Battling the real enemies: Our struggle for a sustainable future

When I hear about a conflict, my thoughts immediately go to the devastation it leaves behind - the visible and invisible scars on those caught in its wake. As someone of Vietnamese descent, I have seen firsthand how war tears apart lives and shatters families. My family's history is deeply intertwined with resistance. After my mother was born, her father left his wife and 3 young children in Hoi An to join the Viet Minh, later known as the Viet Cong. He eventually became the head of logistics in the Vietnam War, a role that led to his absence from family responsibilities for over 20 years, leaving my mother to drop out of school and move south, where she worked as a tailor to support my grandmother financially. My father was fortunate to grow up with his entire family around him. However, his father, a local butcher, also served as an irregular local fighter in Quang Nam. He passed away when I was just one year old, and thereafter, my paternal grandmother came to live with us. She would often tell me stories about my grandfather's remarkable bravery. Despite facing numerous interrogations, he remained resolutely loyal, consistently demonstrating resilience without ever revealing the identities of his leaders. I have always known that my father played a role in Cambodia in 1978, fighting against the Khmer Rouge (a regime led by Pol Pot, that committed one of the most brutal genocides and pursued an extreme version of communist ideology), but it wasn't until today that I asked him for details. A bomb fragment still lodged in his calf from a serious injury he sustained during an explosion. This happened while he was on a mission to locate a Khmer Rouge stronghold along National Route 40, near the Laos-Cambodia border. He and his fellow soldiers endured the harsh jungle conditions, sleeping in hammocks, far from any semblance of comfort. Miraculously, they all returned, though the emotional wounds of war are harder to see and even harder to heal.

Coming from a working-class family, they joined efforts with other veterans to dedicate themselves to rebuilding and advancing our country. However, not every family shares our story. We often joked that my dad's injury had saved his life, while his fellow soldiers might not have been so lucky, as their bodies were never found. Many still had to deal with the lasting emotional effects of war. Numerous mothers and grandmothers faced the challenge of raising their families alone, always wondering about the whereabouts of their loved ones. Some children grew up missing the guidance of their fathers - the deep and varied consequences of war have gone beyond the battlefield.

A wise person once said, “What we do today prepares us for tomorrow’s challenges.” However, we are currently entangled in protracted conflicts, some spanning several decades. Vulnerable communities, especially those on the front lines of climate change, are left to fend for themselves, abandoned by a world obsessed with war.

In September 2022, Arnoldo Andre - Tinoco , the Foreign Affairs Minister of Costa Rica, delivered a powerful message to the United Nations General Assembly. He emphasised "Human security is key to global security. It is about prioritising the lives and wellbeing of people and the planet over the profits to be made from weapons and war." Contrary to this principle, a recent report by the Transnational Institute highlights that the world's most affluent nations are investing significantly more in military prowess than in combating the climate emergency. The wealthiest nations, classified as Annex II parties in UN climate discussions, are allocating as much as 30 times more funds to their military than they are to supporting the world's most at-risk countries through climate finance, an obligation they are legally required to fulfil.?

According to the World Economic Forum , over the next decade, 6 out of the 10 most significant global risks are environmental, based on their severity. Four of these have emerged as the top most severe global threats, namely, “Failure to mitigate climate change”, “Failure of climate-change adaptation”, “Natural disasters and extreme weather events”, and “Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse”. Indeed, catastrophic events are occurring with unprecedented severity and frequency. During my career break in the Middle East, I witnessed unexpected natural disasters. A flash flood in Oman on New Year’s Day 2022 reminded me of the tropical storms that ravaged Vietnam. In Jordan, I experienced one of the coldest winters on record in March 2022. Saudi Arabia’s Al Hofuf, the world’s largest oasis, suffered from an unprecedented drought, while the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt faced worsening soil erosion due to excessive mining and flash floods.

Today, the call for global collaboration has never been more urgent. Solving the world's most critical issues requires uniting diverse minds from all nations, a task far more constructive than pouring resources into perpetual war and conflict. But achieving this requires more than just words. History is full of failed promises of peace. People are tired of rhetoric - they demand actions for peace that improve their lives, rebuild communities, and create an environment where future generations can thrive. The path forward requires a significant shift in global priorities and perspectives. Only through such change can we hope to confront the critical challenges that threaten our very existence and lay the foundation for genuine peace. The time to act is now before it's too late.