Frei Betto

I have a concrete proposal of peace for the world; the United States leaves Iraq and returns Texas, California and Arizona to Mexico, and gives back Puerto Rico to the people of Puerto Rico: suspends the Cuban blockade and returns Guantanamo to the Cubans.
I have a concrete proposal of peace for the world; the United States leaves Iraq and returns Texas, California and Arizona to Mexico, and gives back Puerto Rico to the people of Puerto Rico: suspends the Cuban blockade and returns Guantanamo to the Cubans.

France and Spain give to the Basques the territory which belongs to them: Turkey, Iran and Iraq acknowledge that the Kurds have a right to a homeland; Russia gives Chechnya its freedom; China no longer occupies Tibet; North and South Korea agree to a plan of reunification; a Palestinian State is created and is immediately recognized by the UN; Israel returns the occupied land and Jerusalem is declared a universal sanctuary or an internationally independent city, administered by the UN.

The Pope renounces his title as Head of the Vatican State, giving over its administration to UNESCO, retaining only his title as universal pastor of Catholics, without claiming religious and cultural leadership; the IMF and World Bank cancel the debts of poor countries and condemn protectionism and agricultural subsidies of rich countries.

The Tobit standard is adapted and used in all international transactions. The formation of cartels and oligopolies are considered crimes as is also receiving a personal salary superior to that 20 times more then that of the national average. Advertisements of tobacco and liquor and the glorification of violence and pornography in movies and television are prohibited.

All officially elected politicians are obliged to maintain on the Internet a readily understandable report of their expenditures and possessions. Religious denominations renounce all types of fundamentalism and spirit of competition with one another. The State considers the existence of hunger, misery and poverty a horrible crime and grave violation of human rights.

Each citizen is guaranteed at least a minimum salary as well as basic rights to alimentation, health and education. Families will also have access to energy, water and telephone services.

Racial and homosexual prejudices, ethnic and religious discrimination, social inequality and fear of the loss of liberty will be overcome.

There would be peace if the richest countries would unite, not to bomb poor countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, but on the contrary, to combat the cause of terror. How to avoid terrorism if the rich of the world enjoy freedom of movement denied to others, if a passenger is taken off a plane because of seeming to be Arabic; if the United States does not accept the Protocol of Kyoto to protect the environment; and withdraws from the Durban Conference on racism?

How to avoid negative attitudes if the United States invested extremely large quantities of money to have Bin Laden fight the Russian invasion in Afghanistan in 1991, but never gave a cent to promote the development of that nation? And how can the U.S. speak about fighting terrorism if the CIA protects Posada Carriles, who in 1975 directed the explosion of a plane in the air, killing 73 passengers and who also promoted and directed the tortures in El Salvador and Venezuela?

The terrorist attack in the United States on September 11 was horrible. It must be condemned in every aspect. But, at least it should make the West meditate on its relations with Africa, Asia and Latin America. What remains in Africa after decades of Italian, Belgian, French and English colonization? Misery, wars and epidemics. Today AIDS threatens 25,000,000 Africans.

We cannot change to another planet, at least for now. There is only one solution: defeat the causes which produce terrorists. This means to use our resources for the purpose of providing a dignified, happy life which is God’s greatest gift. This gift is deserved by all people, not for only a privileged minority.

A prevalent belief in political an diplomatic circles is that peace can exist by merely balancing war forces by treaties and agreements that cause aggressions to cease. According to this it is not necessary to eliminate a warlike spirit which causes conflicts in the first place. The UN endeavors to be successful in bringing peace to the world. It makes and effort to avoid wars, but without making a greater effort to eradicate social inequalities and bring about conditions to guarantee dignity of life to all peoples.

