“War, and the preparation for war, are the two greatest obstacles to human progress, fostering a vicious cycle of arms buildups, violence and poverty.” HumansTwoWarPovertyProgressViolenceArmsObstaclesPreparationCyclesViciousHuman ProgressFosteringGreatest ObstaclesVicious Cycles Author:Oscar Arias
“I would like to see the U.S. fighting another war, perhaps in addition to that against terror: a war on poverty, illiteracy, disease and environmental degradation. It is certainly within the power of your country to act on all of these fronts, but, unfortunately, your leaders have become obsessed with a single issue.” WarCountryFightingLeaderPovertyEnvironmentalTerrorObsessedIlliteracyWar On Poverty Author:Oscar Arias
“For ages the world has been living by the stupidity of an old Roman adage that says if you want peace, prepare for war. As if anything said in ancient times must be wise, people have used this phrase to justify some of the most unjustifiable arms build-ups, which, far from creating peace, has only become a self-fulfilling prophecy.” PeopleWorldWarAgeWiseAncientStupidityJustifyProphecyBeing WiseWise People Author:Oscar Arias
“The best way to perpetuate poverty is spending on arms, and poverty itself is a form of violence. The wealthy industrialized countries have been too slow to recognize this. I hope that in this new century and new millennium, the world will learn that if you want peace, you must prepare for peace, plan for peace, work for it, and comply with its dictates. Lasting peace will never be achieved with the instruments of war.” WorldWarCountryPovertyViolenceWealthy Author:Oscar Arias
“I have to believe in the possibility of peace, because the alternative is to accept the inevitability of continual war, and of always living in fear. It doesn't have to be that way. However, there are no simple solutions, and I am not the possessor of a magic formula for peace. All I can say is that for peace to succeed it requires perseverance, patience, humility, compromise, and commitment, from all parties.” BelieveWarSimplePartyAcceptingMagicPossibilityHumilitySucceedSolutionsCommitmentPerseveranceCompromiseInevitability Author:Oscar Arias