THE MEDITERRANEAN AS AN ENGINE FOR GLOBAL CHANGE

                                                                The tyrant is the most slave of men

                                                                and he never sees his wishes fulfilled

                                                                                                        Averroes




The world cannot afford to accumulate more violent conflicts, nor more poverty. Human capacity for suffering is reaching its limit and together with humanity, the planet that we inhabit and share in an increasingly economically globalized world, but with less solidarity in the social sphere, in an attitude that closes doors to the collective future.

The world has come to a stop with the Covid-19 pandemic. It sends us a clear message of social globalism as a species. We are a single species, which is equally attacked, we are equally fragile. Therefore, only with an equal collaboration of everyone, can we move forward. It is time for a reflection on what we are, where we are, but, above all, where we want to go.

We are in need of a new world. We believed that the Covid-19 global pandemic would be a detonator for change, but unfortunately we find that the great national interests do not change, and far from changing the course of their politics, they strived to continue on the path opposite to our reasoning. Proof of this, as a result of this situation, is what is occurring in the east Mediterranean, where far from witnessing, with optimism, a peaceful resolution in the near future, what we witness, with sheer dread, is how the armed conflicts and their tragic consequences have flared up and have been amplified.

The problems in Libya, Syria, Palestine, have worsen now due to the spike of tension between Turkey and Greece. The accumulation of these circumstances have turned the east Mediterranean into a fire into which is added more and more fuel, with an evident risk of turning this into a global conflict in the area, that can also extend to the west Mediterranean, and due to contamination, increase Sahel´s deep problems. An armed conflict scenario is developing of incalculable consequences to the world already devastated by the pandemic.

This demands that we take an active role in this area, as a counterweight of peace in face so much conflict. We, the international organizations that seek for the resolution of problems by peaceful means, should position ourselves on the front line of these conflicts and in a clear and decisive way, put in the center what we consider to be the most important values, which is no other than the people. To redirect the conflict towards peace, tolerance, concordance and social justice against the interest of the few.

In face of the stagnation of all intents of pacification tried up to now, and the deep risk of conflict extension to all the Mediterranean and the Sahel, we consider that a radical shift of the actual situation is needed. For this, we ask for: an immediate cease fire by all parties to the conflict in Libya, a drastic downgrade of the tension of the open conflicts in the area. We ask that Turkey and Greece downgrade the tension immediately and that they build the necessary grounds for a peaceful resolution to the territorial problems, and also ask that Israel renounce any action against Palestine so that there is no escalation of an already high tension in the area.

Open a dialogue and global pacification table, in search of political, social and economic stability in the whole Mediterranean, under the auspices of independent and neutral, Institutions and Organizations for Peace, to assemble, without any predetermined red lines, all parties, involved in the conflicts, without impairment to other territorial dialog tables needed for each case. The final objective is not only to find a solution to a determined conflict, but the pacification and stabilization of the Mediterranean as a whole.

To allow for the immediate opening of humanitarian aid corridors to the civilian population and refugee camps, the true innocent victims of conflicts, that find themselves at the limit of their suffering capacity. To encourage all organizations specialized in food, medical, educational and infrastructural aid to increase their efforts to their maximum capacity. For that, it is necessary that the Governments of the Mediterranean countries and Europe maximize economic contributions for humanitarian aid.

The efforts required are huge and demands the will for unity by many. We are therefore obliged to launch a global call for all international Institutions and Organizations for Peace to take a common stand to the open conflicts in the area and assume responsibility, as such, in our respective institutions.