Isaiah points out the way to peace. The prophet lives in Jerusalem eight centuries before Christ. At this time Assyria was the great superpower of the Orient. Searching for ways to expand their empire, Assyrian soldiers invaded territories of neighboring countries. Assyria and kingdom of North Israel whose capital was in Samaria formed an alliance to detain the Assyrians, but Ahaz King of Judah, (southern kingdom) refused to participate. A battle was then organized to remove him and to place another king who would be more cooperative. On seeing himself threatened, Ahaz appealed to Assyria to destroy the conspiracy and to conquer Ephraim. As one place in power by the Assyrians, Ahaz remained in power in Jerusalem.

A decade later the North Kingdom rebelled against Assyria. In 722 B.C. Samaria was destroyed and its people deported. Israel no longer existed. In 701 B.C. Ezekiel, King of Judah, rebelled against Sennacherib, King of Syria. The Kingdom of the South was looted by troops of the imperialist powers and Ezekiel was confined in Jerusalem.

“Woe to you who join house to house, who connect field with field till no room remains, and you are left to dwell alone in the midst of the land! In my hearing the Lord of hosts has sworn: Many houses shall be in ruins with no one to live in them. Woe to those who demand strong drink as soon as thy rise in the morning, and linger into the night while wine inflames them! With harp and lyre, tumbrel and flute they feast on wine, but what the Lord does, they regard not. Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who change darkness into light and light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet, and sweet into bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own sight, and prudent in their own esteem! Woe to those who acquit the guilty for bribes, and deprive the just person of their rights!” Is. 5:8-23
A decade later the North Kingdom rebelled against Assyria. In 722 B.C. Samaria was destroyed and its people deported. Israel no longer existed. In 701 B.C. Ezekiel, King of Judah, rebelled against Sennacherib, King of Assyria. The Kingdom of the South was looted by troops of the imperialist powers and Hezekiah was confined in Jerusalem.

All the preaching of Isaiah was contained in a biblical book and clearly political. He, a cosmopolitan man was counselor to the King of Judah, both during the Assyrian War as well as during the period in which Ezekiel was maintained in power – without powers.

Isaiah also criticized the lazy, loose living manner of the wealthy, especially referring to women. “Because the daughters of Sion are haughty and walk with necks outstretched ogling and mincing as they go, their anklets tinkling with every step. The Lord shall cover their scalps with scabs, and the Lord shall bare their heads. On that day the Lord will do away with the finery of the anklets, sunbursts, and crescents, the pendants, bracelets, and veils, the headdresses, bangles, cinctures, perfume boxes, and amulets, the signet rings and the nose rings, the court dresses, wraps, cloaks, and purses, the mirrors, linen tunics, turbans and shawls.” Is. 3:16-24

Like Tolstoy, Isaiah aspired to a life of detachment and simplicity. All of his literature is saturated with a strong Utopian connotation.

“Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together with their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The child shall play by the cobra’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.” Is. 11:6-9

The entire message of Isaiah is concentrated in this affirmation: “The fruit of justice will be peace.” Is. 32:17 It is useless to desire peace without first eradicating the cause which produce conflicts, violence and war. This is why he mocked idolaters who adored objects made by human hands, and who believed themselves to be profoundly religious but, without conceding liberty to setting free the oppressed. “Do you know what I wish? Break unjust chains, untie thongs of the yoke, setting free the oppressed, sharing your bread with the hungry.” Is. 58:6-7

Isaiah is a rare case of someone who lived in power, but never abandoned his obligation to those who were most oppressed. His vision of God had nothing of Manichaeism nor was it fundamentalist: to balance force he added justice: and to justice he added love. Only love is capable of surpassing the law. To avoid making too much of differences he teaches us to live together with those who are not like us and who do not think they way we do and who nevertheless, possess our same human dignity in common.

From the lessons of the prophet we are able to conclude, that without a global ethic the present neo-liberal model of new colonization will always place private interests above public rights, sources of wealth before the well-being of the population, imperialist ambitions above the sovereignty of people.

Perhaps meditating on these texts from Isaiah will help us travel a road on this biblical geography written 2,800 years ago. It only remains for us to engrave it in the depths of our heart.

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