Armed violence has killed, maimed and devastated the lives of many millions of people. It has depleted and destroyed our environments and sown the seeds of present day conflicts and wars. Wars and preparations for them absorb vast human and financial resources and impoverish us all. But none of this need be so. Violent conflicts and wars are endorsed by social and political acceptance.
Children learn it very young.
Because it's apparently unquestioned, we can grow up thinking that violence is 'all right'. Yet some societies conscript children as young as 7 into their armies. Few societies are immune to such child abuse. If we agree that the care and education of children are important priorities, we should be urgently raising awareness of the causes of violent conflict and looking for the means to prevent it, at all levels, at all costs. But many find it hard to see how armed violence can be prevented, and believe that sometimes it's an acceptable means of solving problems.