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Conflict and violence have been part of the very
fabric of our existence; our long and sordid history standing testament to our
capacity to destroy and harm others. But many believe that humanity can rise
above its worst tendencies and break the cycle of violence.
Yet we are bombarded by the shocking news on a daily
basis. We hear of children dying in the wars in Afghanistan, Syria and many
other parts of the world.
We hear of people being reduced to nothing more than a
property to another person and being herded around the world. Or more often
than not, we do not hear or see of it as the perpetrators and beneficiaries of
these practices ultimately rely on obscurity to shield themselves from
criticism. And we see the toxic legacy of slavery when we hear of people
getting killed for nothing more than the colour of their skin; the most recent
example would be the Charleston shooting where nine African-Americans were
killed in their church during a prayer service.
We hear of people getting killed for just being
different; people who do not fall into the heteronormative codes are harassed
at best and executed at worst, relegated to the fringe of society.
We hear of people dying of hunger and diseases because
they do not have the basic care that other people take for granted.
We hear of people being threatened for speaking the
injustice of our life; more familiar example would be an attempt to silence
Malala Yosafzai who has been speaking for children’s, especially girls’ rights
for education.
The physical distance between different parts of the
world is becoming inconsequential, thanks to advancement in technology. This
means that we,
as people, in this world are quite intimately connected on a level that was not
possible in the past. It gives not only an opportunity for untold stories and
unseen people to come to light but for people to interact with each other
through global markets, telecommunication and migration. This gives us an
opportunity to realise that we are not so different, regardless of the race,
faith and culture. All these suggest that a conscious choice for peace, by
necessity, has to be a sustained call for changes, for the sake of all of us.
Despite wide connection among people, there is some
degree of indifference among people; “one serious disconnect” described by Kailash
Satyarthi. Peace
described by many is “understanding” and “compassion” between people; as Mother
Teresa once said “Peace begins with smile”. Choosing for peace may well start
with showing a little kindness, compassion and “smile”. And to achieve peace on
a global level, we need to “globalise compassion” – a concept Kailash
Satyarthi described in his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize,
transforming our ideas of compassion and understanding as a campaign against
sufferings of all.
While the margin
in which an individual can make a difference may be narrow, compared with what
has been achieved by organisations and institutions, the achievements of
these men and women stand to show that the individual's impact in striving for
peace and their influence on other people to take a part in ongoing struggles
to achieve peace.
It may go unnoticed but there are individuals who
strive for peace in their daily life. They can be your family, friends or
neighbours. Here are a few examples of how people around me and I make choices
for peace. My mother often tells me “peace comes within oneself”. Her
advice is that we should always try to make peace with ourselves before
embarking on a journey to make peace in the world. It can start with a
meditation and positive thinking.
My brother often
say that "life may seem cruel and callous from time to time but that does
not justify your actions to be so” and try to treat others fairly and equally. Similarly
my friends try to “think before act” and to “put themselves in other’s shoes”
so that they would not hurt others with their words and/or actions. In like
manner, I try not to make a quick judgment about others based on their first
impression, as their appearance does not equate with their value.
These actions
may seem small but they help you show others kindness and understanding; these
may be the start of your journey to make peace in the world.
This week, on 6th August is the 70th
Anniversary of Hiroshima’s atomic bombing. Hiroshima’s atomic bombing is
perhaps an evidence of our most destructive means to end conflict and it stands
to reason that many are horrified that this event is part of our history. Yet
it also leaves us with a lingering worry that given a situation we may choose
to go down this road again, perhaps even more disastrous than before. Let this
event remind us of horrors we can inflict upon each other and of our ability to
choose another path to end conflicts. Let us choose peace.
