Why Do We Fight? Conflict, War, and Peace

Why Do We Fight? Conflict, War, and Peace — page 7 — chapter1 Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress Mahatma Gandhi leader of Indian independence movement 1869 1948 10

Why Do We Fight? Conflict, War, and Peace — page 8 — D o(cid:58) (cid:43) (cid:60) (cid:38)(cid:50)(cid:49)(cid:41)(cid:47)(cid:44)(cid:38)(cid:55)(cid:54)(cid:3) (cid:34) Come Up Every fight is about something right So what are global conflicts about At their core whether they involve two people or two million all conflicts are about people getting in the way of something someone else wants or needs Wants are things that don’t really do anything to keep you alive but they sure make life more enjoyable and comfortable Things like cool sneakers or a video game Needs are part of the basic everyday business of staying alive They include things like food and water and shelter Many wants and needs are physical you can see them and touch them But there are needs and wants you can’t actually see that are just as important They include things like freedom security and equality You may not think about those things much if you’re lucky enough to live in a country where they’re protected Now imagine living in a place where you’re not allowed to go to school because of your background Or where you’re always afraid of being attacked because of your race or religion Or where you barely have enough food to survive For many people these are everyday sources of conflict Most global conflicts aren’t about just one thing When you start to look closely you’re likely to find there is a lot at stake including some or all of the following E qual i ty The state of things when people have the same rights and the same opportunities no matter what their background religion or gender is Se cu ri ty The feeling that you have everything you need and that you’re safe LAND RESOURCES POWER EQUALITY SECURITY In fact these things are so closely tied to one another that it’s often impossible to separate them Yes every fight is about something But rarely is a fight about one thing 11

Why Do We Fight? Conflict, War, and Peace — page 9 — A Place to Plant Your (cid:41)(cid:40)(cid:40)(cid:55) Your (cid:41)(cid:47)(cid:36)(cid:42) And Your (cid:41)(cid:50)(cid:50)(cid:39) Think for a second about what’s under your feet I don’t mean the floor or the dust bunnies or the basement but what’s under all of those things land Chances are hundreds or even thousands of years ago someone fought over the very land you’re on right now That’s because people have battled over land throughout history and even before there was history Land Wealth For thousands of years people conquered each other to get what they wanted Usually what they wanted was more wealth and the way to get that was by getting more land and all the goodies that went with it Con quer To take over a land and its people using force Winner takes all Conquerors invaded a place fought its people until they gave up and then claimed the territory for themselves The winners then made rules for the people living there and they often set up a colony meaning they controlled the area For the conquerors plundering or taking whatever they wanted was part of the deal At the end of battles and wars the winners packed up whatever loot there was to be had from grain and livestock to gold and artwork and carted it home over land or sea The earliest war anyone ever wrote about was fought in 2700 BCE not long after writing was invented The war was between Sumer in present day Iraq and Elam in modern-day Iran Judging by the descriptions written at the time it seems like land and resources were major causes 12

Why Do We Fight? Conflict, War, and Peace — page 10 — Land conflicts today Most world leaders today agree that it’s not acceptable to go around conquering people and claiming land to get what they want But that doesn’t mean people aren’t still fighting over land Most land conflicts today aren’t between separate countries they’re between groups of people living within a country Why is land so important anyway There are a few reasons why so many conflicts center around land disputes (cid:43)(cid:1) First of all you can’t (cid:43)(cid:1) Then there are all the (cid:43)(cid:1) Finally there is the have much of a country or kingdom or empire without some land to call your own You need somewhere to plant your flag and build your castle right valuable things that go along with having land like the resources found on it and under it forests farmland water gold silver oil and so on You can read more about these on pages 14 15 love people have for their land because it’s tied to their history their religion or both This land is yours And there’s no place like home Resources of (cid:38)(cid:50)(cid:49)(cid:41)(cid:47)(cid:44)(cid:38)(cid:55) Re source A vital or valuable asset or natural material including gold oil diamonds food sources and money 13 Like land resources have been a source of conflict for thousands of years WHY For starters having a steady supply of natural resources ones that come from nature such as wood or water or minerals makes a country’s citizens feel secure People like to know that they won’t be running out of lumber or oil anytime soon In addition having something that the rest of the world wants also gives a country power It’s kind of like having that awesome snack in your backpack you can trade it to get other things you want but don’t have Finally while some resources like oil diamonds and gold are valuable because people want them other resources like water and food are vital People don’t just want vital resources they actually need them to survive

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