International Reconciliation: Resilience in the Face of Shifting Power Dynamics
We, the peoples, have been inhabiting the Earth for over six million years. Ever since the beginning of humanity, there have been countless nations that have emerged and fallen. Villages have evolved into towns, towns into cities, and cities into states that aim to seize more territory, more resources and strive to be “more powerful.” According to Ole Holsti, Emeritus Professor of Political Science at Duke University, the power of a nation comes from “its ability to shape other nations’ decisions.” Thus, to rise above others, nations have sought to be the ones to shape the course of history among all the others. With the hopes of individual growth, nations strain diplomatic relations with each other, demolishing the evergoing power structures of our globe and further damaging our perishing peace by adopting isolationist policies and prioritizing their own interests over global cooperation. As nations' race extended to armaments, territorial claims, economic markets, and even space, its consequences become equally extensive and polarizing. However, at a time in which we are facing extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, growing hunger in Europe, human rights neglect in the Pacific, geopolitical tensions all over the world, and climate catastrophes in the world itself, can we afford to maintain a power structure where we strive to annihilate each other? The world is erupting with crises from every corner, and it’s impossible to overcome them without collaborating. Amidst the fragmenting troubles of our age, we must unite rather than divide to become more resilient for a better future, or simply, a future.
For a long time, we were either oblivious to, or failed to recognize, the impacts of our actions. Nations have been grappling with disparate challenges unique to their disposition and their distinct sets of domestic issues that necessitated prioritization over global problems. Those challenges were neither durable nor inevitable. The priority was to be the evangelist of progress rather than progress itself. Eric Hoffer, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (an award bestowed by the president of the United States), said, “The only way to predict the future is to have the power to shape the future.” As nations strived to shape the future, power dynamics were constantly transforming, and still are. In this process, nations utilize their ace in the hole. Traditionally, power has been evaluated as hard and soft power. Hard power relies on utilizing resources for direct coercion, whereas soft power refers to the ability to leverage those resources to persuade others to align with one's interests. In the current state of the world in which we should be seeking stability, solidarity, and unity, adapting a combination of hard and soft power would not only benefit nations’ self-interests but also enable them to provide. Nations shouldn’t act upon their self-interest and strive for survival in a competitive international environment but advocate for collaboration between nations, supporting the idea that embracing common values, international institutions, and treaties can result in mutual advantages, prosperity, and eventually, peace.
Unfortunately, when we look at today's realities, we see that we are behind our ideals and far from reconciliation. According to the United Nations Sustainable Goals Report in 2023, progress on more than 50% of the goals are insufficient or even reversed. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has stressed how the Sustainable Development Goals are slipping out of reach and mentioned how they are becoming a “mirage of what might have been.” More importantly, the ones that most prominently are slipping out of reach are hunger, poverty, and climate. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, pollution on Earth has increased evidently, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to a rapid increase in the cost of living in areas such as energy and commodities. While millions of people lack access to healthcare, education, and housing necessities, those afflicted by conflict and natural disasters or who live in economically disadvantaged areas go without food. 61,000 people perished in Europe alone during the summer of last year, and if we keep using the earth as we are, it is predicted that by the year 2100, about 1 billion people will lose their lives as a result of climate change. Currently, as we’ve reached the halfway point in the agenda, almost one-third of nations are expected to fail to reach the goals; furthermore, that one-third consists of underdeveloped or developing countries that are far more vulnerable. While developed countries manage to adopt new policies and reach their growth goals, developing countries take the burden, deepening the fragments between nations. Yet, even though borders separate us, we share one planet. Can we afford failing to reach our goals, the goals that serve as a rescue plan for a better future, or simply, a future?
At this moment, rather than lamenting the possibilities of the past, we must concentrate on what we can achieve to catch up with our objectives. For people to live as they deserve, reconciliation between nations is necessary in the path of taking action. Without breaking our old patterns, it is not possible to change the course of the world. Although it is difficult to draw a clear path for a better future, the interconnectedness of our world demands nations to stand united, and it’s certain that international cooperation is not a decision to make but rather an imperative for the survival of humanity. We must think, collaborate, and act to be resilient in the face of adversity, regardless of the circumstances. As John Donne said, “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” Together, we have the power to shape an era defined by sustainable peace and resilience, a legacy that will echo through the ages.
