“So much trouble in the world, so much trouble in the world. Bless my eyes this morning Jah sun is on the rise once again. The way earthly things are going, anything can happen. You see men sailing on their ego trip, blast off on their spaceship million miles from reality no care for you, no care for me.” — Bob Marley and the Wailers, Survival album

Ever since the dawn of human existence, homo sapiens have not been able to find lasting peace and it continues to elude us to this day.

The million-dollar question is: Why can’t we have world peace? Much has been accomplished by early civilisations, from the pyramids of Egypt to the hanging gardens of Babylon, walking on the moon, deep space exploration, and deep sea exploration. These accomplishments required cognitive and analytical skills and excellent teamwork, so why is it that nation states cannot coexist peacefully? Why can’t the same thought processes that gave rise to these great accomplishments be applied so that man can live together in constant unity?

The complexity of human beings is an advantage as well as a disadvantage when it comes to peaceful coexistence. The built environment requires complex thought processes to construct skyscrapers, spacecraft, submarines, advanced weapon systems, and nuclear programmes. Whereas, the social environment only requires love, respect, and care for each other, which is lacking in the world.

Power Projection

Powerful nation states project their power in various ways, but most noticeable is by military might and economic resources. An example of power projection is the US sending an aircraft carrier to an unstable region. No troop deployment, the US power is projected by the mere presence of the aircraft carrier. The rich and powerful rule the world, they decide what happens when, where, and how and they also decide what happens in the future.

Many of us wonder how slavery and the holocaust was allowed to happen, yet here we are in modern times and there are conflicts happening all over the globe, such as the Ukraine and Palestinian crises. How is it that all these conflicts are going on and no one can stop it, is it that no one can? Or is it that these conflicts must run their course?

Power is projected where there is an interest. Poor nations have no power to project, which leaves them subservient to the power brokers. Poor countries that are blessed with natural resources in most cases do not have the capacity to mine their resources, so they must partner with multinationals and power brokers who possess the capacity to mine and refine these essential resources. These collaborations are not always fair, and the gains are not equitable because economic power is projected in the deals. This has led to uprisings and conflicts in many poor countries, where the citizenry becomes tired of seeing their natural resources leaving while the country remains in abject poverty, relying only on aid.

Conflicts

The modern world finds itself in a situation in which conflicts are increasing, millions are displaced and there is no regard for international law or life. This displacement leads to hunger, starvation, violence, and refugee camps. But where do conflicts begin?

Most conflicts have their genesis in territorial disputes, regional tensions, corruption, dwindling resources, power struggles, and resource control. There are six types of international conflict: territorial, ideological, ethnic, religious, governmental, and economic. Conflict negatively impacts the basic human needs such as food, water, and shelter, which pushes the poor into extreme poverty. Lives are lost and infrastructure demolished.

The consequences of conflicts are always enduring with the poor, women and children paying the highest price. Homes, schools, places of worship, and national symbols that took decades to build are destroyed in seconds. Conflicts come at a very high cost; most humanitarian needs are born out of a crisis, which brings about migratory refugees in some cases.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), “There are many potential conflicts that could arise in 2023. Conflicts are grouped from tier one to tier three. Tier one is high priority, tier two is medium priority, and tier three low priority.” Tier one concerns the major powers and focuses on potential flashpoints, for example, crisis with Taiwan and China, war in Ukraine, Iran’s nuclear programme, and Pyongyang continued firing of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). Escalation of a tier one conflict seems unlikely in 2023; however, the possibility exists. The conflicts on the African continent are considered tier three, which have displaced millions of people causing the UN to spend billions of dollars in humanitarian aid.

CrisisWatch, a global conflict tracker, mentioned that the military takeover in Niger has all the ingredients for escalation. The military junta headed by General Abdourahamane Tiani is not backing down. If the Niger crisis is not resolved, it may soon become a flash point and cause further instability in the Sahel and the entire West African region. Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has signalled its intent to use military force against Niger. This will only cause the situation to escalate to a crisis.

The Ukraine takes the spotlight because it is a tier one, but there are many other countries where conflicts are taking place which needs empathy, compassion, and ongoing intervention: Libya, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Central Africa, Republic, Democratic of Congo, Chad, Palestine, and Haiti. Also, remember that the Korean peninsula signed an armistice in July 1953, technically North and South Korea are still at war. Reggae artiste Dennis Brown said, “The world is troubled.” No one can deny that with so many conflicts. Lasting peace will continue to be elusive because man simply cannot live together in unity.

The Haitian crisis is mushrooming, I classify it a tier three, so don’t expect the power brokers to take the lead in finding a solution or to show great interest; however, they will offer aid and formulate resolutions.

There are different approaches that are being discussed by the UN and Caricom as it relates to helping Haiti. Jamaicans have never had to leave their country in boatloads for the shores of a neighbouring State as refugees. We should be empathetic to the situations of Haitians. The right to life is foremost. When one’s life is in obvious danger it triggers two things, fight or flight. If you cannot fight, there is only one option remaining. It is a dire situation when people pack themselves on a small boat in the middle of the night and decide to leave their homeland. It speaks to a lot of adjectives: fear, bravery, survival, determination, hope, and vision.

The Caribbean has always been relatively crisis-free, which is why the region is a sought-after tourist destination. It is also very important for Caribbean leaders to prevent a crisis in the region, where most economies are fragile.

A crisis in one State, if not properly controlled, can cause an influx of refugees in neighbouring states. If the Haitian crisis is not resolved, the potential for migrant refugees will be a clear and present danger, the solution is to assist so that law and order can be restored.

The region should activate the Caribbean Peace-Keeping Force (CPF) and step up to the plate to assist Haiti in restoring law and order. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the Bahamian Government, along with Kenya leading the charge, has agreed to send security personnel to Haiti. I think that other Caribbean states will eventually help. If Jamaica was in a similar situation, what would we want?

Think about it, and let us help fix one of the problems in the world.

Carlos Pipher is a security professional and opinionator. He is also the newsletter editor for ASIS International — Jamaica Chapter. The views expressed are not those of the Jamaica Chapter.