'Many of the calamities involved the use of advanced technology to wreak havoc on an unprecedented scale'. Explain.

Many of the aforesaid calamities involved the use of advanced technology to wreak havoc on an unprecedented scale.

Germany ‘carpet-bombed’ London during the Second World War and the British responded by sending 1000-bomber raids to attack German cities. The war ended with the USA dropping atom bombs on the Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At least 1,20,000 people died immediately from the two attacks and many more died later due to the effects of nuclear radiation. Nearly 95 per cent of the casualties were civilians.

The rise of terrorism is partly a response to the self-serving and ham-handed conduct of the aggressive states.

(i)Terrorists currently pose a great threat to peace through an adroit and ruthless use of modern weapons and advanced technology more generally.

(ii)Examples: The demolition of the World Trade Centre (New York, USA) by Islamic militants on 9September 2001 was a striking manifestation of this sinister reality.

(iii)The use of biological/chemical/nuclear weapons of mass destruction by these forces remains a frightening possibility.

(iv)The global community has failed to curb the rapacity of the domineering powers and the guerrilla tactics of the terrorists.

The contemporary preoccupation with peace can be traced to the attrocities of the twentieth century which resulted in the death of millions of human beings:

(i)The rise of Fascism in Italy, the rise of Nazism in Germany and the World Wars. Closer home in India and Pakistan the human beings have experienced directly or indirectly the horror of Pakistan (1947).

(ii)Many of the aforesaid calamities involved the use of advanced technology to wreak havoc on an unprecedented scale.

(iii)Thus, Germany Carpet-bombed, London during the Second World War 1000-bomber raids to attack German cities. The war ended with the USA dropping atom bombs on the Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

(iv)At least 1,20,000 people died immediately from two attacks and many more died later due to the effects of nuclear radiation. About 95 per cent of the casualities were civilians.

The contemporary era has witnessed the rise of numerous popular initiatives aimed at fostering peace:

(i)These are often collectively described as the peace movement. The devastation caused by World War I galvanised the movement.

(ii)It has since gathered momentum and gained a large following across geographical and political barriers. The movement is sustained by people from diverse walks of life and includes workers, writers, scientists, teachers, media persons, priests and statesmen.

(iv)It has expanded and achieved depth by forging mutually beneficial linkages with other movements such as those championing the empowerment of women and protection of the environment.

(v)The movement has also created a body of knowledge called Peace Studies and effectively used new channels of communication such as the internet.