Peace policy

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The term peace policy is derived from the pair of terms politics and peace . This does not only mean "big politics", but also efforts in the local and private sphere:

Peace policy strives for a compatible and secure coexistence of people on different levels. Politically it was already an issue in some early advanced cultures (e.g. in ancient Persia ) and in the Bible , but it has always stood in opposition to regional competition and great power politics .

In the 20th century it was u. a. Institutionalized by peace movements , the League of Nations and later the UN , which primarily prevented regional conflicts . After the Second World War, it was seen as an alternative to the Cold War and an impending nuclear war and resulted in numerous initiatives for disarmament , détente, political conflict management (e.g. OSCE ) and private nonviolence . The establishment of secret services could also prevent some conflicts, but also intensify them.

Today, peace policy also includes efforts to avoid the causes of war , for example in the areas of the economy, development cooperation and poverty reduction , Catholic social teaching , in historical research as well as through the development of peace ethics , the promotion of civil rights and public awareness.

History of Peace Policy

Since peace can not last long without a minimum of order and agreement , today the concept of peace is closely linked to that of law . But one of the prerequisites for a peace based on justice is a sufficient degree of freedom .

It is disputed in peace policy whether it only deals with the external relationship protected from the arbitrary effects of violence or whether it also deals with internal sympathy that goes beyond peacefulness .

Apart from some primitive societies, peace is mostly a man-made condition that requires more or less explicit safeguards through power and agreement .

Oldest political testimonies and Bible

The dangers, conflicts and struggles associated with the implementation of state goals and personal ideas about life are already reflected in the oldest political evidence of cultures . In the official sources, the emphasis is often on military self-assertion outwardly, while in the private sphere, conflict settlement through compromise and judgments predominate.

In the internal relationship of ancient societies , the ruling divine and human powers are expected to secure order , that is, internal peace. In this sense, the major religions of this time, especially where they cooperate with political rule , are “ready for war” externally, but “peaceful” internally.

Peace in the Old Testament (Shalom)

He means the wholesome “intactness” of a community, which is experienced as a gift from YHWH , the gracious Creator and his righteousness . Peace here is a divine gift rather than a human task.

In the interpersonal area, the shalom is a gesture of peace of welcome, which in oriental nomads has developed from the willingness to accept the newcomer in the oasis or at water points. It is often associated with a hug or some other small ceremony. The refusal of the Shalom was life threatening for the new arrivals and their cattle herds to be.

The new Testament

reinforces this view, since his entire message of salvation is understood as the proclamation of peace . That is why Jesus often uses the greeting: Peace be with you . Theologically, peace in the whole world is concluded in Jesus Christ; whoever follows him becomes a peacemaker in the sense of the Sermon on the Mount .

Concept of peace in late antiquity and the Middle Ages

Augustine

In the 19th book of “De civitate Dei”, the important Doctor of the Church Augustine (354-430) made a strict distinction between the spiritual and the inner-worldly realm. In the latter, peace is secured through power and rule, if necessary also through “just war” ( bellum iustum ). On the other hand, Augustine sees an area of ​​eschatological - concerning the ultimate - expectation of peace . This kind of peace is beyond the possibilities of earthly politics.

In the Middle Ages , too, the concept of peace was largely divided into two. Despite this separation of “world peace” and “ God's peace ”, there was no mistaking the endeavor to impress Christian notions of order on the political world. " Pax et Iustitia " (Peace and Justice) has been the goal of public order for centuries:

The right

It served peace and was itself an expression of peace. In the epoch of peace between God and the land , the rulers developed into carriers of the legal and peace idea. This development reached its climax in the Eternal Land Peace of 1495 ("Peace in the Modern Era").

The principles of a legally constituted "order of peace" gained global importance in the age of renaissance and humanism . The leading humanistic theologian Erasmus von Rotterdam rejected the war as contrary to nature and called for international guarantees and arbitration .

