One
of the most interesting things that John mentioned was how effective the use of
non-violence can be in countries such as Venezuela, Cuba, Ukraine, Syria, etc. It
is very interesting to hear about real life scenarios that depict non-violence
defeating violence. The worst way to remove violence from the world is by
adding more of it, and John supported this with both fact and reason. Also,
John stated that one of the most powerful means to help these areas of the
world is by spreading an awareness of what is happening. Many people do not realize the magnitude of turmoil
in places such as Cuba for instance, which makes it difficult for these places
to improve their conditions. I think that this was also one of the more
intriguing things that John was talking about, because it depicts a way of helping
these groups of people and their situation.
I
believe that non-violent resistance is more effective than violent opposition
in the long run. The non-violent protests
from citizens are much more difficult for governments to deal with than acts of
violence. Acts of violence only give a totalitarian government the chance to
respond with more violence, which is typically going to provide the
totalitarian government with much more power than what average citizens could manage. On the other hand, non-violent demonstrations
can provide local and/or international support. This can put great
international pressure on governments to improve local conditions. Also, any
acts of violence from the totalitarian regime will be seen as unprovoked by international
eyes. This can diminish the power displayed by regimes and shift more control
into the hands of the citizens.
Mankind
has proven throughout history that it cannot get along. Reasons for the why can
vary from economical reasons to religious reasons, or even the greed of one
dictator can cause great turmoil in the entire world. I do not foresee a time
in the near future when mankind as a whole will just get along. Sadly, I think
that religious differences have created walls between various groups of people,
which will not be easily overcome. Also, it is not always an entire country
that creates world issues, but in some cases it is small group of people via a
totalitarian regime, which is out for personal gain and with no interest in
getting along with anyone.
I do not think that it would be possible to arrive
at a point of complete peace
throughout the world; however, I do believe that society can always improve its
condition to an extent. For example,
every person has control of their own life, in which they can seek to improve
personally. After this, local societies can begin to form respect and
compassion for one another, which can ultimately result in local peace. These societies can then spread across entire
countries. The only problem, however, is that not everyone shares the desire to
form a collectively peaceful
community. There will always be people who will seek personal gain and attempt
to put themselves higher in society by pushing others down.
Syria
One
of the first things I would investigate in Syria would be its government. I would research how the government is
structured and how it is operated. It would be good to know a little about its
history and the principles it is founded upon. It would also be beneficial to
investigate the government’s influences and/or the resources the country
intends to pursue. I would then investigate the type of control the government has
over the citizens in Syria.
The
citizens in Syria are currently struggling. The citizens’ point of view would
be the second yet most important aspect to investigating Syria. I would seek to
learn what the average Syrian experiences on a day to day basis. I would try to
learn what it is like in both urban and rural areas; for the wealthier people
and the poorer people. It would also be beneficial to investigate the religious
differences in the area and how it changes daily life for Syrians.
Lastly,
I would investigate the reasons for the violence in Syria. I would seek to pin
point the main reasons causing Syria to struggle. I would also further
investigate the chemical weapon usage in Syria and how to end their usage
entirely. I would also inquire upon the
various terrorist groups in Syria and their impact on the current ongoing
conflict. Also, it would be helpful to investigate the international support
for both sides of the conflict.
