The object here is not to assume all those young people who killed themselves at some stage were lonely. Some may have been overwhelmed by peer pressures, others by being caught up in an environment that is either violent or otherwise just as destructive, and sought an end to their suffering. But ultimately, their last moments were probably alone. And there lies the tragedy.
All conflicts can be resolved, but always only through dialogue.
Dialogue ends the loneliness and isolation two people can feel between them. A loneliness that, though clouded in rage or anger or hurt or pain or despair, feels as real as the physical isolation they experiencing. While at first it seems unrealistic to apply the same theory to nations, the answer to the question of 'why not?' seems as elusive as that of the question of 'how?'
How: Apply the process of dialogue as the first and only line of defense. While I’m not one to appreciate hearing the words 'in the interest of national security' this moment isn’t the place to debate the importance of having a national interest or not. But here, right now, is the time to debate the principal of peace - that the smartest thing to do is to take the bullets out of the gun.
Taking the bullets out of the gun doesn't mean you are now defenseless. Instead it opens quite a number of channels for conflict resolution. What kind of nation would it be who would take advantage of another’s pacifism? Not a very nice one! Such an action would however, inevitably create an opportunity for an isolated (and lonely!) nation - like today’s Iraq - and give them the prerogative when it comes to negotiation.
Do not get me wrong, Hussein is no person to be in charge of a country, weapons of mass destruction or not. But he is one who will gain the upper hand should he allow weapons inspectors in (which he has) and free political prisoners (which he has) and alleviate the oppressive policies restricting the Kurds in the north (which he has). The point is, Hussein is buying his time through doing what we want him to do.
And what does all this have to do with Youth Suicide and loneliness and peace in the middle-east?
Simple: along the lines somewhere there was a breakdown in communication. At some point in time the west turned its back on Iraq, then George Bush the first was forced to deal with it. Then the world turned its back on Iraq again, and now his son is left to deal with a despot who has essentially become caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
At some point in time there was a breakdown in communication with those lonely young people who were either overwhelmed, or scared, or angry at the world they lived in. They were souls caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. At some point we as a society failed to acknowledge them and their problems. And now here we are, dealing with a problem that should have been avoided completely in the beginning but in all our worry about ourselves and where we were going. We forgot to look up around us and ask if our fellow person was alright.
Taking the bullets out of the gun is one thing, but ensuring that there never needs to be a gun in the first place is an even more guaranteed method of ensuring peace and friendship. The moral of this story is that a friend is only a friend when cared after and welcomed, and never taken for granted.
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