According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, war is defined as a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations.
This definition suggests that for war to take place, certain elements must be present:
- One or more nations or countries
- Conflict
- Declaration of intent
- Arms
Without referring to any additional sources, one can easily recognize that this definition makes sense. For war to happen, two or more parties must be involved, there must be a conflict that triggers the hostility, and the intent to attack is often made open. Because no one goes around fighting an entire nation with warriors and horses anymore, it is clear that modern warfare relies heavily on weapons and military technology.
Image from unsplash
With this understanding, it becomes easier to draw conclusions about why wars happen and why the world may never be completely free from them. Either way, we must understand that these wars do occur for various reasons. Some are fought for control over territories and access to natural resources while others arise from religious grievances or struggles for political power and influence.
Take the Russia-Ukraine war for example. This conflict escalated when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and it was due to Russia’s desire to maintain influence over certain territories and prevent Ukraine from forming closer ties with Europe.
During this war, many international students from my country who were studying medicine in Ukraine faced one of the most difficult moments of their lives. Some were fortunate enough to be transported back to Nigeria in organized evacuation flights. Others who could not make those flights had no choice but to find their own way out of the country through foot.
For many of these students, the war meant an abrupt halt in their academic journeys. They had to return home and wait patiently to see whether they would be able to return to Ukraine after some time. For others, the situation was even more unfortunate because they had to restart medical school entirely in Nigeria or begin again from lower academic levels.
Another example is the Israel-Palestine war, which has been making rounds on social media in recent times. This war has been particularly heartbreaking to witness because updates are being shared in real time, and the photos and videos accompanying them reveals that many families have been displaced from their homes, people have lost their lives. Women have faced repeated harassment, and children have been forced into starvation because food and basic supplies are scarce.
Image from unsplash
Situations like these make me wonder where our sense of humanity has gone. They make me question the priorities of the governments who claim to be for the people yet continue to fund these wars. But I have settled with the conclusion that they all value power and territorial control more than human life.
It hurts to realize that it is ordinary people like you and I who suffer the consequences of wars fought by these governments. From low investments resulting to low revenues, to less exports, to becoming refugees and living with the trauma from experiencing a war, the list is endless.
Frankly, there is little that ordinary citizens can do to stop wars completely, especially when powerful nations continue to invest heavily in them. But I believe we can still raise our voices for victims of these conflicts.
We can continue to speak up against violence and ensure that the stories of those affected are not forgotten in history.
Most importantly, we must remain conscious in our political choices and refuse to allow ourselves to be used as instruments of oppression or violence. In doing so, we can raise a generation that understands the true cost of war, one that values peace more than anything and understands that it is only a peaceful nation that can achieve the stability and growth that every citizen needs.
This blog post is a response to the India United weekly prompt, which you can find HERE.
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