Paul Rogers on what it takes to avoid war

One hundred years ago, the First World War finally came to an end. But not before almost 17 million civilians and soldiers died. It was known at the time as The War to End All Wars — one of the most misleading names for any conflict in history.

What followed it was a century of wars, both global and regional in scope drawing on vast coalitions and proxies; intractable civil wars that have ruined countries, displacing and killing millions of civilians. 

And yet, it's also been a century of peace — a century of treaties and multilateral bodies devoted to ensuring that the worst human tendencies to inflict death and destruction on a massive scale are held at least partially in check.

If Paul Rogers had his way, we would talk about that peacemaking side of geopolitics, and the absence of war, more often.

Rogers, who often speaks to The Sunday Edition to help make us sense of a chaotic, violent world, is an emeritus professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University in Britain. He's also the Global Security Consultant with the Oxford Research Group, and an internationally renowned expert on terrorism and armed conflict. 

He joined Michael Enright for a wide-ranging interview about peace, the new geopolitical order, Iran, Yemen and Syria.

Click 'listen' to hear the interview.