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Barriers to PeaceEnvironmentalIrresponsibilityPollution and the destruction of thenatural environment require solutionsthat go beyond national boundaries.Global warming could cause 40 to 50percent of the world’s population to beaffected by insect-transmitted diseasessuch as malaria and dengue fever.IsolationismPeople can become frightened by the risingtide of internationalism. Some retreat tofamiliar places and customs and avoidencounters with “foreigners.”Ignorance of other cultures and countries createsa narrow, distorted view of life and the world.Education is key to fostering global-mindedindividuals.“It is not the violence of a fewthat scares me,it is the silence of the many.”—Martin Luther King, Jr.PovertyNeed is the root cause of many of theconflicts in the world. Where childrenare hungry, there can be no peace.78% of Sub-Saharan Africans and 84%of South Asians live on less than $2 a day.Of the world’s 1.3 billion poor people, it isestimated that nearly 70 % are women.GreedA struggle between powers forterritorial dominance led to twoWorld Wars and the Cold War.The struggle now is for economicdomination.Europe consumes roughly 14 timesthe resources it contains. The UnitedStates, with just over 4 % of theworld’s people, consumes 28% of worldresources. Japan, with about 2% of theworld population, is the world’s 4thlargest energy consumer. More than80% of Japan’s energy is imported.Nuclear ThreatNuclear weapons are the ultimateembodiment of human negativity. Abalance of nuclear power is impossible.There are enough nuclear weaponsstockpiled to devastate the Earth andkill every person on the planet severaltimes over.The Illusion of“Efficiency”In the technocratic view that places theutmost value on technological progress,efficiency and expediency, human beingsare reduced to things.Prejudice andStereotypingTo motivate people to make war, the enemymust be a recognizable evil—a stereotype.Prejudice and hate are fueled by ignorance.“All war is based on deception.”—The Art ofWar, by Sun Tzu, circa 500 BCEThis dehumanizing tendency is starklyevident in the language of war planningwhere the death of innocent people becomes“collateral damage,” attacks become “strikes,”and “liquidation” and “neutralize” becomeeuphemisms for killing.