Moreover, there was no attempt to create practical, long-lasting alternatives to tribal and religious grouping offered. World War II and ensuing problems then decreased the priority of socio-politically developing the newly formed states.

Just like Europe of the 19th century, the goals of nation states in the 20th century were focused on literacy, improving basic living standards and strengthening national economies. Nation states also spent much time fighting themselves. With the exception of the Arab-Israel and the Iran-Iraq wars, almost all other armed conflicts after the Second World War were civil wars within newly formed states. The number of dead as a result of these civil, tribal wars ranks up there with the number of dead in the two world wars.

Internal tribal disputes are most likely to surface in new nation states fabricated on false foundations. These foundations often include the premise of secularism or of a common language (such as Pan Arabism, or Pan Turkism in Central Asia and the Caucuses) at times laced with a religious purpose (Israel, South Africa, Pakistan and Bangladesh).

The vicious cycles of poverty and violence are probably the root cause of violence which is essentially about control of the local economy and their marketable cash crops -- cotton and coffee in East Africa; opium in Thailand, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Eastern Anatolia and Kurdish areas; and cocaine and coffee in South America. Afghanistan would have remained under control of the Taliban if it was not for the atrocities of September 11, 2001.

Nations with a long history and inclusive national politics have not faced internal threats to destroy their ethnic fabrics. Iran and ancient Persia, China, Egypt, Greece and Japan are some examples. Others such as Germany, Switzerland and Spain have adhered to their social conventions and treaties.

The tribal summit in Iraq ought to be interpreted as a positive grassroots development and a step towards an inclusive and democratic (if not a federal) formula of governance. It is an attempt by all Iraqis to find a way to set aside their relatively narrow differences. All wars and conflicts must end. For this to happen, common, indigenous solutions must be found.