The world is never at peace.

After centuries of war between nations, neighbouring and otherwise, we still have to learn our lesson. The thousands, if not millions, of lives that have been lost throughout the ages have not made man change his course.

There are still several pockets of strife in various areas, with the Middle East situation quickly coming to mind. But it is not only here that years of disputes have failed to lead to a solution that is welcomed by everyone.

After the end of World War II, Europe made an attempt to put its bloody past behind it. The continent had been devastated for the second time in less than half a century, and the leaders of the time wanted to start a new chapter.

The foundations for what is now the European Union were put into place. Six countries came to terms on economic measures that paved the way, over more than 50 years, for the EU as we know it today. That group of six nations has now grown to one of 25 and may grow even more over the next few years.

Differences of opinion still existed, exist and will continue to do so, but issues are resolved around the table. War between European countries has been avoided for over half a century.

Individual countries, over the years, have had to combat forces from within. It was not an easy task. Some battles have been won, others are still raging. It was a breath of fresh air to hear that the IRA commanders had promised to fully disarm, but Spain still has its problems with ETA.

Europe, and also the United States of America, is now facing another threat – international terrorism. The events of New York and Madrid and, more recently, London and Egypt are still fresh in our minds. And the danger of further strikes is not over.

The interference of the big countries in matters taking place on the other side of the world provided the spark for international terrorism. Whether this intervention is justified or otherwise is a matter that has divided the world, including the peoples of the countries who have taken part or are still taking part in these missions.

As things now stand, however, the political decision taken by, among others, the United States and Britain, has exposed these countries to terrorist attacks. The disaster at the World Trade Centre, the train bombing in Madrid and the devastation in the London Underground were clearly an attempt by the terrorists to strike at the way of life in these developed countries.

What will happen next is hard to predict. There are still major worries, especially in America and in Britain, that there could be other terrorist attacks being planned. No doubt, this is having a negative effect on the economy, with many tourists preferring “safer” destinations. But, after what happened at Sharm el-Sheikh, which destination can be considered as “safe” these days?

The terrorists’ aim is to destabilise the normal routine, and the highly-efficient transport services in developed countries – aircraft, trains and the Undergound – were “the best way” of doing this. Today, travelling is part and parcel of the developed world – not only for a one-off holiday but also for day-to-day business.

So far, the terrorist attacks have managed to disrupt this in part. But what if such attacks become more frequent? What if the odds of being on the wrong plane or the wrong bus get bigger? And what if terrorists resort to other measures to attack those they consider their enemies?

Will the people return to their normal lives, as the politicians are insisting they do?