While launching the UN75 initiative in January 2020, UN Secretary-General - António Guterres spoke inter alia about:

“…current global challenges, and the gap between

the future we want and where we are headed …”

As is well known, 51 countries came together to create the UN on October 24, 1945, with the principal purpose spelt out in the Preamble of the UN Charter:

"WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war …”

75 L-O-N-G YEARS have passed since the UN was formed!

If, WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UN, consisting of 193 countries today, are serious about our avowed goal of A WORLD BEYOND WAR, please study and join Shanti Sahyog Centre for Nonviolence, India (CFN) International Initiative (in line with UN SDG 16) for the Political Legitimization of Nonviolent Conflict Resolution

which petitions all adults living in democracies, National Govts. & the UN for the following:

That, without abandoning the present Military Defence, a parallel Nonviolent Defence be instituted in National Defence Systems globally. #NoMilitaryArmiesintheWorld

The Legal Democratic Option for training in either: Present Armed Military Defence orNonviolent Defence. #Let’sLearnNonviolence

The Legal Democratic Option for taxpayers to divert their Defence Tax from Military Defense to Nonviolent Defence. #IHaveAConscience

Nonviolent Defence draws its legitimacy from: Article 18 of the United Nations Convention on Human Rights which states: ‘Each Individual has the right to ... Freedom of Conscience.'

Preamble of the UN Charter: "We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war…." Nonviolent Defense is based on Gandhi’s affirmation that, Nonviolence is NOT an Emotion/ Feeling/Sentiment, but is a Science, i.e.,

i.) A systematic body of knowledge;                                                          ii.) It has to be LEARNT;                                                                          iii.) Its Successful application depends on adequate study;                      iv.) It solves problems.

So if we want our global village to move beyond war, we have to LEARN NONVIOLENCE as well as train in Nonviolent Defense! Currently we are sadly witnessing the continuing helplessness of the global community of powerful nations in dealing with the ongoing regressive Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Humankind has spent vast financial resources – currently, USD 3.5 million + per minute - and human resources – the genius of past generations - on perfecting the use of violence to resolve conflict, resulting in our military and nuclear arsenals. Perhaps the time has come to acknowledge that the latter are not the answer to terrorism and war. The need of the hour is to heed Mahatma Gandhi’s dictum that Nonviolence is a Science; to be learned and studied well to be applied effectively. We need to master the tools and skills of nonviolent conflict resolution. This is the rationale of the CFN Initiative.

Non-Military Defence experts have a blueprint of Nonviolent Defence. We need the political will to put it into practice. We, therefore, urge world citizens to sign our petition #ChooseNonviolentDefense, and support all the Initiative #s on change.org.

#ChooseNonviolentDefence Petition Link:

https://www.change.org/p/google-petition-for-choosenonviolentdefence?recruiter=898902940&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=confirm_email            Please also subscribe to our CFN fortnightly Bulletin on the link: https://shantisahyog.org/cfn-bulletin/

Dear UN Secretary General, António Guterres, are you listening? Do take the lead in Giving Gandhi’s Nonviolence a Chance! The time is ripe for World Leaders & Citizens to Learn Nonviolence to fulfil our vision, articulated in the UN Preamble: A WORLD BEYOND WAR!

Dr. Suman Khanna Aggarwal