Is the world becoming more peaceful or more violent

¶ … peaceful place than it was twenty years ago. This is not to suggest that there is no violence in the world today. To make such a suggestion would be ludicrous and a complete break from reality. It is to suggest, however, that there is a greater world conscience that unites if not factions and individual world leaders, certainly many people around the world (Lyrie, 2002, 9). The interactions taking place between people of different cultures and geographical locations today is revealing of the general desire amongst these people of the world to achieve peace and to explore other cultures and ideologies Lyrie, 2002, 70).

The internet has made a major contribution to the exchange of political, cultural, ecological and social ideas between people of the world (Lyrie, 2002, 187). What has been discovered is that the majority of the people communicating want peace - but that perhaps they are not of the same ideologies as to how to secure that peace (Lyrie, 2002, 70). The world is becoming a more peaceful place by virtue of the global conscience that is arising out of the global debate on ideologies, as well as the exchange and debate of ideologies.

Historical and Social Background

Many of the peace initiatives that are responsible for global philanthropy and charitable work and organizations that seek to bring the populations of third world countries medicine, education, and infrastructures for water, sanitation, and utilities grew out of efforts and organizations from the late 1940s, around the end of World War II (Lyrie, 2002, 54). The first impetus was the threat of nuclear development and expansion (Lyrie, 2002, 54). There were even discussions amongst some organizations like the Federation of Atomic Scientists and the Inter-American Judicial Committee on containing nuclear proliferation and establishing a body of jurists to review rights and duties of war (Lyrie, 2002, 55). The threat was one that would last into the late 1980s, when the collapse of Communism was marked by the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Also, during the post World War II era, three types of activities began the process of healing and bonding in what would arise and later become known as the global community. Those three activities were: educational and cultural exchange, humanitarian relief, and peace (Lyrie, 2002, 55). Of course, during that time the level, affordability and speed of modern communications was not what it is today. The early efforts in the three categories that actually serve as the basis for the global peace initiative today involved participants of the sciences, political, economic and sociological communities in problem identifying and solving conferences, meetings, and summits held around the world. Today, these same kinds of communications are being held amongst average citizens from nearly every country around the world who are finding that we all have so much in common and that our different cultures and traditions are more interesting than threatening.

It would be fantastical not to acknowledge the forces opposing world peace and the celebration of cultural exchange and traditions. Today, those forces are represented by the acts of terrorism that is opposed to the mingling amongst people of the Islamic faith and other religions and traditions. However, religious exchange, which is what Al Qaeda and fundamentalist Islamic terrorists are most concerned with, has become as prevalent as is the exchange of other ideas like politics, economics, and even dating (Last, 2005, 34). There is instantaneous access to the Pope's cyclicals, the religious position of a particular faith leader on important world issues as well as access to the complete volumes of the Old Testament, New Testament, and the Koran, or the three "book" religions.