For two weeks, in the sequence “Confronting war, conquering peace”, La Croix invited you to understand current threats and to question the means of defending peace, without falling into militarism. We also asked you to know how, in your opinion, to prepare for a shock that we hope to never experience. How to find the right attitude between lucidity and refusal of fear? Many of you have told us about the paths you take, or those you seek to avoid, which nourishes your hope and your confidence in the future.
Upon reading our question, Michel gets offended: “No, but do you realize the questions you are asking us? Any thoughts that you invite us to make? (…) Of course no one wants war and yet! » However, a significant number of readers thank La Croix and ask in-depth questions. A. Brunot confides that this theme “is the subject, within me, of daily research”.
No to trivialization
Many life stories introduce your reflections, the war having sometimes been part of yours – as for JPR who says: “Born in 1936, I experienced fear, war, bombings, deprivations, I experienced the hatred of the invader…” – or that of your parents. “My parents came from Poland in the mid-1930s; The press after the war recounted the horrors of the war (…) all these stories haunted my childish mind…” remembers Hélène Barberot.
Many testimonies are also introduced by your observations or analyzes on current wars, such as that of Annie Dravers who rejects the idea of a just war: “No continent is spared. Today there is a worrying rehabilitation of war as an instrument of international politics (…). We get used to it, we watch over and over again the gutted buildings, the corpses (…) even though there is no “just war”. » War is seen as destructive, senseless and often avoidable.
Several testimonies denounce its trivialization, the logic of armament, and the fear maintained. Yves Ardourel expresses it this way: “To always arm yourself more is to move towards combat. Piling up shells means preparing for destruction and announcing massacres. » A strong consensus emerges on war as a failure of humanity, a source of shared suffering, as summarized by Patrick Hubert: “War is a poison which destroys humanity, both of the attacked and of the aggressor. »
Citizen or faith paths
Your paths of hope and confidence in the future are mainly civic paths or paths of faith. Patrick Hubert tells us: “For more than forty years, in accordance with my Christian and civic convictions, I have humbly strived to commit myself to the path of active non-violence. Non-violence like that promoted by Jesus in his “Speech on the Mount”. » Hélène Barberot adds: “Looking back on my experience today, I see that what made me move forward was accepting to experience the message of ONE who absolutely wants to free us from all oppression, from all violence. »
They express and a fierce desire to work for peace. This begins with simple acts of attention to others, as this reader indicates: “Personally I try whenever I can to create meeting spaces (…) that is my hope: everyone, where they are, can be an actor of Peace in their own way. » These are daily itineraries on which you advance alone or within collectives such as Cultivons la peace, whose members share with us: “We seek every day to establish peaceful relationships around us (…) Cultivating peace is therefore (…) a constant work. »
For Hélène Barberot, peace comes through concrete actions: “I participated in welcoming refugees (…) faces of the universal Church. » It can also be built through an internal and community approach, transforming fear into action. This is the case for Marie M.: “Pray (…) stay connected (…) think about helping others (…) by displacing fear into love and solidarity. »
Inspiring figures
Your testimonies are also steeped in a history where the figures of Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet remain an ever-present source of inspiration for building peace between nations: “Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman proposed a policy (…) based on relations of solidarity. History has proven that this was not a dream. » (Jean Pierre Rougeot, André Harreau, Marielle Colombe, members of Pax Christi). And JPR adds: “But I also experienced reconciliation due to the efforts (…) of men like Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman: they dared to imagine a plan where the adversaries would be linked by common interests. »
A reader even reveals a concrete commitment, both military and reflexive: “Seven years ago, I joined the military reserve to be ready to serve, because the shadow of the war which was now looming was already spreading. » This reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, demonstrates an approach of anticipation in the face of the risk of war, while Marie M. shares very concrete advice in a collective dimension and an attitude of solidarity: “The government has distributed a guide (…) to prepare (…) have at home a few bottles of water, some canned goods (…) a battery-powered radio (…) a survival blanket (…). We can talk to those around us (…) stay in touch (…) train in first aid (…) know how to treat a wound (…) think about helping others. » Way to keep control and reassure yourself: “I admit that I feel calmer preparing this! »
Your rich stories show that the desire to work for peace is in fact a way of life. It takes various forms but is always based on the same conviction: everyone can act, here and now.
About opinions
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