¡®An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind¡¯, this is a quote taken from Mahatma Gandhi. It¡¯s cryptic to think how a ten word sentence can bear so much meaning¡
A few nights ago, I was roaming the streets of my neighborhood. In the last phase of my walk, a seething obstinate groan crept in my ear, despite having earphones on. For a long moment, I was trying to detect what it was, and then it occurred to me that some people might have gotten into a fight. A man claims that the taxi driver almost drove into him that might have caused a major accident. As contrary the taxi driver says that the lights didn¡¯t turn red and it was his turn to drive. Rethinking what happened that night, I was tossing conclusions to what could have happened. If the taxi driver stayed in his car while the man criticized, the situation would have passed quickly or vice versa. Teenagers are much stimulated as well. For example, in many corners of the world, in mostly all countries, cities or districts there are different kinds of ¡®gang fights¡¯. The reasons to these episodes could be funny, sad, incomprehensible or futile. But underneath all these different and destructive actions or thoughts towards each other, lies a realm of uproar and turmoil.
This century provides us all kinds of beneficial and appealing opportunities that are within our reach. We are leading better lives as modern technology and science develops. We, as human being have in many ways advanced the society we live in. We have built resolute infrastructures that will span many centuries, invented cures for world aching epidemics, enhanced businesses and management, produced art and most importantly, provided the base for a healthy and sustainable environment. We all have the power to change the world; we can make the world a better place to live in. But at the same time, we should not limit ourselves from the achievements that are already made. Much still needs to be achieved and sought after. Countries whose people are in the midst of poverty, hunger or social/political unrest will need aid from the international community, pressing environmental problems like pollution, the recent increase of oil prices, and global warming will require useful and conventional resolutions. And from all these disturbing issues the world is facing today, it will just perhaps entail something from us that might be the most convenient and fastest solution to our problems --- Building a Culture of Peace.
The United Nations designated the final year of the last century as the ¡°International Year of the Culture of Peace¡± and the first year of the twenty-first century as the ¡°Year of Dialogue among Civilizations¡± and ¡°The International Decade for Non-violence for the children of the world.¡± As defined by the United Nations, the Culture of Peace is a set of values, attitudes, modes of behavior and ways of lives that rejects violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals, groups and nations. As Secretary-General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace laureate Kofi Annan has said, ¡°Over the years we have come to realize that it is not enough to send peacekeeping forces to separate warring parties. It is not enough to engage in peace-building efforts after societies have been ravaged by conflict. It is not enough to conduct preventive diplomacy. All of this is essential work, but we want enduring results. We need, in short, a culture of peace.¡± ¡°The road towards achieving a culture of peace will be difficult, but never defeated¡± was the words said by SGI President Daisaku Ikeda. If we, the people of the world can abide by this principle of ceasing all hatred and violence towards each other, instead inject more understanding and tolerance then that is when all the poverty, war, hunger and instability will disappear from the world forever. This is when every men and women can realize their full potential and live the life they dreamed of.
On 13th September 1999, the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution A/53/243 Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. It was decided that in order for peace to prevail we will need to:
1. Foster a culture of peace through education: by revising the educational curricula to promote qualitative values, attitudes and behaviors of a culture of peace, including peaceful conflict-resolution, dialogue, consensus-building and active non-violence. Such an educational approach should be geared also to:
2. Promote sustainable economic and social development: by reducing economic and social inequalities, by eradicating poverty and by assuring sustainable food security , social justice, durable solutions to debt problems, empowerment of women, special measures for groups with special needs, environmental sustainability.
3. Promote respect for all human rights: human rights and a culture of peace are complementary: whenever war and violence dominate, there is no possibility to ensure human rights; at the same time, without human rights, in all their dimensions, there can be no culture of peace.
4. Ensure equality between women and men: through full participation of women in economic, social and political decision-making, elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women, support and assistance to women in need.
5. Foster democratic participation: indispensable foundations for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security are democratic principles, practices and participation in all sectors of society, a transparent and accountable governance and administration, the combat against terrorism, organized crime, corruption, illicit drugs and money laundering.
6. Advance understanding, tolerance and solidarity: to abolish war and violent conflicts we need to transcend and overcome enemy images with understanding, tolerance and solidarity among all peoples and cultures. Learning from our differences, through dialogue and the exchange of information, is an enriching process.
7. Support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge: freedom of information and communication and the sharing of information and knowledge are indispensable for a culture of peace. However, measures need to be taken to address the issue of violence in the media, including new information and communication technologies.
8. Promote international peace and security: the gains in human security and disarmament in recent years, including nuclear weapons treaties and the treaty banning land mines, should encourage us to increase our efforts in negotiation of peaceful settlements, elimination of production and traffic of arms and weapons, humanitarian solutions in conflict situations, post-conflict initiatives.
If all governments, the media, businesses, institutions, schools, communities, neighborhoods and people can follow these basic principles and actions, then building a culture of peace will be effortless and effective. Remember, nothing is impossible for those who are willing to aim and believe.
As youth living in this century, we play a vital role in building a culture of peace. After all, we are the future of the planet. Now is the time to reverse the compulsive routines of inflicting pain on each other and transform it into something more mature. We need to put an end to bullying, getting into fights, arguments and creating disorder in our communities. We need to start accepting other¡¯s behaviors, looks, and beliefs. If these destructive forces should prevail longer, the road to peace will be a highly staggering one. We need to start thinking about the future, about others more than ourselves. Before we take action, we need to understand that peace can only be realized when there is inner peace in you and me. This quote by Eckhart Tolle captures the essence of inner peace "When your sense of self is no longer tied to thought, is no longer conceptual, there is a depth of feeling, of sensing, of compassion, of loving, that was not there when you were trapped in mental concepts. You are that depth." At first glance this might sound sporadic, but soon it will become transparent. The next time your anger or violence is about to take you over, try to stop it, focus your attention on it and don¡¯t let your mind take over, instead accept everything it holds. When you focus on that feeling, it will slowly diminish, and you might laugh at the fact that you were angry in the first place. We need to put our minds at peace. Communities and its leaders should hold educational conferences and forums for youth in all fields and places to discuss ways to promote a culture of peace. Apart from the usual courses, schools should also take some time out and talk about the importance of creating peace and harmony in the place we live in. Individually, we can try taking five to ten minutes out each day to put ourselves in a peaceful mood. Until we have reached our own utopia or inner peace, we can transform it to others, and invite them to join our consciousness. Slowly if all of us have reached a level of consciousness or peace, the world will be an easier place to live in.
With all the effort put into building a culture of peace, the world will one day leap out of its unconscious state and create a place where violence and unrest will be rejected and dialogue and understanding will reign. So the next time you catch yourself ready to inflict any forms of pain on your co-worker or friend, stop, and ask yourself: ¡®Is this necessary?¡¯¡
Until that day when we can all reach our dreams and fullest potential from creating a culture peace and non-violence, we will need to teach ourselves and the world to allow love, harmony, and tolerance to take over.
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