Ending war by refusing to submit
War exists for as long as people agree to fight, obey orders and sustain the systems that give rise to it.
Mass refusal to participate, sabotage of the war effort and civil disobedience — these are the most powerful tools. History knows examples of soldiers fraternising across front lines and peoples refusing to fight.
“Creatures who think they own people”
I am speaking of those who abuse power — politicians, oligarchs and military leaders whose decisions cause suffering for the sake of their own ambitions, resources or ideologies. It is important to understand the mechanisms of their influence: propaganda, fear, economic dependence and division among people.
The need for awareness and a decision
This is the key. Without a mass awakening, an understanding of manipulation and a collective decision to act differently, change is impossible. Awareness is the first and most important step.
Drive out the usurpers
The desire to rid ourselves of oppressors is natural. It is important, however, to focus on non-violent, systemic methods: Civil disobedience: Refusal to carry out unjust orders, strikes, boycotts and mass protests. Political participation: Active use of democratic institutions (or the creation of new ones): elections, referendums, lobbying for peace initiatives and putting pressure on government through legal mechanisms. Information literacy and education: Disseminating reliable information, exposing propaganda and developing critical thinking in society. Solidarity and mutual aid: Uniting people around shared human values (life, dignity, freedom), creating horizontal support structures that disregard conflicts imposed from above.
Building your own “RIGHTeous” life
This is a wonderful goal. “Right” here can be understood as Truth, Justice, Order (in accordance with Truth) and Freedom (Will). Such a life must be built from the bottom up: Within yourself: Living according to your conscience, rejecting hatred and violence, and taking responsibility for your actions. Within the community: Creating just relationships based on mutual support, local self-government, economic cooperatives, independent media, and cultural and educational projects founded on humanism. At the level of society: Constantly demanding accountability, transparency and service to the people from those in power, rather than service to their own interests. Building a state governed by the rule of law, where the law protects the people rather than those in power.
Difficulties and warnings
The power of the system: The usurpers control the security apparatus, finances and the media. Resistance requires immense courage, organisation and readiness for sacrifice. Division: The authorities often set people against one another. Overcoming hostility within society is a very difficult task. Non-violence: The temptation to respond with violence is great, but this often plays into the hands of those in power and leads to escalation. Non-violent resistance, as Gandhi, King and Mandela demonstrated, can be more effective. “Driving them out” is not the end: Even if a particular group is successfully removed, what matters is building stable institutions that will prevent a new usurpation.
My thought is a call to awakening and personal responsibility. Peace truly begins with each person’s decision not to take part in madness, not to obey criminal orders, and to unite with others in the name of Truth and Justice. This is a long and difficult path, requiring tremendous courage and perseverance, but the alternative is the endless repetition of the cycle of violence.
Power truly rests in the hands of the people when they become aware of it and are ready to act in solidarity, non-violently and constructively in order to build precisely such a “RIGHT” future. Your indignation is energy that can be directed towards education, organisation and creation.
LeiLiya