Operations | Make Peace Not War

The Political System of Kazakhstan

Many textbooks and educational programming explains the political system in countries like the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. However, many people don’t know about the political system for countries like Kazakhstan due to the lack of information that is readily available.

Image via Wikipedia

While political systems can be a complex issue to explain, here’s a brief look at how the Kazakhstan political system is setup.

The President

Kazakhstan’s political system is a presidential republic. The Kazakhstan President is voted into office by election and is often considered a decorative head of state. With the exception of being commander in chief of the armed forces and having veto power, the president has very little political power over the country of Kazakhstan.

The Prime Minister

The prime minister is the head of the Kazakhstan’s government. The Prime Minister is responsible for running the political side of the country, presenting laws and bills to be passed, and to help ensure that the country is running smoothly.

Currently, one main prime minister oversees everything in regards to the government. There are also 16 deputy prime ministers who serve on a board known as the Cabinet of Ministers. The Cabinet of Ministers works with the Prime Minister to make executive government decisions.

The Parliament

Kazakhstan’s Parliament is a two-house structure known as bicameral. There is the lower house, or Majilis, and the upper house or the Senate. Between 107 to 110 people make up the Majilis, while only 47 make up the Senate. Members of the Majilis are voted into office by popular vote, while members of the Senate are appointed by administrative divisions or by the President himself.

Filed Under: Operations

How Government Administrations can Prevent War

When a country goes to war, it is because all possible means of finding a peaceful solution have been unsuccessful. There are certain preventive measures that government administrations can take to prevent war. While the actual processes can be extremely intricate and difficult to comprehend for those not politically inclined, here are some basic outlines.

The first thing all nations do is indulge in diplomacy. This is where two nations negotiate and try and arrive at a compromise. Though there are a few government administrations in the world that do not believe in diplomacy, this is largely the first step taken by most nations. The next step is to put a practical foreign policy in place. This should be based on mutual understanding and not threats and sanctions. It should uphold a nation’s values without undermining the values of others.

An effort has to be made to understand the cultural complexities of a nation. There are times that a misunderstanding of how the nation functions is attributed as being hostile. Such understanding will help make diplomacy and negotiations a bit simpler.

Government administrations should also consider lowering the budget given to military development. This will allow for better development of the nation. Developing military capacities to necessary levels is fine, beyond which the maintenance cannot be justified. Preemptive strikes should not be considered at all, especially if you are going up against a stronger nation. This will look like more of an offensive move than a defensive one and can get you in some serious trouble. Make sure that an effort to explore every possible option is made before war is even remotely considered as an option.

Filed Under: Operations, War Tagged With: Diplomacy, Foreign policy, Nation

Making a Difference

Although the war in Afghanistan and the Iraqi conflicts are happening a world away, they are a part of America’s experience. One day another generation will be reading our current news in their history text books.

Whether we fully support the war or not, it would seem that every American citizen would like to make a difference and contribute to the overall well-being of our world community. Generally most desire to make a real difference for change—a change for the better.

We may feel insignificant or feel that we are only one person, but we can make a difference and let our voices be heard.

The first place to start is at home. It may not be possible to directly influence or turn the opinions of the national government administration, but we can influence the rising generation. Parents can take time to properly educate their children about the war, whether it is through a simple discussion or actually watching the news together to learn more about the war. Children should be given age-appropriate information concerning our country’s current affairs. Since they will be the voters of tomorrow and the ones to have a real say on the future of our country, parents must educate and teach them the best they know how.

Next, citizens can make their voices heard in their communities. Write an editorial in the local newspaper or add your opinion on Facebook or other websites. Be gracious in your comments while still getting your point across. If you are too insulting, people may not take you seriously.

Lastly, if you do want Washington to know how you feel, give your state representatives a call. Let them know how you feel and what you expect of them. Although this may seem insignificant, they do take account of their phone calls. Also consider writing letters to them along with others to collectively share your views.

Filed Under: Operations, War Tagged With: A Current Affair, Citizenship in the United States, Warfare and Conflict

Honoring the Commander

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The war in Afghanistan is on the brink of being a ten-year-long venture. When considering all that has been involved and the grueling day-to-day long activity, the war seems to have gone on a lot longer.

Such warfare has required the time and effort, even the very lives of some of America’s best men and women. Although there are different opinions regarding the war effort and its validity. It can not be denied that those serving our country deserve our heart-felt support and gratitude. They have served well and done the best they can to create peace and stability in a nation with a very rocky history that has been less than democratic or peaceful.

