.
I don't have to mention that I'm strongly against using force as a tool of reaching solution in any case.I wish there was something people could do to stop all those wars. What is worst is that in all wars and conflicts it's ordinary people who suffer most. When there is a political conflict we use to say that one country is fighting against another. We use to skip the fact that there are real people usually civilians just like us out there dying and suffering.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it seems little can be done to stop wars and conflicts in the world especially if we keep looking at differences between people and what part them instead at what we have in common and what could join us.
War is the oldest problem of the world. Unfortunatelly majority of them don't have any solution. Often situation are very complicated. Some parts of world are real mixture of religious, ideolgies and nations. It is sad that in our contemporary world we cann't stop cruelty and pain. All around the world innocent people die every day. We can't accept it, but in fact we don't have any possibilities to help. Rich, western countries help only in places where they can earn. War wiil be prodably always present on Earth becouse it is good buisines. We will always find dishonest, and bad people. I hope that one they we will have enouth power to stop them:)
ReplyDeleteWar is really difficult problem for me. I can't imagine how hard is to live during such dramatic circumstances because I've never had to manage it. However, I can say something about this theme becouse of my grandmother. She remembered all tradgedy of Second World War and I know exactly how dramatic it was. I hope that our future never bring us such difficult problem to manage with.
ReplyDeleteAll wars and conflict are dreadful tragedy for everybody who are involved into it, I mean all of people who fight and civilians. I think civilian casualties are the worst effect of war. It is sad because people who are in charge of giving orders usually don't care about innocent victims.
ReplyDeleteWar is a dramatic situation and I wish I will never get such an experience.
One of the reporters in the second video asked the man if people should react to moves of revolutionists and guerilla. The man said of course that yes, they should. But how we can be responsive to force and ruthlessness without the same weapon?
ReplyDeleteIn spite of fact that we live in cilized and we try to resolve our conflicts in non-violent way, there are wars around the world where people are killed. There are so many reasons: hatered, fear, greed, ambitions, oil, etc. I belive that those reasons haven`t changed ever (maybe except of oil).
ReplyDeleteIt`s sad that on war die people who didn`t wanted it.
I wish that someday people learn to solve their conflicts without using violence. War is terrible way to do this. I can't even imagine life during a war. My grandparents told me about it and I hope that I will never see that things with my own eyes.
ReplyDelete