Is world peace possible? A hundred thousand people have fled their homes. Everywhere we look there is more conflict. Some think a peaceful world has never looked more remote.
An invasion. Bombs. Over 100,000 new refugees
Is world peace possible? A hundred thousand people have fled their homes. Everywhere we look there is more conflict. Some think a peaceful world has never looked more remote.
Through a narrow mountain pass snakes a convoy of 21,000 cars. Many of them have belongings piled up on their roofs - too many for such small vehicles, but far too few for the whole families crammed into the seats.
More than 100,000 ArmenianArmenia is a former Soviet republic in the Caucasus region between Asia and Europe. civiliansPeople who are not in the army or the police. have fled the region of Nagorno-KarabakhA mountainous region of the South Caucasus. The area is disputed by Azerbaijan and Armenia. in the last week, fearing a new round of ethnic cleansingThe systematic forced removal from one area or killing of an ethnic group, with the aim of creating a region that is ethnically homogeneous. at the hands of AzerbaijanA former Soviet Republic between the Caspian Sea and Caucasus mountains. .1
This crisis has deep roots, but the current conflict began in 1991, when Azerbaijan and Armenia went to war over Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia won and the region became self-governing.
Then in 2020 war broke out again. Azerbaijan recaptured parts of the region in a bloody war.
Since then they have chipped away at the territory and last month they launched a military assault that ended its self-rule.
That does not mean the conflict is over, however. It has created new tensions between Armenia and Russia, which was supposed to protect its smaller neighbour.
Meanwhile Azerbaijan seems to be testing how far it can go. Since 2020 it has repeatedly sent soldiers to occupy Armenian land, committing atrocitiesTerrible things. against civilians at the same time. We should expect even more incursionsSudden or brief invasions. in future.
This is causing some to despair of the idea that the world will ever be at peace. According to one estimate, in just 268 of the last 3,400 years has there been no war on Earth.2
Some say the only way of securing peace is through the threat of war. Great powers should step in to prevent wars from breaking out.
Others say war cannot be a guarantee of peace. Whether small countries go to war or big ones do, a war is a war.
Some theorists believe there would be fewer wars if every country were a democracyA system of government based on the idea of rule by the people.. They believe we can achieve world peace only through justice, not through more war.
<h5 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper" id="question"><strong>Is world peace possible?</strong></h5>
Yes: Humans are not naturally warlike. We go to war for things: land, resources, honour, pride. If we can give people what they need to live in dignity there will be no need to fight.
No: There will always be people whose thirst for power or glory drives them to make war on others. And because these people will always exist, everyone else must always be armed against them. That makes war inevitable.
Or... Our assumption is everyone wants peace, and we cannot have it because human nature is flawed. But the truth is most governments are quite keen on war. Until that changes, there will be no peace.
Armenian - Armenia is a former Soviet republic in the Caucasus region between Asia and Europe.
Civilians - People who are not in the army or the police.
Nagorno-Karabakh - A mountainous region of the South Caucasus. The area is disputed by Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Ethnic cleansing - The systematic forced removal from one area or killing of an ethnic group, with the aim of creating a region that is ethnically homogeneous.
Azerbaijan - A former Soviet Republic between the Caspian Sea and Caucasus mountains.
Atrocities - Terrible things.
Incursions - Sudden or brief invasions.
Democracy - A system of government based on the idea of rule by the people.
An invasion. Bombs. Over 100,000 new refugees
Glossary
Armenian - Armenia is a former Soviet republic in the Caucasus region between Asia and Europe.
Civilians - People who are not in the army or the police.
Nagorno-Karabakh - A mountainous region of the South Caucasus. The area is disputed by Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Ethnic cleansing - The systematic forced removal from one area or killing of an ethnic group, with the aim of creating a region that is ethnically homogeneous.
Azerbaijan - A former Soviet Republic between the Caspian Sea and Caucasus mountains.
Atrocities - Terrible things.
Incursions - Sudden or brief invasions.
Democracy - A system of government based on the idea of rule by the people.