United Earth for Peace

Seeking Ways to Improve the Human Condition


A World View

That is the trouble with the world; everything is viewed from a distance. Too many of us view the troubles in the world from the comfort of our homes. Our TVs, often our only source of information, providing only a small limited snapshot of the suffering in the world. We are distracted from the global view by the suffering of a few whose pictures are plastered across the page and screen of every news media in the world.

Yes, we feel sorry for those suffering few, but too often there is nothing we can do to easy their pain. After all, how do you stop a war? As we feel sorry for those few our gaze has been turned from the pain and suffering of a growing number of people and other problems worldwide. Yet, what can we do? Until the world unites as a single voice the human suffering that goes on worldwide will continue. That is what United Earth for Peace is all about. We are about finding global solutions for global problems.

Ours is a world view. We search for answers to global problems and then seek to apply the answers we find on a global scale without regard to race or religion and we are mandated to respect local customs with respect to those people whom we serve.

Yes, we will shine a light on those problems that must be address on a global scale. War, pollution, famine, climate change (global warming), Refugee crises, poverty, crime, slavery and the trafficking, abuse, and exploitation of men, women, and children are all global problems that need answers. However, the answers we will provide will be on a more human scale dealing first with the basic needs of habitat (housing), food production, and medical care. Beyond that we will address other basic needs like education for all. Even as we search for and find answers for the basic needs of humanity we will become a growing voice that will not be quenched until we have found the answers to all the other global problems we still face.


Consider the global priorities in spending in 1998.
Global Priority:
Cosmetics in the United States- $8,000,000,000
Ice cream in Europe - $11,000,000,000
Perfumes in Europe and the United States - $12,000,000,000
Pet foods in Europe and the United States - $17,000,000,000
Business entertainment in Japan - $35,000,000,000
Cigarettes in Europe - $50,000,000,000
Alcoholic drinks in Europe - $105,000,000,000
Narcotics drugs in the world - $400,000,000,000
Military spending in the world - $780,000,000,000

Compare that to what was estimated as additional costs to achieve universal access to basic social services in all developing countries.


Global Priority:
Basic education for all - $6,000,000,000
Water and sanitation for all - $9,000,000,000
Reproductive health for all women - $12,000,000,000
Basic health and nutrition - $13,000,000,000

The Face of War

Study well the pictures, it is the things that all our guns, bombs, and bullets have purchased. It is the face of war.

When will we wake up realize war is unnecessary and outdated as means to settle our differences. How long must children suffer the foolishness of adults as we fight over things of no real consequence? Were we not taught to share as children? The lessons we learned as children, we have forgotten as adults.

Of all the insane excuses we have come up with as our reasons for going to war religion has been by far the worse. To go to war and kill our brothers in the name of a God who said, "Thou shalt not kill," shows just how well we have listened to a God that the majority of the world believes created us all in His image.

We claim to have reached a height of civilization and technology unparalleled in human history. Yet, we have not come so far that we have out grown the need for war. With our advanced technology we have created new ways to kill our fellow man on an almost unimaginable scale. Whole cities have been wiped from the face of the planet, hundreds of thousands of people killed in the blink of an eye. I don't call that progress.

So study well the face of war and how far we have really progressed in the last few thousand years as human beings. Know that it is within our power to end war and all those things that cause human suffering if we, and our leaders, truly wished to do so; if we were truly a united world for peace.

      The Other Face of War

      The other face of war is the legacy of what we have left behind.

      All the countries that have signed or agree in principle with the treaty to ban land mines are the countries in the darker blue colors. Note that most of the countries (light blue) that have not signed not signed the treaty or at least agree with it in principal are the ones still making land mines (the red dots).

      What we have left behind after the wars we have waged is over continues to leave scars upon the land and the people. Rarely do we clean up the mess we left behind. That we leave to future generations. Yes, that is what we have gotten from our technological advancements, weapons that keep on killing long after the war is over. It is just another face of war.