Tackling this kind of challenge has required the very finest of leaders that Washington could produce. Currently, the position of commander of the coalition forces in Afghanistan has been held by the four-star General David Petraeus. Many Americans applaud this great leader’s resume and exemplary qualities. He has credible work experience having worked under two Presidents of the United States in two different wars. He is praised for his work in the Iraqi War when he took command in 2007. Gen. Petraeus is also known for his intelligence and excellent ability to work with others. His public relation skills have been much needed in a country where negotiating and team work have been a challenge.

Although he only took up his current position in June 2010 to replace a former General who was let go for misconduct, General Petraeus is expected to close out his tour sometime in 2011. It is assumed that the administration will allow his release only after the American troops start to withdraw in July of 2011.

Some wonder what will happen since General David Petraeus is not the only top-level official to be nearing the end of his tour. The American Ambassador to Afghanistan will also be expected to leave soon as well as several others who hold high positions.

These leaders will greatly be appreciated for their hard work and contributions to the war.

Filed Under: Operations, War Tagged With: Afghanistan, David Petraeus, NATO

Your Own Efforts To End The War

Ending the war has not been easy and will not get easier. Saying goodbye to a military presence in a foreign soil will be much easier to dream about than it will be to actually do. There is nothing about ending the war that has been a piece of cake. So, that means that efforts must still be taken to bring the troops home. So if you haven’t had a chance to get the war efforts working out in your area here are some very simple things you can do to end the war once and for all.

The first thing you can do is write to the people in charge. You elected your current senator. Let them know how this war affects you and your family. Let them know that in no uncertain terms that if they vote for bills and amendments to other bills that will result in troops spending further time overseas in a war that they will deal with you starting an effort to get them out of office. These aren’t kind words but they are the only words worth getting your senators attention.

You might feel like it’s high time you started your own charity to help out the troops but you’d be better off hooking yourself up with an organization with an established history and solid standing in the community. You are going to need their already established connections to make things happen.

That doesn’t mean you can only be a quiet participant. The truth of the matter is that you can be far more than that. All you have to do is step up your efforts by volunteering for everything you can. Now, once you have explored these avenues you will find yourself feeling good about the hopes of bringing the troops home safe and sound.

Filed Under: Operations, Volunteering Tagged With: Activism and Peace Work, Peace, Peace movement

Defending Your Point

There are a lot of people out there who are against the war just like you. They care very much that your country take the troops out and start fresh without war. It’s a great and noble thing but the truth is very few people who are for the war but those people are the ones you have to look out for. They are very good at shooting down your beliefs. If you run into someone who is hell bent on getting you to admit your wrong, but you can’t seem to buy what they are selling. Here are some things you can say to help you fend off those who oppose your viewpoints.

You Don’t Support the Troops

This is a viewpoint that will really affect you to your core. No one wants to be considered someone who is not in favor of the troops. You have to stand firm on the fact that you have never been against the troops. Try telling those opposition that you do, in fact, care about the troops but that your caring for them actually is what made you want to stop the war. You don’t want innocent troops going to foreign soil and not coming back home. That is a stance that every one can get behind.

You Are Unpatriotic

This is another attack that you shouldn’t have to be subject to. You are simply not a bad person for not wanting war. Just start there and ask them how it makes you a bad person to not want your country men and women to die in war. Let them know that it is within your right to oppose the decision your country makes even if it’s a decision that others seem to be behind. Stand strong and know that opposing the war is ok and doesn’t make you a bad citizen. No matter what the opposing side has to say.

Filed Under: Operations Tagged With: Activism and Peace Work, United States

Dealing With The Soldiers Home From War

If you are the spouse of someone who is currently serving overseas you are probably excited for the day they will be returning home. You might have heard that it is really soon and for that you couldn’t be happier. You are excited to think about the day they come home and life going back to normal. Well, the sad news is that once they come home things won’t be likely to return back to normal. At least not for some time anyway. If you are anticipating their arrival home then chew on these few things as you deal with a solider returning home.

Their perspective has changed. While it might not be pleasant to think about you can certainly say that you are not going to get back the same person who left. They have seen things that you can only imagine and wouldn’t ever want to. When it comes to the world around them they have their own thoughts and feelings on it and it may not be the same kind that they went to war with.

You have to be clear to them that you want them to feel comfortable at home and normal again but be ready for them to not feel normal anymore. You cannot imagine what they have gone through. They may need to sleep in a separate room or they might not like to be approached from behind. These might seem like quirks but they are essential to keeping them feeling safe.

Just know that making them feel better will take time and they may need to have the help of a licensed therapist. They need someone who has had specialty in dealing with soldiers who are returning home from war. With special help your loved one can deal with coming home form war.

Filed Under: Operations, Volunteering Tagged With: Afghanistan, History, Soldier, Twentieth Century, United States, Veteran, Wars and Conflicts, World War I

Operation Shower: Baby Showering Service for Military Families

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Operation Shower is a non-profit volunteering project aimed at enhancing the status of military families. Through this project concerted efforts to help military families are taken. Operating Shower has an interesting concept; providing baby showers to military families who are currently facing situations of deployment.

