The Nuclear Security Summit that brought leaders of 47 countries to Washington, D.C. to discuss ways to secure nuclear materials is a just peace means to a just peace end.

Just peace theory holds that peacemaking is a day by day, step by step process.  It begins with the understanding that respectful and equitable relationships between individuals and between nations will provide a structure that invites cooperation rather than conflict.  And, when disagreement does happen, when interests collide, there is a method to find a satisfactory solution for all involved.  The goal is to work together to find a way to build a better world.

Security, along with truth and respect, are primary pillars of a just peace theory.  The first duty of governments is to provide basic security for its people.  Every human being on earth ought to be able to wake up and to live h/er daily life free from the worry that s/he is in danger.  Human existence is fragile under the best of circumstances.  Violent conflict, the threat of terrorism and war adds fear to this fact.  Fear leads to bad decision making that can cause the violence that we dread.  History shows that fear can cause us to spend resources on weapons and warfare to contain or to destroy an enemy rather than spending time and resources on finding common ground and providing the sustenance and joy that ought to be a human birthright.

Fear leads to an arms race, to the logic of mutually assured destruction (MAD-ness).  This is rage, insanity, stupidity masquerading as good security strategy.  This is fear deceiving us into thinking that dangerous weapons are the means and method of our self preservation.  There is enough highly enriched nuclear material to fuel enough weapons to destroy the earth many times over.  Now, countries that do not already have nuclear weapons seem to want to join the MAD-ness.

Non sate actors want to acquire these materials thinking that such destruction is warranted, necessary, or even righteous in the eyes of a vengeful god.  Their god is an idol, an impotent divinity who needs humankind to do the dirty work.  The danger of unsecured nuclear material is that it will fall into the hands of people who want to terrorize another group, to make them afraid to live their lives, to coerce agreement on a particular ideology, or religious confession, or moral behavior.  This is a destructive logic that in the end, only leads to more fear, enmity, and violence.  Violent means lead to violent ends.

The just peace goal is an end to violence.  The goal is the destruction of all nuclear weapons on earth.  The work to secure nuclear material is a step in this direction.  Moreover, the summit demonstrates another just peace principle, mutual cooperation through mutual respect.  No one nation can or ought to command the world.  President Obama deserves credit for his willingness to provide leadership in this area.

One important point of agreement as expressed in the Communiqué of Nuclear Security Summit is point number nine.  It says:  “Recognize the need for cooperation among states to effectively prevent and respond to incidents of illicit nuclear trafficking; and agree to share, subject to respective national laws and procedures, information and expertise through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms in relevant areas such as nuclear detection, forensics, law enforcement, and the development of new technologies.”

This underlines the importance of cooperation in law enforcement.  This also places terrorist and terrorism in its proper context –law enforcement.  We can therefore stop thinking about a “war on terror, terrorism or terrorist” because this is a war that will never end.

The leaders of the 47 countries represented at the summit have taken an important step.  This is a step away from fear, wars and threats of war and a step toward respect, cooperation and peace.  It is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to encourage our leaders to continue to work to secure nuclear material, degrade it, use it for peaceful purposes and bring us to the historical moment where nuclear weapons are a distant memory present only in history books.