The establishment of NATO and the Warsaw Pact was the scheme that made us believe that peace (security) is guaranteed for those nations that got their membership, which still exists as evident by Zelensky's statement. What we actually need is just the opposite, the destruction of the established groupism, created based on borders, associations, race, sex, colour, social status, GDP and the like for a better inclusive world
In the 21st century, when humankind should have been progressing towards world peace by self-reflecting on the past mistakes and amending them or learning from them, the recent brutal invasion by Russia of Ukraine in February 2022 shows that human beings have proven to be the ones who are doing more harm not only to themselves but also to the ecosystem reinforcing the statement that "the world would have been a much better place without humans".
Groupism - "we" and "them" played a great role for the perceived better security at the time when humans would see any non-acquaintance or anyone not from their group as an enemy.
Having the highest consciousness level compared to any other animals, humans would have broken this barrier already, and would have been working collaboratively to make this world a better place not only for them but also for all its inhabitants.
However, we are still entangled in groupism - "We" are better, more democratic, have better GDP growth (success indicator), and are less exclusive than "them".
The world is getting addicted towards materialism where success is solely based on GDP growth at the cost of anything, including our own health and happiness, and hence we are going to see an increasing number of deranged world leaders. When they have their hands on weapons of mass destruction, everyone is at their mercy.
It doesn't matter which group one belongs to.
There are already statements about the use of nuclear weapons from top Russian officials. The incumbent Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has also made several references to the use of nuclear weapons.
During the invasion by Iraq of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), an American-led alliance (a big group), could readily step up against Iraq, but it is not the same with Russia, which has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world, approximately 4,477 nuclear warheads in total.
The United Nations (UN), created at the end of World War II as an international peacekeeping organisation to resolve conflicts between nations, is also helplessly watching the conflicts.
In the name of sending a strong message to Putin, Wimbledon is banning Russian and Belarusian players from competing, which could further incite hatred and intolerance.
This is another form of groupism in the name of nationality.
Also, Russia is taking it as a proxy war with NATO that is providing support to Ukraine. If its strategy in Ukraine is failing, there is the possibility of use of nuclear weapons to avoid defeat.
The statement from the incumbent President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky: 'If we were a NATO member, a war wouldn't have started', has proven that the country still has to rely on big groups for its security.
We are missing a big picture here - by joining one big group, we are actually provoking another big group.
Russia did see the potential threat on its borders when NATO, explicitly created to counter the then Soviet Union, promised membership to two former Soviet republics, Ukraine and Georgia in 2008.
Besides unnecessary casualties, we have already seen the economic fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war in three months with rising food and energy prices, and prolonged disruption of supply chains.
The buildup of tension between Russia and NATO, if continued, can escalate into nuclear wars and world devastation. It is high time for sensible leaders to go beyond their ego and start a fruitful conversation to resolve the issue rather than stoking it.
With groupism, it is constraining our consciousness state, and our civilisation based on materialism is failing. It appears that we need to wait much longer for body transcendence so that "others" or "them" just disappears with the realisation that the world as a whole is not different from us. We are interconnected and inter-dependent.
As a matter of fact, when viewed with farsightedness, your peace and happiness are dependent on your surroundings, which, in turn, depend on the peace and happiness of "others".
To satisfy our short-term ego and gratification, we are missing the big picture of sustained happiness for all.
The establishment of NATO and the Warsaw Pact was the scheme that made us believe that peace (security) is guaranteed for those nations that got their membership, which still exists as evident by Zelensky's statement.
What we actually need is just the opposite, the destruction of the established groupism, created based on borders, associations, race, sex, colour, sexual orientation, social status, GDP and the like for a better inclusive world, where each human life/value is equally important no matter which group it belongs to.
As human beings, we are actually obliged to help others in need not to inflict harm (via war). Instead, we rationalise the killings of innocent people (the other group) as collateral damage for the greater good.
As a matter of fact, helping or empowering others can actually bring meaning and purpose to our lives to maintain our mental health.
Gajurel works as a senior computational scientist and adjunct assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, USA
A version of this article appears in the print on May 30, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
