Peace is a phenomenon that traverses political, economic, religious, tribal, and racial divides and the pursuit of its ethos is encouraged on a global scale.
The topmost organization in the world that is dedicated to the pursuit of peace among nations is the United Nations and its efforts so far have fallen below expectations, as there is hardly any part of the world that is not experiencing conflict in one form or another.
According to the UN, her annual budget for the 2021 fiscal year stands at $3.2 billion.
This figure alone proves that peace is costly, whichever way you choose to pursue it.
In the old world, when two nations fight a war and eventually come to the negotiation table, both sides usually negotiate terms of peace or ceasefire;
these terms may include payment of tax to the conquering nation, trade concessions or outright forfeiture of some part of territory or total sovereignty.
This means one cannot bring about peace without making some painful sacrifices.
Nevertheless, I strongly believe that war is more costlier than peace, for the following reasons:
• War Is A Waste of Money
War is a total waste of financial resources that ought to have been used for the betterment of a country and its citizenry.
According to the BBC, the United States spent a whopping $822 billion on the war in Afghanistan. This figure alone is more than enough to end poverty in Africa by creating employment opportunities for her teeming youths.
• War Destroys Personal And Public Property
All wars, both ancient and modern have always ended with near total destruction of personal and public property, thereby leaving those affected homeless, sick and refugees in their own country or other countries.
• War Takes Away Personal And Collective Freedoms
In times of war, people generally lose their personal and collective freedoms, such as freedom of choice, freedom of worship, freedom of speech, freedom of association, suffrage, education and employment, etc.
• War Destroys Personal And Collective Peace
In times of war, people can no longer enjoy peace, as their lives, properties and loved ones are exposed to harm.
• War Destroys Personal Relationships
War destroys the personal relationship and interaction that exists between couples, families, and friends, thereby causing grief, loneliness and suffering.
• War Destroys Human And Animal Lives
Throughout history, war has always destroyed huge number of human and animal lives directly and indirectly and its effects lasts for centuries after wars have ended.
• War Causes Emotional Problems
War is a major cause of emotional problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety.
• War Causes Retrogression Instead of Progress
War is a major cause of poverty and hunger in the world today.
A case in study is the Nigerian - Biafran War.
According to Tufts University, between 500,000 and 1 million Biafran civilians died of hunger.
Another example is Libya, a relatively rich country that has fallen behind economically in recent years due to its ongoing civil war.
• War Increases Crime Rate
War motivates people to go into criminal activities, because of the breakdown of law and order, homelessness, hunger, lack of political will and loss of employment.
We have seen that the cost of war is quite multifaceted, enormous and makes fighting wars unattractive.
But do you think people who make decisions in favour of fighting wars and even commit financial resources and personnel to wars actually give a thought to the implications?
Please leave suggestions on how we can ensure peace in our communities, nations and the world at large in the comment box. And please share this article. Thanks.