« / »
Dear Friends,
We live in strange times. Humanity has never been better educated. We all desire peace. Yet, name me one leader today who emphasises the importance of peace for our world.
Paradoxically, sixty years ago, living in a more dangerous time, President John F. Kennedy could give an entire speech explaining the importance of peace. He also defined it well for his American audience: « Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children — not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women — not merely peace in our time but peace for all time. »
He also added, “I speak of peace as the necessary, rational end of rational men. I realize that the pursuit of peace is not as dramatic as the pursuit of war — and frequently the words of the pursuer fall on deaf ears. But we have no more urgent task.”
Today, even though we have a raging war in Ukraine, no global statesman is echoing what Kennedy said 60 years ago. Similarly, no one is warning of the dangers of the continuing deterioration in US-China relations.
This is why I believe that we should pay greater attention to the piece by Professor Stephen Walt that we circulated last weekend. As the US-China contest gains momentum, many influential voices are saying that this can only be a zero sum game. There’s no room for compromise. In this context, the call by Professor Walt for coexistence is brave. Let’s heed his advice.
On June 12, Project Syndicate published an article by me on how Southeast Asia – once derided as the ‘Balkans of Asia’ – has managed to ensure peace. I believe the world will benefit from studying Southeast Asia’s approach to peace, especially at a time when Europe is again at war. Hence I am happy to share this article with you too. Please see the link to the essay: https://www.project-syndicate.org/magazine/asia-unlike-europe-no-major-wars-since-end-of-cold-war-by-kishore-mahbubani-2023-06?barrier=accesspaylog.
Last week, Fareed Zakaria also courageously observed that most the world does not agree with Washington DC’s view of China as a global threat. I was happy to be cited by him in both his article and on his ‘Fareed Zakaria GPS’ show last Sunday. Please see the link to the essay: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/06/09/europe-asia-china-policy-trade/.
All our efforts to promote peace might seem like little drops in a desert. Nonetheless, we keep hoping that our times will also produce a statesman like John F. Kennedy who understood so well why peace is important. We also hope that you will continue to support our efforts to promote this cause.
With warm regards,
Kishore
L'Européiste 