Very often we talk about peace, harmony, and stability without realizing that they are different “departments” from the same enterprise called: sustainability. Peace is one of that pieces, a true “gift” that we need to work on from an open mindset, respectful attitude towards local conflicts, and global ambition for even wider global stability. Is it indeed the combination of education, finances, and politics that would lead to stability. Just with peace is simply not enough.
Let me give you an example: a quarter of the global population lives in conflict-affected areas: Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, and Ethiopia. Even in the hypothetical scenario of no violence at all, the level of multiple crises -poverty, humanitarian, hunger, water, sanitation, etc.- gets to a point that leads to a new conflict. Because global peace is only one part, is global stability that delivers the needed counterbalance, and enables an environment of peace. This is the very essence of a holistic SDGs approach, the capacity to make peace, one more goal within a set of other goals, for whom peace contributes greatly. The goal is stability, and peace helps not necessarily isolated.
It is also important to differentiate global peace from living in harmony, the latest is about personal responsibility rather than institutional leadership. Global peace contributes to individual harmony, although is not precisely a logical consequence.
As stated by Prof. Gene Sharp on the United Nations page: “ Nonviolent action is one response to the problem of how to act effectively in politics, especially how to wield powers effectively.” Very clearly we may conclude that violence is about political action and power rather than a personal matter that is exclusively about ourselves. Taking personal responsibility to struggle for getting inner peace is one of those aspects that needs an Education system that prepares, teaches, and trainees on how individually we may contribute to getting into global wellness.
The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness as the “active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health”.Is it easy to conclude that tolerance towards diversity, personal and institutional, religious and cultural become absolutely key.
Diversities are the very own meaning of human nature: paradoxically Universe in balance is not necessary about peace, balance, and serenity, but the harmony that delivers a deep definition of the Universe: evil and heaven, war and peace, hate and love. More than contradictions they are a true point of balance that let us move forward to our very own evolution.
Is it a true burden that the current system pretends to be global by standardization of values and policies that are not necessarily aligned with a critical thinking process, knowledge, techniques, or/and philosophy but only one message, centralized and manipulative that certainly does not contribute to peace but guarantees confrontation, and violence.
The capacity to be critical is usually associated with critics rather than true reflection and a boost of intellectual production. The Education system plays a very important role to boost generations creative enough to fight back against Massive Media and the surprisingly powerful and centralized information, fighting back against standardization and moving forward towards their own meaning of stability: respect for diversity. It is important to create peace models based on each Nation, not on Media, building Education models by boosting inner resilience not pre-established codes of behavior imposed by external agendas.
A pseudo “more communication” is leading us into more ignorance and intrusion instead of being more informed or/and empowered, we are gradually pushed to leave cultural or religious codes
Delivering a message: powerful, diverse, enriched and creative is a must have to get into peace, and a deep responsibility from Media. Instead, the system make us tap into the big resource of silence: only way to protect inner peace from a toxic communications systems that tend to be dictatorial and intrusive. Creating a wave of serene atmosphere towards local communities comes from the capacity to take from Media the information after a critical thinking process allowing to build different points of view and an attitude towards conciliation. A true democracy: the capacity to make of citizenship a voice not an echo from massive Media.
Analyzing what is happening with Ukraine- Russia conflict we see that there is no possibility to be “against war” but to be anti-Russian -civilians, products, etc.- Although Ukraine is gaining the war with a high technology and a strong, old and consistent agenda coming from the USA against Russia now, and the Soviet Union before. Being part of the conflict, and supporting one side or the other looks as is the only choice. As, peacebuilders, resist to a dictatorial perspective and exercise the power of critical thinking, analyzing each aspect that is contributing to breaking the harmony in the region: imposing far-right political models, foreign business interests, root causes of the conflict, referendum (legal but legitimate) from their citizens, in the end, searching for the meaning of Kiev as “ a hub in the broader network of transnational white supremacy extremism”*Being part of regional conflicts is not about peace or a global concept but an intrusive political agenda that boost even more violence.
Building peace is like painting, a transformative creation that sometimes comes from silent action. A transit between a chaotic reality into a state of fully open-minded goals. and a sense of conciliation and negotiation.
A true gift towards global peace: applying Socrates´ method: “asking questions” as a way to demand accountability in a world that runs by hidden agendas and business interests.
Painting the world with new colours supposes a blank canvas of transformative action from citizens and politics to get into global stability.
Because global peace comes from us. A true gift from within…in our hands.
Kyiv, Ukraine: a new hub for international neo-Nazi concerts
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