For a long time, we were either oblivious to, or failed to recognize, the impacts of our actions. Nations have been grappling with disparate challenges unique to their disposition and their distinct sets of domestic issues that necessitated prioritization over global problems. Those challenges were neither durable nor inevitable. The priority was to be the evangelist of progress rather than progress itself. Eric Hoffer, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (an award bestowed by the president of the United States), said, “The only way to predict the future is to have the power to shape the future.” As nations strived to shape the future, power dynamics were constantly transforming, and still are. In this process, nations utilize their ace in the hole. Traditionally, power has been evaluated as hard and soft power. Hard power relies on utilizing resources for direct coercion, whereas soft power refers to the ability to leverage those resources to persuade others to align with one's interests. In the current state of the world in which we should be seeking stability, solidarity, and unity, adapting a combination of hard and soft power would not only benefit nations’ self-interests but also enable them to provide. Nations shouldn’t act upon their self-interest and strive for survival in a competitive international environment but advocate for collaboration between nations, supporting the idea that embracing common values, international institutions, and treaties can result in mutual advantages, prosperity, and eventually, peace.
Unfortunately, when we look at today's realities, we see that we are behind our ideals and far from reconciliation. According to the United Nations Sustainable Goals Report in 2023, progress on more than 50% of the goals are insufficient or even reversed. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has stressed how the Sustainable Development Goals are slipping out of reach and mentioned how they are becoming a “mirage of what might have been.” More importantly, the ones that most prominently are slipping out of reach are hunger, poverty, and climate. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, pollution on Earth has increased evidently, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to a rapid increase in the cost of living in areas such as energy and commodities. While millions of people lack access to healthcare, education, and housing necessities, those afflicted by conflict and natural disasters or who live in economically disadvantaged areas go without food. 61,000 people perished in Europe alone during the summer of last year, and if we keep using the earth as we are, it is predicted that by the year 2100, about 1 billion people will lose their lives as a result of climate change. Currently, as we’ve reached the halfway point in the agenda, almost one-third of nations are expected to fail to reach the goals; furthermore, that one-third consists of underdeveloped or developing countries that are far more vulnerable. While developed countries manage to adopt new policies and reach their growth goals, developing countries take the burden, deepening the fragments between nations. Yet, even though borders separate us, we share one planet. Can we afford failing to reach our goals, the goals that serve as a rescue plan for a better future, or simply, a future?
At this moment, rather than lamenting the possibilities of the past, we must concentrate on what we can achieve to catch up with our objectives. For people to live as they deserve, reconciliation between nations is necessary in the path of taking action. Without breaking our old patterns, it is not possible to change the course of the world. Although it is difficult to draw a clear path for a better future, the interconnectedness of our world demands nations to stand united, and it’s certain that international cooperation is not a decision to make but rather an imperative for the survival of humanity. We must think, collaborate, and act to be resilient in the face of adversity, regardless of the circumstances. As John Donne said, “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” Together, we have the power to shape an era defined by sustainable peace and resilience, a legacy that will echo through the ages.
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“Reconciliation: Definitions & Conceptual Issues.” Peace Building Initiative - Definitions & Conceptual Issues, www.peacebuildinginitiative.org/index463f.html?pageId=1974. Accessed 26 Oct. 2023.
“Reconciliation.” United States Institute of Peace, www.usip.org/issue-areas/reconciliation#:~:text=Reconciliation%20encompasses%20truth%2Dtelling%2C%20sharing,and%20realize%20a%20shared%20future. Accessed 26 Oct. 2023.
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Colombo, U.S. Embassy. “Soft Power, Hard Power and Public Diplomacy: Deputy Chief of Mission Robert B. Hilton’s Remarks at BIDTI.” U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka, 9 June 2018, lk.usembassy.gov/soft-power-hard-power-and-public-diplomacy-deputy-chief-of-mission-robert-b-hiltons-remarks-at-bidti/#:~:text=It%20is%20the%20capacity%20to,to%20do%20what%20one%20wants.
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