Not so many decades ago, many around the world hoped that the great civilisations and traditions of the non-European world would do better than the West when it came to nuclear weapons.

This was part of a larger idea that the formally colonised peoples would change the character of modern statecraft. They would lead the human race out of the murderous depths of imperialism, total war and genocide into which the West had taken it.

Mahatma Gandhi counselled non-violent resistance to nuclear bombardment. People should get out of their homes and look the pilots in the eye as best they could. With love and prayer, and without hatred for their killers above, they were to offer themselves willingly in sacrifice.

To read more see:

[http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/05/201258102449192483.html](http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/05/201258102449192483.html)