For thousands of years, throughout history and probably longer, there have been conflicts between groups, tribes, and nations. After all of that time, with all the progress in other areas of society, disputes and their causes have not improved one iota. In one sense, disputes have gotten worse because of advances in technology. From my perspective, it is time to try a different approach.
Perhaps an approach based upon Futilism may be of some help. Futilism is a philosophical approach to resolving seemingly unresolvable questions. It may be described as:
... the philosophy of opening doors to the hidden, to the illicit, and to what is beyond the obvious, the rational and apparent meaningful aspects of culture. Futilism is an approach to that which we normally turn our backs, either because we are scared of it or because we simply do not see it. That is, in essence, an approach to such questions that traditionally are considered a futile task.
Kristian von Hornsleth ~ The Futilistic Manifest [1]
In my essay, The Root of Conflict, I discuss the causes of conflict: in essence, a lack of understanding and forgiveness. That is, an inability to see the other side of a question or the need to be "right." The problem is, what causes that inability? Is it conscious or unconscious?
As Machiavelli suggested, there are two groups in each social group: the rulers and the ruled. For the rulers, the inability to see the other side of a question is usually a conscious decision. For were the other group's perspective (Truth) accepted, that could result in a loss of power or money. And for the ruled, they cannot accept another group's Truth due to fear or social pressure.
However, there is another group: those people who are truly free, those who are willing to bear the threats, whether from religion, government, or peer groups.
An individual's freedom, true freedom, is not possible without sacrifice in the so-called real world, that is the dream world in which most people live. In Walden, Thoreau describes the price he paid to be genuinely free. To be truly free, we need to determine what is essential and be willing to relinquish all that is not --- our wants. In the modern world, that is not an easy task. We are constantly bombarded by advertising, both direct and subliminal, planting the seed of a new want in our minds. The removal of wants from our life is no mean task, one which we may never complete. But that does not mean that it is a futile task. It is possible, and many have embarked on that journey. Once we attain inner peace, we also will have true freedom.
Everything you want in life has a price connected to it. There's a price to pay if you want to make things better, a price to pay just for leaving things as they are, a price for everything.
Harry Browne,, writer, politician
Eternal vigilance is not only the price of liberty; eternal vigilance is the price of human decency.
Aldous Huxley, writer
Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If in our heart, we still cling to anything --- anger, anxiety, or possessions --- we cannot be free.
Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Master
[1] http://www.hornsleth.com/Hornsleth/Home/TEXTS/all-texts/THE-FUTILISTIC-MANIFEST