Global Conflicts and War: How Long Will Humanity Keep Fighting?

Words like peace, harmony, tranquility, and solace seem to have vanished somewhere. Not merely from private lives, but from the world at large. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the cosmos itself appears determined to erase these words from existence at the global level. The state of affairs across the world points unmistakably in that direction. Wherever one turns one’s gaze, situations contrary to peace and calm are not only unfolding but steadily intensifying. Such times were not always like this.

The United States and Israel have launched a campaign aimed at the devastation of Iran. In response, Iran has rained fire upon Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. Hezbollah has fired rockets at Israel, and Israel, determined to eliminate Hezbollah, has begun bombing Lebanon. Meanwhile, in Iraq, terrorists have found fresh opportunities to resume their violent activities. Sudan, Myanmar, Yemen, and Syria are grappling with civil wars. In Congo, Somalia, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, Islamic extremists are locked in battle against national armies. Ethiopia is mired in ethnic conflict.

Elsewhere, Pakistan and Afghanistan are at odds. Russia and Ukraine continue to clutch each other’s throats in a relentless struggle. Saudi Arabia persists in its destructive campaign in Yemen. The Israeli onslaught on Gaza has become an endless saga of devastation. Everything is in upheaval. How many countries can one even name? The count keeps rising. There seems to be no governing principle left. The United Nations has long since slipped into irrelevance. Beyond issuing statements of “strong condemnation” and printed appeals for dialogue and peaceful resolution, the rest of the world merely completes its formalities.

Where bombs are not exploding, tariff wars rage. Where bullets are not being fired, there is a downpour of economic sanctions. Artificial intelligence now advances in a way that threatens to render humans redundant. Humanity once believed that technology would make life easier. Yet now that very technology stands before it, jaws open, questioning both livelihood and wisdom. Every nation beats the drum of its own nationalism. Every leader has declared himself a messiah. And the ordinary citizen, in whose name everything supposedly unfolds? He struggles merely to survive. The truth is that we are living in a state of permanent tension. Each morning brings a new blaze; each evening carries a fresh threat.

The irony reaches its peak here: everyone desires peace, everyone seeks progress, everyone longs for prosperity—but only on the conditions they themselves dictate. Everyone speaks of justice—but only for themselves. Everyone talks of rights and entitlements—but solely their own.

It feels as though the world has turned into a stage where every character is screaming at the top of their lungs, yet no one is listening. In this deafening noise, peace, harmony, tranquility, and solace lie exhausted, waiting endlessly for their turn. The question is not why the world is aflame. The question is whether anyone truly cares to extinguish the fire. Place your hand upon your heart and answer—does anyone genuinely seem concerned?

Yet another question arises: are these conflicts only between nations? The answer is no. While struggles between countries certainly exist, the world’s turbulence has seeped into our societies and into our relationships. Trust between human beings appears to be vanishing. Religion, caste, race, language, region—even the shape of one’s face—are turning into causes of confrontation. Meaningful debate is no longer visible; direct accusations are hurled instead. Disagreement is not understood as a difference of opinion but is branded as betrayal or enmity.

This conflict has entered our families as well. Forget distant relatives—there are chasms even between parents and children. Money, employment, tolerance, courtesy—what should one even begin to list? All of these have transformed homes into mere structures of brick and cement, where people live together yet remain strangers to one another. An invisible chill floats constantly in the air. Where missiles do not fall, words that pierce the soul do.

It is often said that unseen waves, invisible energies, subtle auras surround us. If the entire world and society are saturated with alienation, hostility, and intolerance, how can we possibly remain untouched by the negative energy that reflects from them? Its impact falls upon all of us—and we can see this clearly.

And yet, the picture is not entirely hopeless. Amid every conflict, there are some who attempt dialogue. Some families avoid breaking apart because one person chooses to take the first step. War exists in our words, in our reactions, in our impatience. If we wish to see the world at peace, perhaps the beginning must be made at the level of homes, relationships, and thoughts.

Peace, harmony, tranquility, solace—these are not merely matters between nations. They are born and nurtured through our everyday conduct, our conversations, and our patience. As long as we criticize grand wars while continuing to fight small wars within ourselves and around us, this upheaval will not subside.

Those who govern nations may continue to wage wars. History has shown that though lands may be conquered in battle, human beings invariably lose. War is a strange phenomenon. It makes everyone a loser. It is endless. It brings no happiness—only sorrow and suffering. If only we could truly understand this.

(The author is a journalist.)