I, a journalist from Turkey and Eugene Schoulgin, a writer from Norway are dining in an Istanbul restaurant. It was a week after the attacks on the US.
Desperately discussing about the situation and the next "new war" we regretted that unfortunately, just a few writers' name we could recall who have been writing from the standpoint of keeping peace instead of speculating on war and its implications.
PP-E: Peace For The People of The Earth
We, the ordinary people of the earth, are the majority yet they are the rulers. "Let's build our own G-184," I suggested.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Look," I said. "Why don't we help create a worldwide movement? For instance, that would be the PP-E (Peace For The People of The Earth) of those who would not urge for nothing but peace."
That's not and shouldn't remain a dream. We are already experienced in grouping in ad hoc committees and initiatives. The journalists, writers, academics, movie players, cultural people, football, tennis, basketball players could pioneer.
Particularly, as a journalist, I feel worst. I am very well aware of the responsibility of the media, and it is becoming more unbearable every day to witness how the Turkish media manipulates the readers in general just as the American media does - for waging a new war.
Particularly, as a woman living in Turkey, I feel worst in my whole life.
In a country who has incessantly lived under "war situation" for almost two past decades I am once again convinced that some decides for war on behalf of "others". Eventually the "others" are sent for war; they die, or if they survive they remain this or that way harmed -mentally or physically.
Their friends and families too are deeply affected. They cannot remain as they had been after the war they have experienced indirectly. War, itself, violence organized on a national scale blankets the whole nation with violence.
Truth: The First Caasualty in War
The first casualty in the war is the truth. I doubt if truth as such had ever become public property. Yet, it is plain reality that when war comes, what has remained from the truth leaves the scene.
Throughout the two decades of "low-intensity conflict" as the war is named by Turkey's military specialists, in my country, journalists have been killed, detained, arrested, tortured, imprisoned, censured and they have auto-censured themselves.
Disappearances, massacres, tortures, rapes, poverty, forcible migrations, depopulated villages and so on...
Far from the war-front, where actual combat is fought for teeth-for-teeth, in the capitals or in the business centers where the war is decided wealth on a scale what the country have not witnessed in its all modern history has been accumulated in the hands of a few, very few people. Their sons and beloved ones have found the ways and means of escaping the bitterness of the war.
Who Wants War?
When it comes to the "new war". Who wants it? The people of America or the peoples of the earth? Who have asked for their consent? Who have explained them the truth behind all what happened. Yet mysterious "assassins" for yet mysterious reasons have declared "war" on the USA we are said. Then why war, and against whom? Against a "suspect" we are answered. This is the first war in the world history ever that a coalition of world's greatest powers declare war against a "suspect"!
And who benefits from that "war"? Analysis might bring some predictions but I won't speculate on that. Yet I am already assured that Turkey will not, and Afghanistan will suffer enormous harm!
And others?
A Manifesto of The Pioneers
The point is how to prevent the war? We, the peoples of the earth indeed comprise a great majority; we have abundant skillful people with us, yet lack necessary channels to convey our message. Let's draft a manifesto first. Reputed people from all around the earth pioneer signing this message. Journalists strive to do their best to make it heard, air it, screen it, print it, and publish it..
Let's bring together thousands in peace rallies everywhere on the earth, on the same day, and at the same moment. We possess the capacity to organize this. Let's stage peace concerts everywhere, one group from Finland might come to Turkey; another one from South Africa would go Sri Lanka.
Let's ask, or even push prominent authors to write about peace and the realities, like Hufvudstadsbladet.
Let's do this!
During the last decades, the press, freedom fighters, human rights defenders, writers, academics have established greater contacts and closer cooperation. There are celebrity athletes, artists, and fashion designers everywhere.
A Global Chorus for Peace
We can establish a global chorus of all those people, who would scream for peace and urge for stopping the war.
This is the output of an Istanbul dinner of a writer and a journalist. We' ll do it.
Eugene Schoulgin and I have already started, first browsing through our address books and mailing lists and then sending messages to all our contacts to share our common call.
Let's do something before it is too late. Time is passing. Let's organize and stop the war, and sweep out the causes of conflict and hatred among the peoples of the earth.