Still, there were doubts about the inevitability of war. They became particularly strong in the Age of Enlightenment . The philosopher Immanuel Kant outlined in his draft "For Eternal Peace" (1795) the conditions for a global legal order as a peace order and postulated an unconditional moral "peace obligation" that precluded a justification of the war as an "ultima ratio".

As a result, however, a new willingness to go to war emerged from the partial euphoria of the wars of liberation and the nationalism of the European peoples.

Modern times and enlightenment

20th century

Especially after the Second World War, the realization grew that wars are consequently directed against humanity as a whole. Therefore, the peace movements and peace research became increasingly involved. At the same time, the so-called balance of terror arose between the great powers USA and USSR - under the threat of nuclear war - in which the military alliances NATO and Warsaw Pact faced each other in Europe . Repeated “ disarmament talks ” and the OSCE helped to avoid the major conflict, but there were regional proxy wars in other continents.

After the fall of 1989/90 in Central and Eastern Europe , the European Union became the most successful peace project in the world. But even after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, the threat of wars continues. you will be

  • led to economic and political interests and / or
  • because of nationality and religious conflicts.

Peace research

The Peace Research also examines the "conditions for internal social peace." There are strong links here with so-called peace movements , with humanistic or Christian ethics , with questions of justice and social policy .

international law

Today's views

"International law" defines "peace as a state of non-warlike relations between states", which is expressed in mutual diplomatic relations, in the conclusion and implementation of "international treaties", in commercial, cultural and legal relations and in the mutual "protection of citizens" .

According to the prevailing view of international law, peace is interrupted by war and traditionally restored by a peace treaty , the preparation of which is usually an armistice . As a rule, express declarations of peace or the establishment of diplomatic relations or trade are accepted as "peace through coherent action" ("state of peace de facto").

The idea of ​​a lasting peace (see also Pax romana ) is the driving force in “securing peace”.

United Nations : According to the UN statutes, any "violation of peace" is prohibited. Even the danger of armed conflict or other acts of violence triggers the measures provided for in the Charter of the United Nations as a threat to peace :

  • Defense against a violent measure only to a limited extent
  • Sanctions against the peace-threatening state

middle Ages

With the fall of the Roman Empire, politics in Europe lost its complexity again and the communities became more manageable again, and conflicts became smaller. In the time of the Great Migration and the early Middle Ages , politics was more of a warlike power politics and less of institutions and generally accepted rules. The more long-distance trade , money and cities regained importance, the more important were fixed centers of power and the more important institutions became. For example, the Hanseatic League was formed as an interest and power group of influential, self-governing cities. An important, relatively constant center of power was the Roman Catholic Church . Social communities that swore allegiance to certain leaders (Union of Persons ) slowly became hereditary monarchies with fixed borders .

Development in modern times

In France the archetypal absolutist ruler developed , in England the constitutional monarchy, bound by law and order, arose . There the wealthy citizens were soon officially involved in politics. Over time, the census suffrage was extended to larger parts of the population. During the Enlightenment, scholars devised new models of statecraft. Instead of Machiavelli's model of absolute power drawn in his book ' Der Fürst ' ( Il Principe ), John Locke defined the model of the separation of powers . The Civil liberties were demanded by various philosophers and with Thomas Jefferson's declarations on human rights and the US Constitution began the era of modern constitutional states. The French Revolution and Napoleon's campaigns transformed Europe. The Civil Code in France established civil rights , and the barriers to class gradually fell everywhere. Politics became an issue for the whole people. Parties emerged that first organized an opposition from outside in order to later form the government themselves. Some parties such as the SPD or later the Greens emerged from social movements such as the workers' movement or the anti-nuclear and peace movement , others formed against a religious background ( center ). In the 20th century , international organizations emerged with increasing influence on politics. The first attempt to form a community of nations in the so-called League of Nations failed with the Second World War . Today, in addition to the United Nations as an association of all sovereign states in the economic field, there is also the World Trade Organization WTO . The European Union is in the transition between the international organization and the federal state .

See also

literature

Web links

Wiktionary: peace policy  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
Wikiquote: Politics  - Quotes