Ministries Of Peace - A Proposal By Generals For Peace

MINISTRIES OF PEACE
A PROPOSAL BY GENERALS FOR PEACE

by
Eirwen Harbottle
Widow of General Harbottle,
Former head of the UN Peacekeeping Forces in Cyprus,
creator of Generals for Peace (The Chipping Norton Center)

From Ideas & Dreams For A Better World
ANNEX After Ideas 1001 - 1100

Introduction
The time is set in the year 2000, five years after the 50th  anniversary celebrations of the United Nations.  These five years have been a crucial awareness that the old international order must be changed.  During the 1990's, two important documents had been prepared by the UN: AGENDA 21, following the 1992 conference on environment and development at Rio de Janeiro, and Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali's AGENDA FOR PEACE.

The chaos that was evident in Rwanda, Somalia and former Yugoslavia, when politicians rode roughshod over the separate principles of peacekeeping and peace enforcement, muddling them, depriving commanders on the ground of essential personnel, equipment and guidelines, eventually aroused public opinion to the extent that governments were forced to rethink the principles of government – locally and globally.

The most significant development was the establishment of Ministries of Peace.  It was a logical step from the earlier renaming of Ministries of War to Ministries of Defense.  It was not achieved without much protestation from the Old Establishment; but it was achieved.

This simulation is therefore located at a historic time in human history – the beginning of a new millennium, looking back on the suffering of the 20th century, but also its achievements in freeing the human spirit.

The Format

The Minister of Peace presents an overview of the past five years.  S/He dwells, with a certain wry humor yet also with understanding, on the difficulties that had lain in the way in the establishing a new Ministry which had been accorded a status somewhat higher than other departments in that the issue of peace occurs within every aspect of government.  The Minister therefore has the lead task of taking a holistic view and making clear how all aspects of government are interconnected.  Having made this clear beyond all dispute, other Ministers or Heads of Department are invited to make their individual presentations.  One interesting development has been the development of a departmental ethic, taking up the challenge of the World Parliament of Religions in 1993, urging the major professions to adopt their equivalent of the Hippocratic Oath.

The Minister of Defense explains the shift that has taken place in respect of the roles played by armed forces.  The whole issue of 'security' has been recast to include environmental and social welfare, it having become clear that economic and other forms of injustice lead inevitably to violence and the military having to be called in.  Therefore a major part of training, from that of the highest ranking officers to the most junior members of a force, comprises conflict resolution.  In addition, all ranks have been trained in the many roles they are called upon to play in UN peacekeeping.  Possession of weapons of mass destruction have long been deemed useless in dealing with conflicts on the ground.  Moreover they are unethical.


The Minister for Youth (a new Ministry) describes how during the late 90's young people were increasingly looked to to educate a largely apathetic public in the need to take effective action to clean up the environment; to address corruption in high places; to shame institutions and businesses which put profit before human welfare, particularly in Two-Thirds world countries; and to insist on being given a role in shaping new community structures which affect their lives – in housing, employment, training, local economics etc.  The UN Unit of Youth was placed in the hands of under 25's who had increasingly been educated through UNESCO sponsored initiatives in administrative and political responsibility.  The Minister gave many examples of how young people had been playing a significant role in environmental care and global governance.

The Minister of Health explained how, with difficulty, 'traditional' and 'alternative' medicine had come to be accepted alongside 'modern' methodologies.  Aromatherapy was extensively practiced among the elderly and in prisons.  An understanding of the relationship between correct diet and social behavior was now accepted.  There was close cooperation therefore with police, with schools, with the housing sector, because 'peace' is an amalgam of every aspect of society – when it is working correctly.  The issue of spiritual peace brought the ministry into close collaboration with members of all religions and a special inter-faith department was created in the interests of spiritual health.

Ministry of Education An important factor in education had been the adoption of UNESCO's Global Curriculum – into which Robert Muller's World Core Curriculum had largely been incorporated, looking at issues of space and time as well as historical events.  The late 90's had been particularly hard on those countries where history had been 'doctored' by ideologues and bore no relation to truth.  The UNESCO curriculum had served to bring about an understanding of global history, including a study of colonialism, the economic domination of multinationals, the rise and fall of religious fundamentalism, the joy of pluralism – of many cultures, many faiths – and the joy of creativity in every art form.

I won't go on... This Simulation needs to be played with integrity, real imagination and above all with humor.  If there are politicians who are prepared to play ball in the right spirit, so much the better.  Otherwise the 'Ministers' should be selected from the really inspirational thinkers, the doers who have experience, the military who have the vision (and they exist).  One will consider the law, the role of women, new economics, aid and trade, etc.  When the 'Ministers' have had their say, the floor would be open to everyone else to contribute their ideas.  It ought to be huge FUN!!

Might we in UK persuade the Observer or the Guardian to sponsor it?  Alternatively to make it a combined effort by NGOs who know this is a development which must happen some time?  It could be allied to a traveling exhibition to schools/universities/town halls.  It could become part of the United World Colleges' curriculum.  It could fly anywhere... everywhere!

Eirwen Harbottle
Widow of General Harbottle,
Former head of the UN Peacekeeping Forces in Cyprus,
creator of Generals for Peace (The Chipping Norton Center)

* Center for International Peacebuilding
Chipping Norton, Oxon, UK
30 November 1995