An apology offered and, equally important, received is a step towards reconciliation and, sometimes, recompense. Without that process, hurts can rankle and fester and erupt into their own hatreds and wrongdoings.
It is true that large parts of the world have not had to endure state-to-state wars for decades. The majority of the world's nations have also been spared the scourge of civil wars, although many have known violence from revolutionary insurrection.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights how many nations have experienced a long period without major wars, suggesting a relative era of peace despite ongoing violence in some areas.
In this quote, Margaret Macmillan reflects on the global context of peace, noting that while major state-to-state wars and civil wars have significantly decreased in various parts of the world, violence still exists through insurrections and revolutionary struggles. This observation invites a recognition of the complexities of peace, implying that while absence of large-scale conflicts is notable, there remain underlying tensions and issues that require attention.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about global stability, one might use this quote to illustrate how nations are finding alternatives to warfare.
More from Margaret Macmillan
All quotes →Climate change respects no borders.
War is a crucial, deeply ingrained part of human history. It has to be understood.
There was that argument that if we had more women in positions of authority, the world would be a nicer place. And then we got Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Indira Gandhi. When women become acclimatised to war, they can become every bit as ruthless as men.
Theodore Roosevelt's policy to build a two-ocean navy confirmed that the old-style isolationism of the founders had not survived the modern, increasingly globalized world.
If we don't take responsibility for each other, it seems to me the future is going to be even bleaker.
Similar quotes
In peace, the Middle East, the ancient cradle of civilization, will become invigorated and transformed. Throughout its lands there will be freedom of movement of people, of ideas, of goods.
The challenge of preventing any further proliferation of nuclear weapons is just such a trial in the quest for world peace, one that cannot be achieved if we are defeated by a sense of helplessness. The crucial element is to ensure that any struggle against evil is rooted firmly in a consciousness of the unity of the human family, something only gained through the mastery of our own inner contradictions.
For all the civilians saved thanks to the presence of peacekeepers, there have been those who were lost - the United Nations personnel who sacrificed their lives for a noble cause. Even as we mourn our fallen colleagues, we are all uplifted by their unflinching commitment and are inspired to strive even harder for the collective cause so eloquently envisaged in the United Nations Charter: a world free from the scourge of war.
Peace is an idea born from hope and the desire to see your children raise a family, walk in a market, and engage in simple pleasures of everyday life without fear.
The people of Israel are entitled, as is any other nation, to live in peace and safety.
I truly believe there is a field of peace within and that it can be enlivened and brought to the surface to be enjoyed by all.