Perdana Global Peace Forum: Fight hard for peace, says Dr M

Malay Mail - Dec 16, 2005

War protesters should emulate the environmentalists to realise their dream of making an effective pro-peace, anti-war non-governmental organisation (NGO) a reality, said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He said no one took the environment campaigners seriously when they began their lobbying about 30 years ago.
“The environmental movement began when they felt that their respective governments had failed to act effectively to address their concerns. As such, they were forced to act on their own. Maybe some of the things they did were insane and violent and even extreme,” he said, adding that the public had dismissed their cause as something not worth supporting.
Nevertheless, he said, since the environmentalists began their campaigns, many people all over the world have adopted their cause, with NGOs being formed to condemn their respective governments for their failure to protect the environment.
“They may not have been completely successful, but the world has now been made more conscious of the environment. Election candidates and elected leaders have been forced to take the issue seriously,” he said.
“Many countries today, including Malaysia, have Ministers of Environment. World leaders have discussed the environment in Rio de Janeiro, and the Kyoto Protocols have been formulated and acceded to by most countries. Why can’t we do the same for peace? This conference should not be just about voicing our frustrations but about positive action to make peace a serious political, economic and social issue for every country,” he said at a Press conference at the Perdana Global Peace Forum 2005 yesterday.

Dr Mahathir said that to date, there has been no continuous effort by a properly-structured organisation to champion the anti-war cause.
“There are groups such as Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, but we need a network which involves all doctors, lawyers and scientists worldwide to effectively campaign for peace,” he said. He said Malaysians are not aggressive enough in lobbying for peace efforts due to a false sense of security.
“We are not aggressive because we think we are safe from all this. However, we have met so many people, such as the Bosnians, Palestinians and Iraqis who have related their tragedies to us,” he said.
“We have an obligation to help them by striving for change, and put in our effort in ensuring that this value is emulated by others around the world.”
Source: The Malay Mail | www.mmail.com.my