4. Going to war

War can never be the right way to solve a conflict. It is a tragic waste of human life. It destroys families, their homes and their communities. It can also have a terrible effect on the environment. As war is so damaging, believing in it as a way of solving conflict will not help your footprint! Some people though believe that if all peaceful solutions have been tried and failed then war is the only option. For example, many people believe that war was the only way to stop Hitler. But, as General Eisenhower said, "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, [is]… theft from those who hunger and are not fed."

Do you agree? Add your voice to the debate on this issue

Did You Know?

• In some countries twice as much is spent on armies and their weapon than is spent on education and health
  
• Nine out of every ten people killed in war are innocent civilians, not soldiers or fighters. And most of these are women and children.
  
• Most of the world's 20 million refugees are victims of war.
  
• With the money India spent on 20 fighter jets in 1992, it could have provided education for all the 15 million girls in India who do not go to school.
  
• The cost of achieving education for all the world's children over the next ten years would cost the same amount that is spent on weapons and armies every four days!

Take Action
Don't ask for, buy or play with toy guns or other pretend weapons. They may only be toys, but think about the terrible damage the real things do.