Peace and Walls
All
through history, man has built many walls in the name of peace. The
thoughts were that these walls served as a protection from various harmful
elements and helped to keep peace between people of different cultures,
traditions and classes. What affect does building defensive walls and
separation have on achieving peace and harmony on our planet?
Throughout the world we have seen many different types of walls built with
various intentions and motivations. The most famous was the Berlin Wall
built during the Cold War. There were walls in Ireland to separate warring
factions. Now, we have the building of the Israeli wall to mostly to keep
suicide bombers from attacking Israel. According to statistics, this wall
will be 403 miles in length, with an average height of 25 feet. In
comparison, the Berlin Wall was 96 miles long, with an average height of
11.8 feet. The world is also seeing the effects this wall has on people.
The wall furthers separates cultures so that there is even less
understanding between different nations. Furthermore, it is taking away
valuable land and trees in this region. The Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign
map revealed that 50% of the West Bank population will face loss of land,
ghettos, and isolation due to this wall. Peace is greatly inhibited by all
these factors and the further separation of cultures.
Organizations such as Seeking Common Ground, look to build bridges,
instead of walls, for peace. They bring young women together from Israel,
Palestine, and the United States to learn communication, develop
leadership skills, and promote peace through empowerment. They go back
into their respective communities in a year long follow up program.
Through their experiences, they start to break down the walls that lead to
hate and conflict. They begin to create the path for a more peaceful
future.
Consider helping or supporting organizations that works peacefully to
break down barriers between races, cultures, and traditions. Learn about
the different cultures of the world to have a better understanding. Help
to build bridges instead of walls.
