Peace, Love and Intervention

The document examines the challenges European Green parties face in reconciling non-violence with the need to protect human rights in conflict zones. It argues for a shift in EU foreign policy from reactive crisis management to a proactive, multilateral approach that prioritizes ecological justice, nuclear disarmament, and the empowerment of civil society. Specific analyses cover the conflicts in Ukraine, Syria, and the Maghreb, as well as the strategic importance of South East Asia.

• European Greens face a fundamental value conflict between traditional pacifism and the 'responsibility to protect' populations from mass atrocities, leading to internal disputes over military intervention.
• Federalism is proposed as a sustainable Green method for conflict resolution in ethnically divided states, emphasizing power-sharing and trust-building over the separation of peoples, as seen in the Dayton Peace Agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• The European Union's failure to lead on nuclear disarmament is attributed largely to France's resistance to any discussion on the matter, as nuclear weapons are viewed as part of 'French DNA'.
• Climate change is framed as a 'security dilemma' rather than a market failure; the author suggests a 'Plan B' involving the use of military procurement to jumpstart low-carbon technological revolutions.
• The EU has historically neglected its relations with South East Asia, which is now a critical region for global trade and security, particularly as China and the US compete for influence in the South China Sea.
• The EU's approach to the Arab world is criticized for focusing exclusively on government elites while ignoring the civil societies and youth movements that drove the Arab Spring.
• Industrialized nations bear a historical responsibility for climate change and must lead by allocating at least 0.7 percent of GNI to official development assistance and reducing per capita CO2 emissions to 2 tons per year.
• In the Maghreb region, neoliberal development models are deemed unsuitable because they ignore finite resources and environmental deterioration, such as desertification and water scarcity.
• The 'Canton-based Democratic Autonomy' in Rojava (North Syria) is highlighted as a remarkable democratic experiment based on equality and environmental sustainability, though the author warns that providing weapons to the region may have long-term risks.

APA

Aheram, J. (2015). Peace, Love and Intervention. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Vol10.pdf

Chicago

Aheram, Jayel. Peace, Love and Intervention. Green European Journal, 2015. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Vol10.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Aheram |first1=Jayel |title=Peace, Love and Intervention |publisher=Green European Journal |date=March 2015 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Vol10.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{aheram2015peace, author = {Aheram, Jayel}, title = {{Peace, Love and Intervention}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Vol10.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }