Violence, the world, "violent" links, and a new blue "bomb" in the supermarket

Watching the news these days is difficult. So many tragedies, the Middle East and Ukraine and Ebola, and all the small dramas that happen close and far. And the brutality of it. It feels, all this shouldn’t be happening, that mankind was on a more peaceful path at the milliennium, and got all off the path. 

But then, looking at the larger timeline, Europe for a long time was going through the violence that now is shadowing the Middle East. And maybe mankind at its core isn’t really a species that opts for the peaceful paths.

Still. There is all this technology and knowledge, and shouldn't we learn at some point? And is it helpful to show and watch the pictures of violence and of its effects, in the amount that is continually present in the news, and where does all this violence come from? 

I don't have the answers, but in the last week, it was a theme that was in my mind, and either there are more articles about it, or I noticed them more than before. Here are some "violent" links: 

• What are all these violent images doing to us? - a blog post from a journalist, which includes this link in the comments: Tragedies & Journalists: "A 40-page guide to help journalists, photojournalists and editors report on violence while protecting both victims and themselves."
• Coursera has a new course up, which is about violence. Started by a nurse, who was faced with violence and the injuries it caused - and who looked for patterns of violence, and for ways to prevent it:
  "Understanding Violence: Violence is among the top three leading causes of injury and death in the US and globally. We will focus on different disciplinary approaches and perspectives to understanding and potentially preventing violence."
  I watched the first parts, it’s approaching the theme both on a personal and global level, and is presented by two instructors and additional experts, which also adds to the broader view of this complex theme. 
• Watch as 1000 years of European borders change timelapse map that shows how European borders have changed over the last 1000 years. and the maps don't say it, but probably most of the changes were the result of wars, or acts of violence  

Ironically, when I went shopping, I walked past the shelf with energy drinks, and even there the theme was present: "Bomba" is a new energy drink, which picks up the mood of the world, it seems.

Peace ~