Ukraine: A call for shared understanding by Frank Boulton and Sebastian Brixey-Williams

‘Honest informed dialogue lies at the heart of Quakerism.’

The world is again facing the stark prospect of nuclear war. Quaker testimonies about the causes of war have always meant that peace cannot be based on violence. A ‘credible nuclear deterrent’ is an oxymoron. By raising its nuclear level to ‘a special regime of combat duty’ Russia has tested – and is still testing – NATO’s resolve to the limit. Meanwhile, the spectre of chemical and biological weapons adds to the brutal horrors of Bucha and Borodyanka, which have showed that atrocities can be perpetrated even without weapons of mass destruction.

Deterrence theory, the idea that a nuclear state would never threaten to use its arsenal for fear of a reprisal in kind, is built on sand. Too often in the build-up to this war, Western analysts and policymakers fell victim to ‘mirror imaging’ – thinking that Russian authorities see the world as they do: they don’t! This misunderstanding has muddied the waters at a time when crystal-clear messaging is vital to securing a future for the planet.

Even the peace deal under consideration in Ukraine will not end this threat of nuclear violence, as there will still be extreme tensions between NATO and a Russian leadership that listens only to force. Nevertheless, we must continue to work for minimising and eventually eliminating the risks of all-out destructive war. This is in the immediate global interest as the consequences of a nuclear conflagration would extend well beyond the territories of the combatting parties.

We can only achieve peace by talking to each other. Organisations on the frontlines, like the British American Security Information Council (BASIC), are working to keep open the backchannels in Europe and across the globe. BASIC is helping to bring people together through fostering a shared understanding of the risks and, crucially, the ways in which we can arrest this slide into a world defined by threats and violence.

Honest informed dialogue lies at the heart of Quakerism. We sincerely believe that between all parties we can build the foundations for lasting peace. But we must put pressure on officials and policymakers. Hotlines, routine dialogues, and international organisations are all ways to improve relations and create an environment where the nuclear threat can be contained. Charities and NGOs need support to use their voices and resources for practical relief in whatever form.

Friends have a rich history of working tirelessly for peace and for the relief of suffering. But working for a more peaceful world need not be a grand exhibition; it can be as simple as acting with love and kindness at the local level. People feel more secure when part of a caring community. We also need to address existential crises like the climate emergency, now so severe that tensions over resources and environmental degradation are putting the world in peril. But peace can be won: through empathy, dialogue, wisdom, compassion and informed kindness.

Frank is from Hampshire & the Islands Area Meeting and Sebastian is the co-director of BASIC.

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Comments

BASIC - How likely is it that an organisation funded, in part, by two UK government departments would be independent or regarded as such by other parties?
Isn’t it the case that the USA and NATO have ‘tested Putin’s resolve to the limit’ and beyond, resulting in this invasion, war and horror?
Hopefully, the ‘backchannels’ reach to the Kremlin?

By trevorb on 21st April 2022 - 14:30

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