Call for immediate end to the killings in Israel and Palestine

We at the Centre for Global Nonkilling (CGNK) to draw attention to the lack of collective concern and approach to putting an immediate end to the deepening humanitarian crisis and the killings in Israel and Palestine. We urgently seek indulgence to our collective wisdom and approach so as to stop the inhuman acts of violence and killings in the region for lasting peace.

Around two decades back two important works came out in this regard. One was the WHO World Report on Violence and Health edited by Eugene G. Krug, Linda L. Dahlberg, James A. Mercy, Anthony B. Zwi and Rafael Lozano. The second was Nonkilling Global Political Science by Glenn D. Paige. In the former work, killing of humans was identified as a global health issue while in the later work, the task was given to the political scientists to come up with creative measures to eliminate killings from global life.

In the wake of the Israel-Palestine war no one else more than humanity which is at ultimate loss. Thousands of innocent civilians have died and are still dying. At the Centre for Global Nonkilling a call therefore is being given to all the humanists to come up with creative approaches by which the conflict may be resolved for once and forever. It is high time that we cut across all our religious beliefs, faith and ideologies from across the world and bring the ideology of affirmative nonkilling peace into action. The process can be taken over by the United Nations in conformity with SDG 16 by promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. I must also mention SDG 4 can ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning. Affirmative approach encompasses an overall change in good quality values through moral education at primary schools and even lifelong learnings based on precepts such as reverence to all life, nonkilling, nonviolence and human dignity in consonance with the universal declaration of human rights charter. This will ensure a just and humane global nonkilling society for all future peace.

Indeed, the Israel-Palestine conflict has been a long-standing conflict. There have been atrocities done from times long bygone to the present-day war. Violence, terror and wars, have however, never resolved anything till date and that is what we have learnt from history. If affirmative nonkilling peace is the aim, then both the parties need to enter into reconciliation and that can only happen when we express apologies for the past mistakes. Yes, there are some deep-rooted grievances instilled in the minds of both sides; they are aware of the injuries given by their opponent but not of the injuries given to the opponent by them. We know that the silent majority do not want war but there are some minorities for whom revenge, violence, retribution and wars are inevitable and probably a solution to their injustice. It is these people who have corrupted our societies and the world.

It is such individuals and groups that have to be identified so that they can be checked and if possible corrected from an affirmative nonkilling perspective. As humanists and global citizens, we need to take up this onerous task, for peaceful and nonkilling co-existence for all future on spaceship earth.

We take this opportunity to sign the Declaration at the Centre for Global Nonkilling as under:

Let us affirm that virtues such as compassion, empathy, humanity
and nonkilling should be promoted in society by developing certain
framework for different institutions. The primary goal of each of these
institutions should be the inculcation of the above-stated affirmative
nonkilling values. Therefore:
Let us affirm to develop nonkilling educational system.
Let us affirm to develop nonkilling ideologies.
Let us affirm to develop nonkilling state.
Let us affirm to develop nonkilling society.
And most importantly let us affirm to develop nonkilling individuals!
NO MORE HATE, NO MORE Killing!

In the backdrop of this declaration by the Centre for Global Nonkilling we draw attention to the earlier United Nations General Assembly Resolution 377, the Uniting for Peace Resolution, adopted on 3 November 1950, that in case where the Security Council, because of a lack of unanimity among its five permanent members, fails to maintain international peace and security, the General Assembly shall consider the matter immediately and may issue appropriate recommendations to UN members for collective measures, to maintain or restore international peace and security. Incidentally, resolutions have been invoked many times in the past to call an emergency session of the General Assembly and the Centre for Global Nonkilling does look forward to facilitating and participating in such a change for nonkilling world peace.

The Centre for Global Nonkilling assures of our highest consideration and urgent efforts for nonkilling universal peace in the Israel Palestine conflict and all future conflicts.

With aloha, shanti and a fervent call for immediate end to all killings and hostilities,

Anoop Swarup
Chairperson, CGNK Governing Council