In Irish mythology there is a story of a land free from war and hunger. A land of peace. This St. Patrick’s Day we too wish for a world free from the horrific wars and hunger. We need a St. Patrick’s Day for Peace.
The United States can make peace happen by first ending the war in Iran and returning to diplomacy as the way to settle disputes. The United States needs to focus too on negotiations to get Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine. We need to move nations away from wars and armaments and toward peace.
We need the spirit of the Irish for peace and to help those left starving because of wars. After the devastation of World War II, the Irish Red Cross was one of the heroes that stepped forward to help people recover. Backed by donations from the homeland, the Irish Red Cross set up a hospital in France to care for the wounded and sick.
In 1946, Ireland was quick to take action to stop famine in the war-torn countries of Europe.
Food and other supplies were sent to children and refugees. These heroic efforts saved lives after WWII. Post war periods are often filled with danger even though the fighting has stopped. That is because hunger and disease always outlast the fighting.
The Irish Red Cross sent food and other supplies to countries most in danger including Belgium, Italy, France and Germany. The food that was sent was actually being rationed in Ireland making it an even more remarkable act of charity.
The Irish Times reported that a German woman sent a letter thanking Ireland for helping feed her child. The mayor of Lilienfeld, Austria also sent a thank you note to the Irish for helping in the relief of post-war famine. Food shortages were severe in Europe after the war. The Irish were one of the great supporters to the U.S. led effort to prevent mass starvation.
The Irish have never forgotten their own history overcoming famine.
According to Helena Finnegan of the charity Mary’s Meals, which provides school lunches to kids, “Mary’s Meals Ireland thinks that many in Ireland who support Mary’s Meals do so because of the specter of their historic famine and the stories of abject starvation passed down through generations. As a result, people have a deep understanding of hunger, its effects individually, on generations and how it shapes a society and country.”
In fact, one of the first acts of the hit Irish show Riverdance was a fundraiser to feed the hungry in Rwanda. It’s a part of Irish culture to stop famine wherever it may lurk. Right now today famine is taking place in Sudan and there needs to be more of an effort to save lives in that war-torn country. The UN World Food Program (WFP) and other relief agencies are low on funding to feed Sudan’s war victims.
If the warring forces in Sudan would stop fighting and focus energies against hunger, they could build peace. War is the biggest driver of hunger right now. We need to end both.
War is just not a good way to solve disputes especially with the destructiveness of today’s modern weapons. Wars create new problems that can lead to more conflict and suffering.
If only we had more leaders who rejected war as means to solve disputes. We need leaders with the wisdom to know that war is not the answer. This St. Patrick’s Day we hope and pray for more nations to choose peace over war.
William Lambers is an author who partnered with the UN World Food Program on the book Ending World Hunger. His writings have been published by the Washington Post, Newsweek, History News Network and many other news outlets.