2016

"2016: World Peace Writings" is a nonfiction work of 555 essays which focus on major current and historical world situations and events. They deal primarily with the broad issues of war and peace, economics, power, history, international relations, philosophy and spirituality. This book will become appreciated in particular by those men and women favorably inclined toward interdisciplinary studies - which may just include everyone. In contrast to most authors and their books which focus on a narrow field of intellectual exploration, “2016” touches on perhaps as wide a range of issues possible. Readers will decide if that interdisciplinary approach is truly successful and worth selecting.

Among the many topics discussed in “2016: World Peace Writings": 1) Syria, 2) Ukraine, 3) September 11, 2001 – 9/11, 4) Saudi Arabia, 5) Iran, 6) Palestine, 7) the International Monetary Fund, 8) the World Bank, 9) Wealth inequality, 10) ISIS – Daesh, 11) the Near death experience (NDE), 12) Austerity, 13) International law, 14) Israel-Palestine, 15) Gaza, 16) the Global tax haven industry, 17) Libya, 18) Mother Earth, 19) Qatar, 20) the Iraq War, 21) the Vietnam War, 22) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 23) the United Nations, 24) Genetically modified organisms (GMO), 25) Monetary reform, 26) the International Criminal Court (ICC), 27) the Occupy movement, 28) Public banking, 29) Nuclear weapons, 30) Investigative journalism, 31) Greece, 32) BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), 33) Renewable energy, 34) Peace on Earth, and much more.

Among the many hundreds of men and women noted in “2016": 1) Barack Obama, 2) Mahatma Gandhi, 3) Martin Luther King Jr., 4) George W. Bush – Dick Cheney, 5) Bill and Hillary Clinton, 6) Bernie Sanders, 7) John F. Kennedy, 8) Vladimir Putin, 9) Benjamin Netanyahu, 10) Bashar Al-Assad, 11) Viktor Yanukovych, 12) John Perkins, and many more.

Know that the writer at no time during the years of compiling this essay collection did he desire to choose any particular “side”, that in ultimate reality there is only one side – humanity, and that the sooner this wisdom becomes applied around the Earth the sooner divisive and harmful actions based on the erroneous “us versus them” perception begins to steadily decrease - until finally just a bad memory from an unenlightened historical past.

My name is Jerry Alatalo, author of "2016: World Peace Writings", and I hope people come away more genuinely aware, optimistic and even as finer persons as a result of reading my humble work. I consider myself foremost an artist. The title was intentionally chosen to suggest the classic book "1984" by George Orwell, and to suggest "2016" as an "updated", nonfiction version. While Mr. Orwell with genius painted a depressing world scenario even today people reference often, my self-described "updated version" strives to invert or reverse readers' perceptions from hopelessness to genuine optimism about the near future.

For some, the writings in "2016: World Peace Writings" will not generate interest because the topics deal with the dreaded arenas of "politics and religion". For those who, like myself, have always and only been interested in the various dimensions associated with the fields of politics/power and religion/spirituality, those men and women will discover more than plenty of interesting information in the book. Mine is far from the only voice represented in "2016". One hears hundreds of others speaking - those both living and from the past.

My greatest and simple hope is that after people read "2016: World Peace Writings" the human condition becomes literally improved with respect to global truth, justice and peace. That prayer includes future generations. If that prayer becomes answered and realized to any extent small, medium or large the writer accepts some measure of satisfaction in true humility. Thank you. Peace and love to all men, women and children on Earth in 2016.