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About this quote

What does it mean?
Stevenson states that in the nuclear age, maintaining peace is no longer optional but essential for human survival.
In plain terms
Peace is necessary for survival now because of nuclear weapons.
What can you take from it?
Prioritize peace as a matter of survival rather than preference.

Where it applies

  • international relations
  • policy making
  • crisis management

Putting it to work

  • advocate for disarmament
  • prioritize diplomacy
  • educate on nuclear risks

Questions to consider

  • Is peace always possible in the nuclear age?
  • What compromises are acceptable for survival?

Another view

The quote presents peace as binary, ignoring nuanced conflicts between war and peace.

More from Adlai Stevenson

  1. Accuracy to a newspaper is what virtue is to a lady; but a newspaper can always print a retraction.

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  2. The art of government has grown from its seeds in the tiny city-states of Greece to become the political mode of half the world. So let us dream of a world in …

    Permalink to quote #89
  3. The journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step. So we must never neglect any work of peace within our reach, however small.

    Permalink to quote #86

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