Plan and pray for a significant peace initiative around Christmas and New Year

By Bharat Dogra
Can a year which experienced such terrible although entirely avoidable violence and conflict still end on a note of peace and hope? Yes, it can if the remaining few days can be used for a significant peace initiative to take place around Christmas or the arrival of the New Year.
This is the time of the year when people, and hopefully world leaders, are likely to be more inclined toward ideas and plans of peace and harmony. Efforts should be made to make the best use of this limited time-span.
There is another reason why such an effort should be made. The calendar for the next year 2024 is full of several important elections and issues of critical importance. It is important that such a year should begin on a note of peace and goodwill.
Although the present world scene is characterized by several deeply worrying conflict situations, at the same time there are some indicators that the time may be favorable for some peace initiatives.
In the context of Ukraine, for example, the enthusiasm of several western supporters of Ukraine for continuing weapons supply and continuing conflict appears to have diminished in recent times after taking a more realistic view of the situation. Hence this may be an opportune type for declaring an unconditional ceasefire on the basis of the present line of control, accompanied by some gestures of goodwill, to be followed after a short gap by negotiations to resolve all contentious issues.
As this writer has argued consistently, the territorial and perhaps some other issues are so contentious that if a ceasefire is to be based on such conditions then it may be delayed indefinitely, leading to further highly distressing, avoidable loss of life. Hence unconditional ceasefire is really the way forward and the likelihood of acceptance of this has improved in recent times. If this idea is promoted in an unbiased way with due respect and dignity for both sides and with true, sincere commitment to peace, then it is just possible that surprising good results can be achieved very quickly in current conditions.
In Gaza the situation is even more distressing just now. However many journalists, activists and others have been working with deep commitment to draw attention to the terrible human tragedy being enacted here and as a result world opinion has also been changing, to the extent that even the USA policy makers and President Joe Biden could not remain entirely unaffected by it. We should not forget that within Israel also there have been some very sincere voices of peace. True, Netanyahu with his extremely aggressive agenda is a big problem and obstacle for any peace initiative. But can just one obstinate leader stand in the path of peace if the peace effort is strong enough?
As the people of Gaza have suffered so much recently and there is increased worldwide sympathy for them, this may be just the right time to speed up the peace efforts to stop the Israeli aggression while securing the release of remaining hostages, to be followed by gestures of peace and goodwill ( such as release of prisoners). This in turn can be followed by talks to secure some kind of a two-state solution which is based on peace and justice, even if only to a limited extent, for all sides.
While these two are the most worrying conflict situations, both in terms of the distress caused and the threats of escalation and widening of conflict, there is the ever-present threat of the blowing up of the USA-China rivalry into a serious conflict situation, and so peace efforts should give due attention to this too.
There are several other costly conflicts too, whether in Sudan, or the wider Horn of Africa region, or in Yemen or Myanmar or elsewhere. Significant efforts for ending conflicts and moving toward peace should be attempted around this time of the year in all conflict zones.
In the extremely important context of disarmament too the world has been moving in the wrong direction as even some of the existing treaties, including some of the most crucial ones concerning weapons of mass destruction, have been weakened or have collapsed. Hence any major step forward in the direction of strengthening disarmament would also be a very welcome and reassuring way of ending an year that has seen so much of highly distressing conflict.
---
The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include “Planet in Peril”, “Protecting Earth for Children”, “Earth without Borders” and “A Day in 2071”

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov, the artist who survived Stalin's cultural purges

By Harsh Thakor* Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov (September 14, 1885 – April 20, 1964) was a Soviet artist, professor, academician, and teacher. His work was posthumously awarded the Lenin Prize, the highest artistic honour of the USSR. His paintings traced the development of socialist realism in the visual arts while retaining qualities drawn from impressionism. Gerasimov reconciled a lyrical approach to nature with the demands of Soviet socialist ideology.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Public money, private profits: Crop insurance scheme as goldmine for corporates

By Vikas Meshram The farmer in India is not merely a food provider; he is the soul of the nation. For centuries, enduring natural calamities and bearing debt generation after generation while remaining loyal to the soil, this community now finds itself trapped in a different kind of crisis. In February 2016, the Modi government launched the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) with the stated objective of freeing farmers from the shackles of debt. It was an ambitious attempt to provide a strong safety net to cultivators repeatedly devastated by excessive rainfall, drought, and hailstorms.

Development at what cost? The budget's blind spot for the environment

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The historical ills in the relationship between capital and the environment have now manifested in areas commonly referred to as the "environmental crisis." This includes global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, the devastation of tropical forests, mass mortality of fish, species extinction, loss of biodiversity, poison seeping into the atmosphere and food, desertification, shrinking water supplies, lack of clean water, and radioactive pollution.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan* The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

Search This Blog