There Will Be No Peace

till attitudes change;
till self-interest is seen as part of common interest;
till old wrongs, old scores, old mistakes
     are deleted from the account;
till the aim becomes co-operation and mutual benefit
     rather than revenge or seizing maximum personal or group gain;
till justice and equality before the law
     become the basis of government;
till basic freedoms exist;
till leaders - political, religious, educational - and the police and media
     wholeheartedly embrace the concepts of justice, equality, freedom, tolerance, and reconciliation as a basis for renewal;
till parents teach their children new ways to think about people.

There will be no peace: till enemies become fellow human beings. 

David Roberts 22 July 1999

A war cemetery of the Western Front near Arras in France