      Whatever excuses we have come up with for waging war, land, resources, religion, race, color, creed, the way someone parts their hair, etc., it is never the real reason why people wage war. It is really about power and control over others; control over their lands and their lives. True freedom and true world peace is a threat to those who seek to control every aspect of our lives. The last thing the handful of people who seek to control the human race wants is a united Earth for peace.

      Notes of Interest
      IDP is short for “internally displaced person”. Some 26 million people worldwide currently live in situations of internal displacement as a result of conflicts or human rights violations. They were forced to flee their homes because their lives were at danger, but unlike refugees they did not cross international borders. Although internally displaced people now outnumber refugees by two to one, their plight receives far less international attention. Many IDPs remain exposed to violence and other human rights violations during their displacement. Often they have no or only very limited access to food, employment, education and health care. Large numbers of IDPs are caught in desperate situations amidst fighting or in remote and inaccessible areas cut-off from international assistance. Others have been forced to live away from their homes for many years, or even decades, because the conflicts that caused their displacement remained unresolved.

      While refugees are eligible to receive international protection and help under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol, the international community is not under the same legal obligation to protect and assist internally displaced people. National governments have the primary responsibility for the security and well-being of all displaced people on their territory, but often they are unable or unwilling to live up to this obligation.

      It is just another face of war.

       Refugees Is A Growing Global Crises

      Global Trends At-a-Glance
      By the end of 2017, 68.5 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations. That was an increase of 2.9 million people over the previous year, and the world’s forcibly displaced population remained at a record high. This includes:
      25.4 million refugees in the world—the highest ever seen;
      40 million internally displaced people; and
      3.1 million asylum-seekers.

      New displacement remains very high. One person becomes displaced every 2 seconds – less than the time it takes to read this sentence. That’s 30 people who are newly displaced every minute.
      1 in every 110 people globally is either an asylum-seeker, internally displaced or a refugee.
      68.5 Million Approximate equivalent to the entire population of France.



          Noteworthy Facts and Statistics by Region/Country
          Central African Republic
          Since 2013, nearly 1 million men, women and children have fled their homes in desperation, seeking refuge within mosques and churches, as well as in neighboring countries (Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad and the Republic of the Congo).

          Central America
          In recent years, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have experienced a dramatic escalation in violence by organized criminal groups, locally called maras.
          Current homicide rates are among the highest ever recorded in the region.
          The number of people fleeing for their lives from Central America has grown by ten times in the past five years.
          90% of asylum-seekers in Mexico are from NTCA countries.

          Europe
          The ongoing conflict and violence in Syria, Iraq and other parts of the world is causing large-scale displacement and refugees are seeking safety beyond the immediate region. The lack of an increased number of legal pathways leaves so many people fleeing persecution with few choices, including many trying to reunite with family members in Europe.

          More than 1.4 million people to take their chances aboard unseaworthy boats and dinghies in a desperate attempt to reach Greece, Italy and Spain en route to Europe since 2015.

          Iraq
          More than 3 million Iraqis have been displaced across the country since the start of 2014 and more than 240,000 are refugees in other countries, including Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Germany.

          South Sudan
          South Sudan is the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis. Since December 2013, brutal conflict in South Sudan has claimed thousands of lives and driven 3.3 million people from their homes. While an estimated 1.9 million people remain displaced inside the country, 1.4 million have fled as refugees to neighboring countries in a desperate bid to reach safety.

          Uganda currently hosts the most South Sudanese refugees, having taken in more than 1 million people.

          Syria
          Syrians continued to be the largest forcibly displaced population in the world, with 12 million people at the end of 2016. That’s more than half of the Syrian population.
          More than 5 million people have fled Syria seeking safety in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and beyond. In Lebanon, where more than 1 million Syrian refugees reside, there are no formal refugee camps and approximately 70 percent of Syrian refugees live below the poverty line.

