This was the title of Costa Rican President, Dr. Ocsar Arias Sanchez's speech at the 61st session of the United Nation's General Assembly last week. In President Arias's speach, he explains how, "the struggle for human development is connected to the struggle for disarmamant and demilitarization... Since 2001, $200 billion has been added to global military spending. Yet, there isn't a single indicator that suggests this colossal increase is making the world more secure and human rights more widely enjoyed... Maybe it is time to think of other ways to deploy these resources... Much less than this amount would guarantee access to potable water and primary education for every person in the world." He reminds people that, "children in Costa Rica have never seen war tanks, attack helicopters or warships in their country... If we don't confront the rise in military spending and the arms trade; if we don't stimulate the economies of the poorest countries who invest their resources in LIFE, and not death... then we condemn ourselves to walk on the edge of a cliff."
My year in Costa Rica at the University for Peace provided me with a lot of information related to global resources being put towards war vs. peace. Costa Rica remains one of very few countries that has eliminated their military. Now I am back in the United States, and the majority of what is covered in the media is about why more military spending is needed to make this country "safe." Television programs this into the minds of the population over and over again each day. After living in Costa Rica where there is no military and completing masters studies on the causes of conflict around the world, I know that there is the possibilty of another reality.
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