The Wars Are Raging Around The World… Why Do Countries Go To War? …What Are The Secrets Of War And Peace
Somewhere right now, missiles are being prepared. Somewhere, sirens are interrupting sleep. Somewhere, a child is learning fear far too early.
The tensions between USA–Israel and Iran, the memory of Pahalgam and India–Pakistan, and conflicts across the world remind us:
War is never far away. But the deeper truth is harder to accept.
War is not only happening there. It is happening, quietly, within us.
In our anger. In our judgments. In how we divide the world into “us” and “them.”
This issue is not about borders.
It is about the human heart- where every war begins, and where every war can end.
Why Wars Seem Endless—And How Hearts Can End Them:
Wars don’t begin on borders.
They begin in hearts.
Not in parliaments.
Not in strategies.
But in fear.
In anger.
In hatred that quietly settles within us.
Leaders and armies only amplify what already exists inside societies.
That is why war feels endless. Because its seed lives both outside us—and within us.
The Hidden Fuel Of Conflict:
We often believe that hating a wrongdoer is justified.
But hatred—
even when justified—
is still fuel.
Every time we dehumanize someone, we rebuild the same walls that allow violence to exist.
What feels like justice often becomes continuation.
Love And Forgiveness:
The Most Radical Disarmament.
Love is not weakness.
Forgiveness is not surrender.
They are acts of courage.
When you see a human being behind the word “enemy,” something shifts.
A cycle breaks.
A wall weakens.
These are small acts—but they are the only acts that have ever truly ended wars.
The Field Beyond Right And Wrong:
That field is not on any map.
It exists within us.
Every act of understanding,
every moment of compassion—
is a step toward that field.
1️⃣The Inner Battlefield
The seeds of war are in us. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Every war begins invisibly.
A hurt.
A label.
A silent division.
“Us” and “them.”
We draw these lines in our minds
long before they appear on maps.
If we don’t notice this, we keep recreating conflict—in our homes, in our lives.
2️⃣Hatred As Fuel
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. ~ Gandhi
Hatred feels powerful.
It gives clarity. It gives direction.
But it also sustains conflict.
Even when we are right,
hatred quietly turns us into
what we oppose.
War is not sustained by weapons alone—
but by emotions we normalize.
3️⃣Love As Resistance
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Love is not passive.
It is a choice made in difficult moments.
To listen instead of react.
To understand instead of attack.
This is resistance—
of the highest kind.
4️⃣When Forgiveness Changed History
Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. ~ Nelson Mandela
After 27 years in prison,
Nelson Mandela chose reconciliation over revenge.
That decision changed a nation.
Across the world,
many who suffered deeply
have chosen forgiveness.
Not because it was easy—
but because continuing hatred
would destroy what remained.
Forgiveness does not erase pain.
But it prevents its repetition.
5️⃣The Field Beyond Right And Wrong
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I’ll meet you there. ~ Rumi
We are trained to take sides.
To decide quickly—who is right, who is wrong.
But reality is rarely so simple.
There exists a space
where understanding replaces reaction.
Where seeing replaces judging.
And in that space,
conflict begins to dissolve.
6️⃣Raising Children Without Enemies
Peace is every step. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
No child is born with hatred.
It is learned.
Through words.
Through silence.
Through observation.
What if we chose to teach differently?
To question anger.
To understand difference.
To value humanity first.
The future of peace
is shaped quietly—at home.
7️⃣Art, Poetry & Silence
Be the change you wish to see in the world. ~ Gandhi
Not all change comes through argument.
Sometimes, it comes through stillness.
A poem.
A pause.
A moment of silence.
In a noisy world,
silence becomes meaningful.
In a divided world,
beauty becomes necessary.
Where It Truly Begins
War feels large. Distant. Uncontrollable. But its roots are not. It is easy to feel small in front of something as vast as war.
“What difference can I make?”
But this is where it begins-
In how you speak when you are angry.
In whether you choose to understand or to judge.
In whether you pass on fear—or something better.
Peace is not created in one moment. It is practiced, quietly, every day.
A softened response. A withheld reaction. A moment of compassion.
These may seem insignificant. But they are not.
They are how wars end—
not all at once,
but one heart at a time.
Sanjiv Shah
Mentor & Author
Founder Member, Oasis Movement
This article is AI-assisted.
OASIS Announces A Special Workshop/Dialogue on “ War To Peace”
📌 Program Details: 📌
👉🏻 Preview Session: 8 May, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
👉🏻 3-Day Residential Program: 9–11 May
👉🏻 Venue: Oasis Valleys, Chandod
👉🏻 Program Facilitators: Sanjiv Shah & Sheeba Nair, Founder Members, Oasis Movement
Limited seats for an intimate experience.
Book your seat only on BookMyShow 👉🏻 Click here to book now.
This is not a film festival. This is a journey into conscience, courage, and choice.
Alive Newsletter/ Magazine02 May 2026
Year 19, Issue 08
You receive this newsletter because you may be one of the participants of Oasis activities or may have been referred by our core friends or you may have given your email address to us. Please feel free to share this newsletter with your friends, family, and co-workers. You have permission to use this content in your newsletter or email system as long as you do not edit the content and you leave the links and this resource box intact. We will be happy to receive a copy of the same. If you wish that this newsletter is dispatched directly to your contacts, you may recommend the same to us along with their key details. Incase if you do not want this Newsletter, you may unsubscribe it.
The seeds of war are in us. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