          In Jordan, over 660,000 Syrian refugees are trapped in exile. Approximately 80% of them live outside camps, while more than 140,000 have found sanctuary at the Za’atari and Azraq refugee camps. 93% of refugees in Jordan live below the poverty line.
          Rohingya Refugee Emergency

          As of April 2018, an estimated 671,000 Rohingya children, women and men have fled to Bangladesh escaping violence in Myanmar since August 25, 2017.

          The Rohingya are a stateless Muslim minority in Myanmar. The vast majority of Rohingya refugees are women and children, including newborn babies. Many others are elderly people requiring additional aid and protection.

          The Rohingya refugee crisis is the fastest growing crisis in the world.

          Ukraine
          Thee years of conflict has left more than 2 million Ukrainians displaced from their homes, including 66,000 people with disabilities.
          300,000 others have sought asylum in neighboring countries.

          Yemen
          Fighting in Yemen, already one of the poorest countries in the Middle East, has severely compounded needs arising from long years of poverty and insecurity.

          Nearly 20 million Yemenis need humanitarian assistance. Those forced to flee their homes are especially at risk. Over 2 million people now languish in desperate conditions, away from home and deprived of basic needs. The situation is so dire that 1 million displaced Yemenis have lost hope and tried to return home, even though it is not yet safe.

          2/3 of refugees come from just five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Somalia.

          Education
          General Trends:
          Refugees children are five times more likely to be out of school than their non-refugee peers.

          Only 2.9 million of the 6.4 million refugees of school-age were enrolled in primary or secondary education in 2016. More than half of them -- 3.5 million -- did not go to school.

          Primary education enrollment for refugees increased from 50 percent in 2015 to 61 percent in 2016, in large part due to improvements for Syrian refugee children thanks to increased international efforts and measures taken by host governments.

          Primary, Secondary and Higher Education:
          1.5 million refugee children were not in primary school and 2 million refugee adolescents were not in secondary school.

          61 percent of refugee children, and less that 50 percent of refugee children in low-income countries, attend primary school. Globally, 91 percent of children attend primary school.

          23 percent of refugee adolescents, and 9 percent of refugee adolescents in low-income countries, attend secondary school. Globally, 84 percent of adolescents attend secondary school.

          Only 1 percent of refugees enroll in college or university. Across the world, enrollment in college or university stands at 36 percent.

          Gender Gap:
          For every ten refugee boys in primary school, there are fewer than eight refugee girls.
          For every ten refugee boys in secondary school there are fewer than seven refugee girls.


          Notes of Interest
          Who is a refugee?
          A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries.
          Two-thirds of all refugees worldwide come from just five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Somalia.

          Who is an internally displaced person?
          An internally displaced person, or IDP, is someone who has been forced to flee their home but never cross an international border. These individuals seek safety anywhere they can find it—in nearby towns, schools, settlements, internal camps, even forests and fields. IDPs, which include people displaced by internal strife and natural disasters, are the largest group that UNHCR assists. Unlike refugees, IDPs are not protected by international law or eligible to receive many types of aid because they are legally under the protection of their own government.

          Countries with some the largest internally displaced populations are Colombia, Syria, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia.
          40m People are internally displaced around the world

          Who is a stateless person?
          A stateless person is someone who is not a citizen of any country. Citizenship is the legal bond between a government and an individual, and allows for certain political, economic, social and other rights of the individual, as well as the responsibilities of both government and citizen. A person can become stateless due to a variety of reasons, including sovereign, legal, technical or administrative decisions or oversights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights underlines that “Everyone has the right to a nationality.”
          10m People around the world are stateless or at risk of statelessness

          Who is an asylum seeker?
          When people flee their own country and seek sanctuary in another country, they apply for asylum – the right to be recognized as a refugee and receive legal protection and material assistance. An asylum seeker must demonstrate that his or her fear of persecution in his or her home country is well-founded.
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