I note that the difficulty between China and Japan over these disputed islands is on the increase over the last few days. One incident, that perhaps no one could have predicted, would be all it would take to trigger war between these countries – with unknown consequences for other countries too.

Politically it can be difficult for a country to back down where it perceives a transgression against its sovereignty has occurred. In such a situation politicians can do with assistance to help them to draw back from the inevitable. This is where the rest of us, people of the world, could play a part for good.

What if we, in out hundreds of thousands, were to re-blog and re-tweet around the world that these disputed islands and the sea around them be proclaimed a national park to be managed by the UN? This would immediately reduce the growing conflict that now prevails between China and Japan. What if each of our countries, by the consensus we generate in our hundreds of thousands, were to bring this view to the floor of the UN for discussion and implementation – would we not have done a great thing? It would allow the two countries in conflict to move away from their difficulty without either losing face. It might be conceded by the parties in dispute that the islands be held as a national park for an agreed amount of time, perhaps 50 years, or until such time that a peaceful and permanent solution can be found between these two nations. The alternative, if nothing is done, would inevitably appear to be – war.

  If you find merit in what is proposed here, and are concerned about what might result if nothing is done, you might wish to re-blog and re-tweet this view so that together we can build a consensus of will around the world that could not be ignored.

Patrick