Miriam College calls for peace
Miriam College calls for the opposition to the impending US-led war on Iraq. As an educational institution, we cannot stand by and allow the US to endanger the future and security of the world’s youth with more and greater violence.
The Bush administration has used the alleged Iraqi military danger to justify preemptive war, stating that it has the right to attack a country that might be a potential threat to it. We oppose this strategy because it runs counter to the Charter of the United Nations and can only create more international insecurity.
A war against Iraq will not only inflict massive suffering, death and destruction on Iraqi people, but will also exacerbate regional and global antagonisms and hostilities. It will radicalize large groups of people who are already critical of the US, hence adding to the ranks of extremists throughout the world. The war will not, therefore, bring genuine security or lasting peace.
In the home front, the war will no doubt affect us adversely. Loss of jobs of our OFWs is expected. Already, due to the threat of war, oil prices have greatly increased, which is affecting prices of basic needs, commodities and transportation. More importantly, the expected rise in extremism might also aggravate the already fragile peace processes in our country.
In the light of the above, we propose the exhaustion of all peaceful and multilateral initiatives to prevent the war. The effort to rid Iraq of its alleged weapons of mass destruction should extend to ALL nations. Indeed, the path toward genuine security involves global disarmament, as well as fulfillment of basic human needs, respect for one another, and just relations among nations and peoples.
We call on everyone to work for peace–a true peace based on justice, respect for another, just relations among nations and people, and where all are mutually responsible for each other’s well-being and protection. Oppose the war against Iraq!
The Miriam College Community
February 21, 2003
