September 11 Family Peace Tomorrow was inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. Quote“War is an inferior chisel used to open up a peaceful tomorrow.” Only through peaceful actions can we save future generations from tragedy.
When we remember that nearly 3,000 people were killed on September 11, 2001, 20 years ago, we also mourn the 13 American soldiers who were killed in the terrorist attack in Afghanistan last month.Soldiers are evacuating civilians from Kabul Taliban take over.
Twenty years of war did not bring stability and peace to Afghanistan. This war killed thousands of soldiers and civilians. Peace on September 11th, the family is right tomorrow call for “Take a non-violent and reasonable response to a terrorist attack.” More people should have heard it.
Only through non-violent means can we achieve peace in Afghanistan. President Dwight D. Eisenhower paid a goodwill visit to Kabul in 1959 and was cheered.What Eisenhower and King Zahir of Afghanistan said That day Can provide us with some guidance: “International disputes must be resolved in a peaceful way to further meet the needs of world peace, especially so that human energy can be guided to constructive development and the pursuit of human realization.”
Sadly, in the decades after Eisenhower’s visit, Afghanistan became a huge battlefield, experiencing Soviet invasion and civil war.This war created conditions for the growth of terrorism, which led to the 9/11 attacks and subsequent U.S. countermeasures. Al-Qaeda And the Taliban.
But the way forward for Afghanistan is not through war. Endless conflicts and large-scale military expenditures cannot ultimately win peace. Remember, after World War II, it was the humanitarian spirit of the Marshall Plan that ultimately won peace in Europe and prevented another war. Eisenhower also warned that increased military spending and the impact of military-industrial complexes could lead to the danger of foreign intervention.
The American war in Afghanistan ended with the final withdrawal of troops 20 years later. We need to continue to engage with Afghanistan through diplomatic and humanitarian assistance. These are all roads to peace.
Shahar Azlan/Getty Images
The next few months are critical, because Afghanistan is in danger of chaos after the government collapses. The country is also experiencing severe drought, shortage of food And the spread of COVID-19.
Afghanistan is one of the countries with the highest incidence Child malnutrition in the world.Have a The danger of famine In Afghanistan, if food aid is not provided to villages that cannot be accessed in winter. Relief agencies such as the World Food Program, CARE, Save the Children and Catholic Relief Services urgently need funds to save Afghans from hunger.
There are things that each of us can do to help charities in Afghanistan, or help people leave the country and resettle. Even if Afghanistan disappears from the headlines one day, we must not forget them.
Peace must also become our goal in the rest of the world. Let us not forget the tragic civil war that is currently underway in Yemen.We must never pass again Provide weapons Just like what we did to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting in Yemen. This prolonged the war and put Yemen on the brink of famine. Terrorist organizations thrive in chaos.
Arete/Andrew Quilty/World Food Program
We must become peacemakers around the world, not wage wars and sell weapons. Peace operations must lead us to remember and commemorate the victims of 9/11.
William Lambers is the author of this book Road to peace And co-authored this book with the United Nations World Food Program End world hunger. His work has been published in New York Times, Weekly newspaper, History News Network And many other outlets.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author.
