Georges Clemenceau is quoted as wondering whether war is an interlude during peace, or peace an interlude during war. But since 1981, the world has celebrated International Day of Peace, also known as the World Peace Day, every September 21st.
According to Wikipedia, the Web encyclopaedia, this day "is dedicated to peace, and specifically the absence of war, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone. It is observed by many nations, political groups, military groups, and peoples."
It goes on to say that, "To inaugurate the day, the "Peace Bell" is rung at UN Headquarters in New York City. The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents. It was given as a gift by the United Nations Association of Japan, and is referred to as "a reminder of the human cost of war." The inscription on its side reads: ‘Long live absolute world peace.’
To fully understand the significance of this gesture, it is important to define peace. Peace is most definitely not the absence of war, conflict and turmoil. It is a celebration of co-existence among diverse communities, respect for others’ rights, customs, language and creed.
It is the trust and empathy we extend to kith, kin and strangers in equal measure and must of necessity start from the basic unit of the nation — the family — thence to the malleable young minds in our schools and finally, at the workplace.
Violent ideologies
Peacetime is the interlude between wars, but that is only part of the reason the world must commemorate the International Day of Peace.
The thousands that met violent death in the two Iraq wars, the growing number from the war on terror in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, the mindless, cartel-driven and cocaine-fuelled murders in Mexico immediately come to the fore.
Al Shabaab’s grim harvest in Somalia, fought in the name of God and religion has so affected the texture of business and geopolitics, displaced millions, and impoverished whole populations in the Horn of Africa, so much so that Somalia is almost always at the top of any discussion on war and peace. Sea piracy that the world thought it had eliminated more than a century ago is suddenly deadlier and lucrative for this group.
Homegrown terror networks are becoming a real pain as gullible and unemployed youth embrace the violent ideologies of this militia. Worrisome times indeed.
The centuries-old confrontation between Israel and Palestine is a constant pain that is unlikely to be resolved soon, if initial objections to Palestinian statehood made in the past week are anything to go by. In this one, the death toll has been staggering.
Armed conflicts are ten-a-penny starting (in no particular order of merit) from the India-Pakistan Kashmir woes, the paused war of the Koreas, Russia’s Chechnya woes, Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army, the Darfuri killing fields, Congo’s mineral wealth rush to the ping pong Ethiopia government-Oromo Liberation Front. And these are just the few that readily come to mind.
As we usher in the seven billionth Earthling this year, a rapidly warming planet has triggered climate change, have combined to thin forest cover, melt polar ice caps, negatively affect food growing regions through drought and disrupting rainfall, shrank fishing sites and led to unbridled competition for resources that are getting scarcer.
This is the ultimate recipe for armed conflict among various communities across all continents.
Today, too, a larger proportion of educated, discerning and urbanised populations are agitating for wider democratic space. Frequent demonstrations and clashes with police services of increasingly totalitarian regimes that have refused to read the signs on the wall. Yemen, Libya, Egypt, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Sudan, et al belabour this point.
Full stomachs
Africa is crying for its lost generations and missed opportunities to eliminate poverty and illiteracy. The continent has become synonymous with calamity, opacity in governance and impunity. And in global icon Nelson Mandela’s words: "I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself."
Will the grand old man live long enough to witness such a grand dispensation? If only despotic governments would literally set their people free and concentrate efforts and resources at improving standards of living, eradicate poverty, re-green the planet, as well as heal and educate their populations, we would not have to set aside a World Peace Day.
Citizens with full stomachs, a paying job, a vocation, decent shelter and guaranteed basic rights are generally peaceful and tolerant.
Like 34th President of the United States Dwight Eisenhower advised: "I think that people want peace so much that one of these days government had better get out of their way and let them have it."
Have a peaceful year.
