Making Peace When the World Falls Apart

By M.K. George, SJ

In our daily Eucharistic celebration, one of the senior-most Jesuits regularly tells the community, “Let us pray for peace”. Like him, thousands across the world – even when they feel powerless to change the reality – still hope, raise their voices, and offer their sighs in prayer for peace.

A boy in a war zone recently told a humanitarian aid worker, “I don’t want toys or sweets. I just want the bombs to stop so I can sleep.”

In a moving poem, P. V. Joseph, SJ. from Myanmar wrote:

“Close the sky, so no warplane rises, no fear falls.

Close the sky so missiles fall silent, and artillery grows cold…

Close the sky, so homes stay whole, and families sleep in peace.”

This longing for peace echoes across the world – from bloodied battlefields and from the nearly 120 million refugees, migrants, and others forcibly displaced; from the shattered earth of Gaza, the broken land of Sudan, the jungles of Myanmar, and the burnt North-Eastern hills of Manipur.

Yet, at every moment, this hope is challenged by ongoing wars, skyrocketing military expenditures, denial of justice and freedom, disrespect for the rule of law, and rampant violations of human rights.

Wars around the World: Wars are the greatest killers of peace. The Copenhagen Peace Report 2025 and other research organizations estimate that there are about 56 active conflicts worldwide—the highest since World War II.

The report highlights climate change as a major driver of conflict, warning that rising temperatures, resource scarcity, and environmental disasters are intensifying tensions worldwide. Civil wars increasingly spill across borders, complicating efforts for regional and international peace.

According to ACLED, a global conflict tracker, the number of conflicts has doubled in five years, with one in seven people exposed to violence between July 2023 and July 2024.

Some of the ongoing high-profile conflicts include the Russia-Ukraine war, the Sudanese civil war since 2023, the Gaza-Israel-Palestine conflict, and violence in Eastern DR Congo and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The war in Sudan was the third deadliest conflict in 2025, after Ukraine and Gaza. (TVP World, accessed 01.02.2026)

Among 179–190 sovereign states, 91 countries are autocratic regimes, including both electoral and closed autocracies, while only 88 are classified as democratic – liberal and electoral. For the first time in over 20 years, autocracies now outnumber democracies.

At the start of the year, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said:“As we turn the page on a turbulent year, one fact speaks louder than words: global military spending has soared to $2.7 trillion, nearly 10 percent higher than the previous year. That figure is 13 times higher than total global development aid and equivalent to the entire GDP of the African continent. If current trends continue, military spending could more than double to $6.6 trillion by 2035, even as humanitarian needs continue to rise.”

Military spending does not promote peace. Producing arms requires selling them, and when purchased, they are used just to kill. Arms production perpetuates a vicious cycle of violence and destruction of peace.

Do we not hear the wailing of two billion souls – almost one quarter of the world -crying out from the ruins of war and armed conflict? (cf. World Economic Forum, Global Risk Assessment)

Rise of Authoritarianism and the Decline of Democracy: The rising authoritarianism and the declining democracy do not promote of peace. The V-Dem Democracy Report 2025, covering 179–190 sovereign states, identifies 91 countries as autocratic regimes, including both electoral and closed autocracies, while only 88 are classified as democratic (liberal and electoral). For the first time in over 20 years, autocracies now outnumber democracies.

Even in the world’s oldest democracy, the United States, as well as in Russia, China, and India – the largest democracy – peace is giving way to unrest and fear.

“They are scooping up anybody…it is far more terrifying…I think it’s important for our voices to be heard,” said Mary, a 67-year-old protester in Minneapolis, U.S. reacting to federal immigration raids. “I don’t want this war. Almost no one here wants it. I want the whole world to see that we don’t want it. We don’t want it to weigh on our conscience for decades,” said an ordinary Russian protester opposing the war, speaking at great personal risk. “We have repeatedly appealed for resettlement of displaced persons and resolution of the crisis — peace will only be possible if attempts to sabotage reconciliation are stopped,” stated participants at a rally in Manipur, India, highlighting a desire for lasting calm and coexistence between tribal groups.

What Really Brings Peace?: We can list four things that bring about peace. Justice, Freedom, Rule of Law, and Human Rights.

True peace comes from justice. Pope Francis had repeatedly said, “Where there is no justice, there cannot be peace.” Denial of justice is evident in global poverty, diminishing freedom, disregard for the rule of law, and violations of human rights. Despite sufficient resources, millions remain in extreme poverty, freedom is curtailed in numerous ways, legal systems are neglected even in the world’s oldest democracies, and human rights are trampled worldwide.

Do we not hear the wailing of two billion souls – almost one quarter of the world – crying out from the ruins of war and armed conflict?

Particularly worrying is the neglect of the rule of law across the world, especially in countries that are authoritarian. The ruling elite, aided by the Corporates, do things that ignore the law. It is as though no rule of law applies to the growing oligarchy that controls the world. “Across multiple continents and systems, wealth concentration is increasing, and economic elites are exerting disproportionate influence on politics, media, and public policy. This combination of concentrated wealth, political influence, and institutional access aligns with what researchers describe as a growing global oligarchic influence – a force that can undermine democratic decision-making, equity, and peace”, observed Kelsey Ables (Washington Post, 26 June, 2025).

Noam Chomsky warns us that when economic power becomes political power, democracy and peace are both in danger.

Can We Be Agents of Peace?: It seems that world leaders often do not long for peace; otherwise, how could a “Department of War” even exist? The repeated failures of global peace efforts, including the weakening of the United Nations, illustrate this reality.

In this context, individuals and small groups must take the initiative in pursuing peace. Encouragingly, movements advocating for peace exist across the globe. The critical question is whether we are willing to add our voices to theirs – perhaps beginning in our own neighbourhoods by choosing to replace hate speech with dialogues grounded in love.

Poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer offers a compelling articulation of this hope: “One willing heart can’t stop a war. One willing heart can’t feed all the hungry. And sometimes, daunted by a task too big, I tell myself what’s the use of trying? But today, the invitation is clear: to be ridiculously courageous in love.”

Peace, then, becomes possible when at least some of us are willing to embrace this call to be ridiculously courageous in love.

---