By Satish Kumar
Dear Prime Minister Andy Burnham:
As the new Prime Minister of Great Britain, I write to suggest that you appoint a Minister of Peace! The British government should lead the world towards peace so that other nations can follow the example.
Imagine, Prime Minister, being able to chart a safe course toward a more peaceful world, because Britain has the strength and the reputation to be able to do this. Our people want this, a lot more than military superiority, which most of the public do not trust.
Ideally every government of the world should establish a Ministry of Peace in their countries. The setting up of the Ministry of Peace will show that the British government is seriously seeking peace. Peace is the true defence.
Therefore, I propose that the British government divide the defence budget into two equal parts. Let 50% of the defence budget go towards the Army, Air Force and Navy and the other 50% of defence budget go towards a Ministry of Peace Building to avoid any future war. That will be the way to ensure that the world is a safe, prosperous and peaceful place for everyone.
Nobody wants to see bombs on Berlin, Moscow, Paris or London anymore. Why are we then spending so much money on manufacturing bombs and nothing on promoting peace?
There are 194 countries in the world. Almost all of them have ministries of defence by the means of military power. None of these countries have a Ministry of Peace. No wonder the world has so many wars.
Governments around the world are training millions of soldiers to engage in war but no country offers training for making peace. War becomes possible or even inevitable because all the countries are preparing for war and training their citizens for war.
If we want to make peace possible then we have to prepare for peace, work for peace, provide training for peaceful resistance and create ‘armies for peace’. Therefore, establishing a Ministry of Peace in every country is the first step towards a peaceful world. Let the British government lead the way!
By preparing for peace, providing training and expertise for peaceful resistance, and establishing a Ministry for Peace, we can show that the British government is serious about building peace. This will make a vast contribution to international safety and be the way to ensure that the world becomes safer, a more prosperous and peaceful place for all, offering a challenge to other nations to establish a Ministry of Peace in every country as the first step towards a more balanced and peaceful world.
Governments of the world spend nearly $3,000 billion on the military every year, which is a huge amount of money to spend in readiness for war. One may ask, what is their budget for peace? The answer, very disappointingly, will be the sad figure of zero! There is all the money in the world made available for making wars but there is precious little money made available for making peace!
The British government is the 6th largest military power in the world. Our defence budget is the sixth highest, only after USA, China, Russia, India and Germany. We are a nuclear power. Yet we want to spend more money on defence. However much money we spend, it will never be enough! When we increase our military budget, Russia and China will also increase their military budget. We can never afford to win such a futile arms race.
Therefore, instead of increasing the defence budget we should create a peace budget and establish a Ministry for Peace. By developing this path, the British public can be enabled to feel proud of a government that will not only keep us safe but become a world leader in preparing for a genuinely peaceful world.
I am looking forward to hearing from you, thank you for your time.
With very best wishes,
Satish Kumar
The writer, a former Jain monk, is the author of Peace is Possible among other books, and is the Founder of Schumacher College, UK, and The Resurgence Trust, UK.