Could we end war like we ended Covid?

The world has learned a lot about ending pandemics by working on a common protocol. Many people worked together. Many countries worked together. Even the countries that didn’t want to collaborate took the lessons learned and implemented at least some of them.

What would be the same level lessons that could be implemented by anyone to stop the spread of war?

If we thought like this then Hamas would be seen as infected by war, and on October the 7th they infected Israel. That happened because there wasn’t an effective suppression strategy before October 7th and there were no scientists studying the phenomenon to elucidate early warnings and what to do. There were no lessons learned from other countries who were succeeding with an eradication of war strategy. You know, the countries where there are no mass shootings and where the crime rate is low.

Organisations like WHO aim to be apolitical. They do not judge. They just have expertise about prevention, testing, treatment, containment and vaccination and offer this help at no cost to countries that need it most. Ideas for doing the same with conflict were created after world wars but they were more judicial and less about health and wellbeing.

So what parts of the strategy could be translated to suppress war?

1. Catch it early.
   It took a masterful act of diplomacy for the WHO to coordinate with China. It took just 13 days for China to publicly share the genetic sequence of Covid. It took just 21 days for WHO experts to get to Wuhan to investigate. PCR tests were developed rapidly and distributed around the world by WHO.
   Imagine if such support had been there for the innocent people of Palestine and Israel to keep them safe from the outbreak of war? Support from a non judgmental body interested in health and wellbeing.

2. Isolate so it doesn’t spread.
What would this idea inform when protests and retaliatory violence happens around the world. What would be different if we saw these people as infected by war and needing to be helped back to health in a caring and non judgmental way? Vulnerable groups would be cared about, given incentive payments, seen as important in the goal of eradication.

3. Prevention measures to avoid spread.
Sanitiser and masks were concrete symbols of prevention. Every day in every household a reminder about how not to get infected. Very quickly media and social media would be promoting messages of how to keep safe. Symbols like Covid safe apps, uber eats door drops, crosses in floors and plastic screens became the norm and every moment was a reminder to not get infected.

What if we started with concern for the people infected by war. What if we heard their stories and who they were to their families, like we did about those on ventilators or worse with Covid. We turned them into people, not cases and tried to understand even in the face of fear.

3. Vaccinate.
We vaccinated everyone but particularly the at risk groups. A massive effort was made to protect people. We took healthy populations and gave them a tiny dose so they could handle it and find a way to not succumb. There is always conflict in our everyday lives. At home, at work, with family, siblings, schoolmates. Learning a strategy to return from war to peace in micro dosing ways until it becomes embodied.

4. Herd immunity.
The eradication of weapons of mass destruction from the planet.
The removal of guns from everyday life.
Teaching children about peace at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months 12 months, and continuing the vaccination program throughout childhood.

What is your response to reading this? What other ideas would be helpful?