The global village at Christmas
Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
December 25, 2003
THE festive season of Christmas and the New Year has once again rekindled that spark of optimism and hope for a better life, one in which there is peace and stability and where relationships between our diverse peoples are grounded on the basis of love and understanding and not on suspicion and lack of trust.
At the global level, the situation is far from satisfactory. The Middle East continues to be a hotbed of tension. The killing arithmetic continues unabated with unnecessary loss of lives on both sides of the political divide. There is hardly a day in which violence has not erupted, caused by suicide bombers or by retaliatory attacks by the Israeli army. The logic of the responses from both sides seems to be one of "an eye for an eye" instead of an objective assessment of the underlying causes of the conflict itself.
The situation in the Middle East was further compounded by the confrontation between the loyalists of Saddam Hussein and the coalition forces, which saw deaths of both Iraqis and soldiers of the coalition forces, more particularly those of the main occupying force, the United States.
Unlike past years when most of the actions were confined to the battlefields, advances in the area of information and communication technologies now make it possible for millions of people throughout the world to witness firsthand the painful episodes of deaths and destruction right in the confines of their living rooms.
Thanks to the media, in particular the electronic media, people can now form their own opinions on issues in a way not possible hitherto. The capture of Saddam Hussein and the circumstance of his capture presented some graphic image, which will linger for quite some time in the memory of millions.
Here in Guyana, despite our continuing problems in the area of crime, we have been spared many of the problems that have engulfed other parts of the world - problems associated with ethnic and political conflicts, disease, hunger, illiteracy and malnutrition, to which millions of people are subjected to.
To a large extent, most of these problems are man-made and could have been avoided, had there been more enlightened approaches to addressing these problems by those who are in control of the levers of power.
One hopes that the coming period will usher in new and enlightened thinking, one in which the interests of humanity as a whole will be put above corporate and sectional interests.
The imperative of the moment is one of building bridges of peace and understanding so that mankind, regardless of race or nationality, can live as one big family in this emerging global village.
A Merry Christmas to all!