Article Title: Is it Possible to Counter and Ultimately Defeat Terrorism? Just sharing a Few Thoughts (from Working, Striving Towards a More Peaceful World)
Author: Craig Lock
Key Words: Peace, Terrorism, Solutions, Possibilities for Peace, Politics, World, Middle East, Israel, “Inspiration”, “Words of Empowerment”
(enough there now, craig!)
Web site: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4
The submitter’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) are at http://peacepursuit.wordpress.com/http://breakdownwalls.wordpress.com/ and http://craigsblogs.wordpress.com
Other Articles are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/profile.cfm?writerid=981 (Personal growth, self help, writing, internet marketing, spiritual, ‘spiritual writings’ (how ‘airey-fairey’), words of inspiration and money management, how boring now, craig)
Publishing Guidelines: These writings sharing a few personal thoughts on one of the biggest problems in the world today (as with all my articles) may be freely published electronically or in print. Please excuse “caps”. I’m not “Shouting”, but this “total non-techno” doesn’t know any other way to make what I consider to be the key points/words stand out.
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IS IT POSSIBLE TO COUNTER TERRORISM?
If so, What CAN be done? As I ponder the huge problems of the world and possible SOLUTIONS to endemic terrorism… The root cause, I believe is POVERTY and a sense of HOPELESSNESS, which is a recipe and a ‘breeding ground’ for extreme political views and anarchy (witness Iraq, Sudan and Somalia). I think a multi-lateral and collaborative approach by many nations is needed to defeat terrorism, as the military option on its own will not be a permanent solution. But what can we ‘ordinary people’ in the world do about this “seemingly unconquerable and epidemic evil”? EDUCATION: is the key to bettering oneself, the tool to raise ourselves above our circumstances and so create a culture, a mindset of ASPIRATION of those around us COMMUNICATION??? Probably not an option with terrorists, but still try to get into and subsequently change the hearts and the minds of the ‘ordinary enemy’. GIVING PEOPLE A STAKE IN SOCIETY (ie “democratic” principles) gives a sense of satisfaction and personal FULFILMENT to ‘ordinary’ citizens, which leads to STABILITY which leads to a SOUND ECONOMY… which leads to an environment of GROWTH and PROSPERITY which leads to most importantly PEACE… and so HAPPINESS and so the cycle continues .
“Change can only happen when you first change the hearts and minds of those who oppose you.”
Many small actions, many tiny steps by many “little” people will eventually reach their destination. So YOU can plant tiny seeds (even a mustard-seed) of small actions and see how from tiny acorns, giant oak-trees grow.
Just as one spark, an ember can light a raging bush-fire, let’s plant, then ignite seeds of justice, hope, peace and light … and together let’s march into a better and brighter future… one sunny day we ‘ordinary citizens of the world’ WILL “win the war for peace” .
Shared by craig
As Dr Martin Luther King, Jnr so wisely said: “Those who stand up for justice will always be on the right side of history.”
“Leaders of countries (and the world) must first understand that reconciliation, real genuine reconciliation cannot merely be a ‘feel good’ concept; but will only be achieved by an orderly, perhaps even at times a gradual process of social and economic transformation… steadily and with the right motives, the highest moral will and in a spirit of utmost integrity – one of moving towards the ultimate goal. And only by following this path will eradicate disparities between diverse segments of societies and so ensure a lasting and smooth reconciliation of conflicts around the globe.”
– craig (as inspired by the words of South African,`JD Allende (former Provincial Chairman of the ANC Youth League and NEC member)
“To claim men like Osama Bin Laden represent mainstream Islam is a ridiculous as alleging Christianity is represented by the likes of Radovan Karadzic. As congregations, communities and nations, we must join hands to fight the cancer of terrorism. Terrorist bombs don’t discriminate on the base of race or religion.” – Irfan Yusuf, a Sydney (Australia) lawyer, currently writing a book titled ‘Once Were Radicals’.
PS: Here are some fine inspirational words from Imran Kahn (former Pakistan cricket captain and now on a mission to rescue his country from corruption, which I feel are worthy of sharing… “It is time to change tactics on the so-called war on terror. There is hope in President-elect Barack Obama. After the September 11 attacks and those on July 7, and now the attacks on Mumbai, I am apalled at the way terrorism has been given a religious identity. NO religion allows terrorism. The phrase ‘Islamic terrorist’ is a smokescreen that diverts attention from the political reasons why people are blowing themselves up. The war on terror, which many Pakistanis see as a war on Islam is why there is no shortage of people willing to lay down their lives for religion. Terrorism is an illness. All terrorism is political.”
– from an article by Elizabeth Grice in The Daily Telegraph (December 2008)
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“Let us not negotiate out of fear, but let us not fear to negotiate.” – John F Kennedy
“There can be no peace without reconciliation and there can be no reconciliation. without justice.” – Corazin Aquino (former Prime Minister of the Phillipines)
“Let each one of us build bridges rather than barriers, openness rather than walls. Let us look at distant horizons together in a spirit of acceptance, helpfulness, co-operation and peace. Let our leaders look at the future with a vision – to see things not as they are, but what they could one day become.” – craig
“We can all be great, because we can all serve.”
About the submitter:
Craig is passionate about a more peaceful world; so in his various writings Craig strives in some small way to break down social, cultural, religious and economic barriers through “planting, then sowing ideas as ‘seeds of hope’”. He believes that whilst we should celebrate our differences, what we share is way more important than what divides us. Craig’s new work ‘A New Dawn’ is set in the Middle East: To attempt to find ‘common ground’/principles between different religions and cultures and to try to make some difference in building bridges in an ever more dangerous, turbulent and uncertain world. “A passionate story of inspiration: hope, faith, peace and especially love.”
The various books that Craig “felt inspired to write” are available at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4 and www.creativekiwis.com/index.php/books/74-craigs-books
The submitter’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) are at http://peacepursuit.wordpress.com/http://breakdownwalls.wordpress.com/ and http://craigsblogs.wordpress.com
“When people’s hearts are filled with love, the world is full of hope”
– craig
“Someday, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tide and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love. Then, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.”
– Teilhard De Chardin
“Together, one mind, one life at a time, let’s see how many people we can impact, uplift, empower, encourage and perhaps even inspire to reach their fullest potentials.”
THESE THOUGHTS MAY BE FREELY PUBLISHED
PPS
“There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask ‘why’? I dream of things that never were, and ask ‘why not’?”
~Robert F. Kennedy
“Few (of us) will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man (or woman) stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, (she or) he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” — the powerful and greatly inspiring words of Robert F. Kennedy (with my little insertions in brackets)
From http://peacepursuit.wordpress.com/ and http://breakdownwalls.wordpress.com/
WHO IS "THE REAL, THE TRUE, THE LIVING" JESUS? 