By providing baby showers this project attempts to spread love, mirth, and happiness. The concept of Operation Shower is simple. Provide and coordinate baby showers for expectant mothers. Through programs like ‘Shower in a Box’ pregnant moms of military personnel can get themselves heart-warming baby showers.

Now you might be wondering what a baby shower is? A baby shower is a celebration of a pending childbirth. The celebration is held by carrying out some gift-presenting to the pregnant moms. By arranging a party, pregnancy moms are felicitated and honored with gifts. Here the ‘shower’ has nothing to do with having a bath. Rather, it is used in the context of showering gifts for pending childbirths. This concept of baby showering is prevalent in India, United States, and Canada. It is soon catching up in other countries.

Every year, Operation Shower mobilizes gifts from people for pregnant women of military personnel who are on deployment. Lots of women benefit from the tens and hundreds of gift-presents. The gifts may be baby clothing, baby food, and anything that will benefit the baby and the mother.

Operation Shower has seen amazing sponsorships from people. Lots of donations are made every day from all across the country and the world. As a volunteer you can contribute to Operation Shower by donating or hosting a party. You can even become a sponsor, and fund Operation Shower’s various baby showering activities.

After gathering all the gifts, presents, and donations, moms-to-be are selected from the different departments of the military, and gifts presented to them. Operating Shower is indeed a great way for people to give back to military families. Baby showering is one of the ways to do that.

Filed Under: Operations Tagged With: Baby shower, Canada, Family, Gift, India, Mother, Pregnancy, United States

Operation Homefront: Supporting Military Families

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You can support American military personnel and their families by joining various volunteering organizations. These non-profit volunteering organizations help military people who are in service and also their family members. You can volunteer to provide monetary resources, your time, or your talent to keep the morale and welfare of American troops as high as ever.

Operation Homefront is a non-profit volunteering initiative designed to help military families. You can join this organization to be part of projects that require volunteering people. Due to lack of people in projects, these non-profit volunteering organizations seek the help of even professionally trained people. One of the projects is to assist school going children of military people get school material like books and clothing. As a project volunteer you have to participate in efforts to procure these materials.

Operation Homefront also deals with a lot of other projects designed to meet the needs of war veterans and military families. As a volunteer with these organizations you will benefit immensely by supporting such causes. You can become the support system that military people need. When they fight our wars, we need to take care of their loved ones. And this is the best way to do it.

You can freely donate how much money you want to the Operation Homefront project. The project accepts donations from people. The donations are used to aid to the welfare of military families. It has to be said that some families might have lost a sole bread winner in war. These families might not have the means to support themselves into getting a respectable standard of living. Projects like Operation Homefront seek to solve these situations of military families.

Supporting American troops is the best way to give back to them for the good that they do to us. There are plenty of military families whose men and women are out fighting wars, or involved in peace-keeping activities. It is our prerogative to support such military families.

Filed Under: Operations Tagged With: Family, Military, Non-profit organization, Operation Homefront, United States, United States armed forces, Veteran, Volunteering

The Prevalence Of The “Make Peace, Not War” Sentiment

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The struggle for peace in an ever changing political climate is constantly relevant. The slogan “Make Love, Not War” first appeared during the 1960′s at the heat of the Vietnam War, but similar slogans such as “Make Peace Not War” have cropped up with equal fervor, both from individuals who are at the forefront of the anti-war movement, and those who are open to exploring other options besides war to accomplish things.

The “Make Peace, Not War” slogan is simplistic in its meaning, yet powerful in its resonance. It has been present in pop culture through films, books and television. Additionally, it is commonly seen on articles of clothing and jewelry. There are numerous options for a person to display this slogan through their clothing choices, depending on if they want to show the slogan boldly, or in a quieter manner.

There are also several organizations who are intent upon spreading the slogan through videos and compact disc releases. The popularity of websites such as YouTube, combined with the fact that most digital cameras and cell phones have the capability to record video make it easier than ever for pro-peace activists to show their point of view in a way that is engaging and memorable, then broadcast it to the world at large.

Finally, there are a growing number of merchants who strive to specialize in selling items that promote a theme of peace as opposed to war. Street vendors and well-known store chains alike have been known to sell items with a “Make Peace, Not War” theme. Some websites even teach the public how to make their own crafts at home, all featuring a message of peace for all.

It is clear that the message of peace rising above war is far from an idealism that was only present in the 1960′s. Rather, its tenacious spirit and positive message will continue to live on indefinitely.

Filed Under: Operations Tagged With: Activism and Peace Work, Iraq, Peace, Peace movement, TreeHugger, United States, Vietnam War, YouTube