Building bridges is the greatest legacy of humanity

"LOOK AGAIN AT that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it, everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of... every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilisation...every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there—on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam."

- S RAMADORAI

—Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot

Sagan's haunting reflection reminds us how small we are in the grand scale of the cosmos, and how utterly futile our conflicts seem when set against the infinite backdrop of the universe. If we are to survive, let alone thrive, on this "pale blue dot," peace is not just a moral ideal—it is our only bet.

Across the world today, we continue to witness the unrest and uncertainty that wars and conflicts inevitably bring. While motives may vary and strategies may evolve, the true cost of violence often reveals itself in the scars that linger far beyond the battlefield. History, however, offers us powerful alternatives.

Over two millennia ago, Emperor Ashoka stood on the blood-soaked plains of Kalinga, confronting the brutal cost of conquest. The devastation spurred a profound transformation. Turning to the teachings of the Buddha, Ashoka chose a path of peace, moral responsibility, and public welfare—ushering in one of the most enlightened periods of governance in ancient history. His story is timeless underscoring the eternal truth that peace is the true foundation of civilisation.

The 20th century echoed that ancient wisdom. After World War II culminating in the atomic horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—Japan renounced aggression and embraced a pacifist constitution. That decision did not stifle its growth; instead, it unleashed an era of innovation and prosperity for Japan. In 1955, scientists Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell echoed this sentiment in their landmark manifesto for nuclear disarmament, urging world leaders to "remember your humanity and forget the rest."