Nearly, from the beginning of human history, there have been wars because of various reasons which are economic benefits, terrorism, political benefits. However, when we look at the consequences of wars, the only thing we can see is streams of blood. Instead of combat to solve problems between countries, people should try to use peaceful ways such as dialogue and negotiation because it is inevitable reality that peace can achieve what war cannot. Peace provides people with safe and nonviolent lives; whereas, wars bring physical suffering, poverty, and governmental oppression. When we consider these devastating effects of wars, the question comes to people’s mind: Have there been any endeavors, which having been successful, abolish warfare? There, have been but understood whether these initiatives have been successful or not, these attempts should be examined. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Convention and The Just War Tradition can be example for initiatives to stop and limit wars. The Declaration of Human Rights includes some articles related to freedom and equality. The Geneva Convention is a treaty to protect victims of wars. Lastly, The Just War Tradition is a view on the ethics of war and peace. These attempts can be seen as a solution for results of wars; nevertheless, when armed conflicts and wars in the world are examined we can see that these initiatives have not been sufficiently successful.
To comprehend the topic clearly, we should focus on the definition of war and peace separately. These two words evoke different meaning for each individual; notwithstanding, I will give place a few people’s opinions. For example, according to Harry Browne, “War is the imposition of heavy taxes on you and on other Americans and on people in other countries – taxes that remain long after the war is over. It is the suppression of free speech and the jailing of people who criticize the government.”(Browne, Harry, What Is War? , page