A day for peace

In a world riven apart by conflict, war and terrorism, it is difficult to hear the word 'peace' all that often. Peace is not absence of conflict per se but a combination of factors that enable people to live without fear and suspicion, enjoying their fundamental rights without let or hindrance.

Sri Lanka is one country that is enjoying peace after a protracted conflict, but there is still some way to go before the country achieves complete reconciliation and national unity. One other recent success story emerged from Columbia, where the Government and FARC rebels signed a ceasefire deal after four years of negotiations in Cuba. Whenever and wherever the guns fall silent, it is a victory for peace. It is easy to begin wars, but difficult to find peace. From Afghanistan to Iraq, we hear of relentless conflicts and the massive trail of destruction they lead to. Stopping these conflicts will be the first step to peace.

Conflicts

Unfortunately, peace in itself does not make news. Some countries are so peaceful that one never hears anything about them. On the other hand, countries having conflicts are always in the news. Lamentably, this means that the existence or achievement of peace is hardly highlighted. Hence the International Community has realised the need for a day that focuses exclusively on peace and peace building.

Thus each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21 (Wednesday). The United Nations General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.On this day, the UN appeals to warring parties and combatants worldwide to pause and silence their guns at least for the duration of the day in honour of the goal of global peace.

Strife

Every year on the International Day of Peace, the United Nations calls on the peoples of the world to remember their common humanity and join together to build a future free of strife. It calls on all to observe a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, and to honour a cessation of hostilities for the duration of the Day.

The Day's theme for 2016 is 'The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace.' The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were unanimously adopted by the 193 Member States of the United Nations at an historic summit of the world's leaders in New York in September 2015. The new ambitious 2030 agenda calls on countries to begin efforts to achieve these goals over the next 15 years. It aims to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all. Every single one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals is a building block in the global architecture of peace. It has always been known that development and peace are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.

This year's theme highlights how ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring broadly shared prosperity all contribute to global harmony. "When we all work together, we can make peace possible," is the main message behind this campaign.

Interdependent

According to the UN, the Sustainable Development Goals are integral to achieving overall peace in our time, as development and peace are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. SDG Number 16 specifically focuses on 'Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions'. Yet the message of peace runs like a thread through all 17 of the Goals.

"The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are our shared vision of humanity and a social contract between the world's leaders and the people," says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who recently visited Sri Lanka too see for himself the country's post-conflict progress. "They are a to-do list for people and planet, and a blueprint for success."

Sustainability addresses the fundamental needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Modern challenges of poverty, hunger, diminishing natural resources, water scarcity, social inequality, environmental degradation, diseases, corruption, racism and xenophobia, among others, pose challenges for peace and create fertile grounds for conflict. In fact, several of the world's longest running conflicts have started as a result of the inability share water peacefully. Sustainable development contributes decisively to dissipation and elimination of these causes of conflict and provides the foundation for a lasting peace. Peace reinforces the conditions for sustainable development and liberates the resources needed for societies to develop and prosper.

Partnerships

The International Community should mobilise means of implementation, including financial resources, technology development and transfer, and capacity-building, as well as highlight the role of partnerships.

In order to take this message of peace to the younger generation, the UN has helped produce a music video on 'Sustainable Development Goals: Improve Life All Around The Globe' that aims to teach young people throughout the world about the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals and how they can help build peace.

"When people feel secure in their abilities to provide for their families, when they are given access to the resources they need to live healthy lives, and when they feel truly included in their societies, then they are much less likely to engage in conflict," says Ki-moon.

Peace should be a global phenomenon, but it begins at home. All the great religions teach us how to lead pious, peaceful lives. Unfortunately, in the blind pursuit of material wealth people and even governments have lost sight of moral and religious values. This non-adherence to cherished values can in turn lead to violence and crime. Thus religious leaders, parents and schools have an onerous responsibility to lead the next generation on the correct path of peaceful co-existence. If all homes find peace and happiness, an entire country can achieve peace.

There are many paths to peace, but the result should be better times for everyone. For example, if the developed world reduces their massive military expenditure even by 10 percent, more resources can be made available to the poorer regions which may lead to the stoppage of certain conflicts. The world must become a fairer, more equitable place for peace to prevail everywhere.

On 16 September 2016, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon celebrated the Peace Day in the Peace Garden at United Nations Headquarters by ringing the Peace Bell and observing a minute of silence. Women Nobel Peace Prize laureates and the United Nations Messengers of Peace were invited to participate in the simple ceremony. The United Nations Education Outreach Section also held a global student videoconference on the same day, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., also at United Nations Headquarters. Many countries will also hold Peace Day events on September 21.