If the past few centuries have shown anything, it is that humans are more warlike brutes. During the Dark Ages, constant skirmishes between the feudal lords raged on. There have been wars fought to conquer “inferior” civilizations based on the European definitions. There have been wars on racism such as the American Civil War. There have even been two World Wars. However, humans have tried hard to eliminate their bias against one another. We are living in the most peaceful time since the dawn of humankind. What makes us so peaceful today?
There are several factors that go into building peace. One of the most important is education. If one looks at the availability of education throughout the world, there is a direct correlation to the increasing and more widespread peace. Education grants more intellectually advanced people and it in turn leads to job opportunities and lower unemployment rates. Lower unemployment rates could lead to lower poverty rates, decreasing crime, and bringing forth increased peace. In addition, if education is allowed to the general public, it decreases some forms of structural or cultural violence that deals with discrimination. Some of these forms of violence include sexism, heterosexism, elitism, etc. With increased involvement and rights of women in daily routines, it empowers the female gender and will naturally decrease the impact of sexism. Elitism is all about people who are on top of the social hierarchy looking down on people who are “beneath” them. Education allows those who are relatively low in terms of social status to rise up. Those who are able to raise their status will, hopefully, have some empathy on those who are of lower classes and help to improve their rights.
However, not all forms of structural and cultural violence can be solved through education. Globalization is another factor leading to world peace. Globalization leads to a more interconnected world and brings people from all around the world in contact with one another. This brings forth more acceptances of different culture and its people. Racism has long plagued the world and has led to a few of the world’s most serious conflicts. Despite black and white men finally being equal in the United States, largely in credit to Martin Luther King Jr, discrimination based on race still exists. However, the concentration in which racism occurs is more in places that have not come in contact with the world as much such as the American South, especially in the Mid-West. They experience little news about the outside world besides from the media. This ignorance to the outside world is a center cause for racism.
Many people today compare the spread of democracy or the number of democratic states today in the world to the peace index. Some of the most peaceful places are democratic states. However, the two are indirectly related. Although the maps are true and some of the most peaceful states are indeed places where democracies thrive, we cannot assume that that is the case for all places. For example, Greece is currently in turmoil, however, they are a democratic state and ironically, credited as the founders of democracy. Another example is the United States. The United States believe themselves as the epitome for the land of freedom and opportunities, yet the US is constantly the aggressor in world issues and domestic crime is higher than ever compared to other states. In 2012, there have been reported nearly 9000 deaths from gun crimes in the United States alone. Thus, democracy and peace does not always mean the same thing, even though, democratic states tend to have happier people, which would lead to a more peaceful state.
There are several factors that go into building peace. One of the most important is education. If one looks at the availability of education throughout the world, there is a direct correlation to the increasing and more widespread peace. Education grants more intellectually advanced people and it in turn leads to job opportunities and lower unemployment rates. Lower unemployment rates could lead to lower poverty rates, decreasing crime, and bringing forth increased peace. In addition, if education is allowed to the general public, it decreases some forms of structural or cultural violence that deals with discrimination. Some of these forms of violence include sexism, heterosexism, elitism, etc. With increased involvement and rights of women in daily routines, it empowers the female gender and will naturally decrease the impact of sexism. Elitism is all about people who are on top of the social hierarchy looking down on people who are “beneath” them. Education allows those who are relatively low in terms of social status to rise up. Those who are able to raise their status will, hopefully, have some empathy on those who are of lower classes and help to improve their rights.
However, not all forms of structural and cultural violence can be solved through education. Globalization is another factor leading to world peace. Globalization leads to a more interconnected world and brings people from all around the world in contact with one another. This brings forth more acceptances of different culture and its people. Racism has long plagued the world and has led to a few of the world’s most serious conflicts. Despite black and white men finally being equal in the United States, largely in credit to Martin Luther King Jr, discrimination based on race still exists. However, the concentration in which racism occurs is more in places that have not come in contact with the world as much such as the American South, especially in the Mid-West. They experience little news about the outside world besides from the media. This ignorance to the outside world is a center cause for racism.
Many people today compare the spread of democracy or the number of democratic states today in the world to the peace index. Some of the most peaceful places are democratic states. However, the two are indirectly related. Although the maps are true and some of the most peaceful states are indeed places where democracies thrive, we cannot assume that that is the case for all places. For example, Greece is currently in turmoil, however, they are a democratic state and ironically, credited as the founders of democracy. Another example is the United States. The United States believe themselves as the epitome for the land of freedom and opportunities, yet the US is constantly the aggressor in world issues and domestic crime is higher than ever compared to other states. In 2012, there have been reported nearly 9000 deaths from gun crimes in the United States alone. Thus, democracy and peace does not always mean the same thing, even though, democratic states tend to have happier people, which would lead to a more peaceful state.