As I scrutinise the global landscape, my heart grows heavy. The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are just the tip of a blood-soaked iceberg. Russian forces continue their relentless assault on Ukrainian soil, while the cycle of violence between Israel, Iran and its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, seems never-ending. Amidst the chaos and destruction, one group thrives in the shadows – the arms dealers.

Across Africa, long-standing wars continue to ravage nations. The Sudanese Army and Rapid Support Forces are logged in never-ending warfare in Sudan. Despite efforts for peace, sporadic violence persists, and according to DW News, the 15-month war has left over 150,000 people dead. The Democratic Republic of Congo remains trapped in a cycle of conflict involving numerous armed groups, and according to Global Conflict Tracker, the war has led to six million deaths! In the Sahel region, countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger grapple with insurgencies and coups.

Turning to the Americas, the situation is equally grim. In Mexico, brutal drug cartels wage war against each other and the state, leaving a trail of devastation. Colombia, despite a peace deal with FARC rebels, still contends with dissident groups and other cartels. Venezuela’s ongoing crisis has regional implications, with violence spilling across borders.

In Myanmar, the military junta’s oppression has sparked armed resistance. The Afghan people face an uncertain future under Taliban rule, with pockets of resistance and the ever-present threat of extremist groups. In Yemen, a complex civil war has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Behind each of these conflicts, the shadowy figures of arms dealers loom large. They profit from every bullet fired, every bomb dropped, and every life shattered. Their wares find their way into the hands of state armies, rebel groups, terrorist organisations, and criminal syndicates alike. The global arms trade knows no borders, no morality—only the cold logic of supply and demand.

As a pacifist witnessing this worldwide carnage, I’m driven to ask: How can we break this cycle? How can we forge a path to lasting, global peace? The pacifist in me yearns for a world where conflicts are resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, not through the barrel of a gun or the blast of a missile.

Is it naive to imagine a future where we invest in education, healthcare, and sustainable development instead of arms races? Can we envision a world where the billions spent on weapons are redirected to fighting poverty, disease, and climate change?

The cynic might say this is an impossible dream, but we must strive for it nonetheless. Every life lost in these conflicts is a tragedy, a potential extinguished forever. We owe it to ourselves and future generations to seek alternatives to violence. As long as some profit from war, peace will remain elusive. But if we can change our collective mindset and see humanity in our perceived enemies, we can begin to build a world where arms dealers have no place.

The path to peace is long and filled with challenges. But it begins with us questioning the status quo and daring to imagine a better way. In the face of ongoing conflicts, let us not lose hope. Let us work tirelessly for a future where the only arms we need are those we use to embrace one another.

If we can all imbibe the ideology of a pacifist, we’re moving towards a peaceful world.