Javier Perez de Cuellar Quotes

Human nature being what it is, peace must inevitably be a relative condition. The essence of life is struggle and competition, and to that extent perfect peace is an almost meaningless abstraction. Struggle and competition are stimulating, but when they degenerate into conflict it is usually both destructive and disruptive.

War's Legitimate Object Is More Perfect Peace.

Disarmament requires trust.

When human beings live together, conflict is inevitable. War is not.

I was never convinced that war was the best system to bring democracy to the country.

If a nation wants to live in peace with its neighbors, it doesn't keep rattling the saber at them.

Every nation sincerely desires peace; and all nations pursue courses which if persisted in, must make peace impossible.

A war can perhaps be won single-handedly. But peace - lasting peace - cannot be secured without the support of all.

The point of departure of the process to which we wish to contribute is the fact that war is the natural reaction of human nature in the savage state, while peace is the result of acquired characteristics.

Wars will remain while human nature remains. I believe in my soul in cooperation, in arbitration; but the soldier's occupation we cannot say is gone until human nature is gone.

I am sure that if the mothers of various nations could meet, there would be no more wars.

The limitation upon this mode of promoting peace lies in the fact that it consists in an appeal to the civilized side of man, while war is the product of forces proceeding from man's original savage nature.

Anyone who believes that the eternal question of war and peace in Europe is no longer there risks being deeply mistaken.

I believe it is peace for our time.

Diplomacy was the only protection we had against war; and its achievements were of the utmost importance and value to the human race.

Cooperation requires a certain degree of trust between states. The threshold of trust required for cooperation depends on a set of variables including a state's relative power and costs of conflict…. conflict between trustworthy states is possible, when we see conflict it is a sign that one or both of the states are likely to be untrustworthy.

We are here to make a choice between the quick and the dead.... We must elect World Peace or World Destruction.

In times of peace the stakes of our debate appear small.

There is not a conceivable enemy unless we create it, not a nation that would fight us if it could.

Whenever peace—conceived as the avoidance of war—has been the primary objective of a power or group of powers, the international system has been at the mercy of the most ruthless member of the international community.

Thinking about the war now and the occupation later is not an acceptable solution.

I make an earnest appeal to those who hold responsible positions both in this country and abroad to weigh their words very carefully before they utter them on this matter, bearing in mind the consequences that may flow from some rash or thoughtless phrase. By exercising caution and patience and self-restraint we may yet be able to save the peace of Europe.

One single war — we all know — may be productive of more evil, immediate and subsequent, than hundreds of years of the unchecked action of the mutual-aid principle may be productive of good.

If you can secure peace, you may be cursed by a lot of hotheads but … you will be blessed in Europe and by future generations

So long as war exists on earth there will be some danger that even the Nation which most ardently desires peace may be drawn into war.