Baghdad’s First Snows Bring Peace
The first snows in memory drifted softly through the eastern part of Baghdad this Friday, falling on Shiite as well as Sunni houses. For these hours of snowfall, no violence was reported and no mortar shells flew. Baghdad was blanketed in a wintry peace.
An NBC local journalist reported hearing the delight in his niece’s voice as she woke him up to look at the view. He writes, “It was much more beautiful than can be described; a scene I have not seen before in my lifetime in Baghdad. … I thanked God for granting Iraqis the chance to watch the snow falling and I prayed that God will bring peace, happiness, success, and love in each white pure piece of snow.”
Snows in Baghdad may be less a divine sign than the latest indication of a changing climate. Still, there is something divine in the gentle drift that brought peace to a city ravaged by five years of brutal, endless violence.
Baghdad snows serve as a reminder that peace is possible, even in the places where it is most desperately needed.
If changes in the environment can help bring a moment of peace to warring Shiite and Sunni sects, then concern over the environment can surely still the drums and engines of war in other parts of the world.
This is the hope of visionaries like Dr. Jane Goodall, who hopes that her global Roots & Shoots program can generate peace through environmental activism. It is also the focus of future world leaders at the Arava Institute, which uses environmental issues as a catalyst to inspire peace through cooperation.
As I write this, I look out the window and see children sled and toss snowballs in the park behind my house because this area of Korea also just experienced its first heavy snows of the year. I hear their shrieks of delight, I see them enjoying the wonders of their shared environment, and I know that lasting peace is possible through concentration on the environment and cooperation in protecting the health of our single planet.
References and Resources:
When snow falls in Baghdad … | MSNBC
‘WAKE UP, IT’S SNOWING!’ | MSNBC
Roots & Shoots | The Jane Goodall Institute
Middle East Institute Teaches Peace with Environmental Studies | Ecoworldly
Photo Source:
Mosque, Baghdad | Flickr
It’s snowing and you’re blaming global WARMING???!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your feedback. This brings up an issue that many people may not know about, so I’m glad you’ve raised it.
As the Earth warms, it creates local climactic variances. Although the global temperature is rising, it may either be warmer or colder than usual in a local area. Many people think that global warming means that everywhere in the world will become hotter. This is not the case.
Some places are getting hotter while others are getting colder. The CBC has one interesting article on this at http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2003/03/12/winter030312.html
One such example is Northern Europe: there is concern that as melting ice caps drain fresh water into the Atlantic, the Trans Atlantic currents that bring warm water to Norther Europe will slow or stop. This could make Northern Europe a lot colder.
I should clarify, though, that it is beyond the scope of this article to attribute a cause to the snow in Baghdad. That this event was related to climate change is a supposition on my part based on the extremely bizarre nature of the event and the knowledge that as global weather patterns change, they affect all local weather patterns as well.
Thank you again for your readership and response.
Beautifully written with a positive message. Thanks for that Gavin.
[...] ecoworldly.com - The first snows in memory drifted softly through the eastern part of Baghdad this Friday, falling on Shiite as well as Sunni houses. For these hours of snowfall, no violence was reported and no mortar shells flew. Baghdad was blanketed in a wintry peace. [...]
Gavin, I just sent this to our Women Leaders for the World delegates from multiple nations. It’s simply beautiful, and has a wisdom and poignancy that supersedes analysis.
Ever since the summer summit where I was honored to represent the U.S. as one of the thought leaders making change, I can safely say some of my DEAREST friends now reside amidst the mayhem of Pakistan as well as Kenya, and beyond…all struggling for peace.
This eco-peek at mother nature’s blissful purity, even if for a blinding second, serves to renew hope for us all and remind us (even JOLT us!) into a vision of where we need to be as people.
I thank you profusely for your insights and eloquence. Warmly, Amy
Thank you, Amy, for your very kind words. I wish the best for you and your dear friends.
I would like to know more about Shaping Youth, the thought leaders, and the Women Leaders for the World delegates. I will come back to the Shaping Youth website to learn more.
At the Jane Goodall Institute, I worked with some amazing youth leaders. There are some extraordinarily gifted people working for peace and environmental protection.
I feel fortunate that people such as yourself are among them.
Kind regards,
Gavin
Great job Gavin! A wonderful weaving of perspectives on much needed focus for both peace & global climate change. This is a good piece to forward to our Earthseeds networks. As a former park ranger, I’m always looking for ways to get kids and all our Crewmembers of Spaceship Earth to see the bigger picture.
I wonder how many people think about the way mother nature had impact in the past; forcing peaceful reflections & halting wars like Washington at Valley Forge or Battle of the Bulge? We’re working with schools around the globe to build bridges and get our future leaders thinking about our common ground with the Planet in Every Classroom project & more. We work with Shaping Youth, Roots & Shoots & many others - so again thanks for a great POV!
Mark J & Earthseeds teams