Yesterday was the International Day of Peace.
Some 1,540 people met violent deaths.
That number is an estimate, of course. It is very difficult to put an accurate number on it. Some researchers put it as much as three times that high.
The point is, however you look at it, it is a big and ugly number. And that is during a period which, by most accounts, is the most “peaceful” in human history.
Around the world, the day was marked with the ringing of bells, the releasing of white doves and other symbolic acts. It was also marked with bombings, murders, air raids and military skirmishes.
In Yorkton, it was marked (last Sunday) by a Peace Walk. It was also marked by attempted murder, assault, drunk driving and undoubtedly countless private arguments and discontent.
At its most basic level, peace is freedom from disturbance. It is a foundational value of our religions. Churches, mosques, temples and synagogues across the planet are sanctuaries of quiet and tranquility.
It is a greeting, a wish, a dream. It is art’s muse.
But what does it really mean?
Peace as a concept is as elusive as it is desirable. Who among us does not covet a life free of conflict, stress and hardship, yet how many of us truly have one?
The Day of Peace was created by a resolution of the United Nations in 1981. The theme of the first observance of the day in 1982 was recognition of peace as a human right.
That’s all well and good, but how do we get there? This year’s theme, “The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace,” recognizes that at the core of human hostility is inequality.
This is not merely an aspirational pipe dream. The U.N. has developed a plan titled “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” It has 17 goals, 169 targets and a deadline of 2030 to which 193 countries have committed. The goals include ending poverty and hunger; providing universal education, clean water and affordable energy; achieving gender equality; closing the income gap; and improving access to justice.
Honestly, how can there be peace when bellies are empty, when opportunity is denied, when justice is relative and when a small percentage of people control all of the world’s considerable wealth.
We could take a cynical view. This is all easier said than done and, given the United Nations’ track record, targets, at least some of them, probably most, will likely not be met. That is not a reason for not trying, however. If we get halfway there, we still come out ahead.
There will always be some inequality, even just based on the variation in human needs and desires. Having a home may be one person’s prescription for peace. Another’s may be a private jet, although that even by objective standards is probably excessive. There are people right here in our own community for whom it is a square meal every day.
Providing for the basic needs of each individual person benefits all of society and raises up the least of our brothers.
Peace is perhaps the loftiest of human aspirations. Achieving it begins at home. Poverty, hunger, lack of education, gender inequality, under- and unemployment, racial discrimination, these are not just third world problems, they exist right here in Yorkton.
Perhaps solving the peace puzzle starts with a simple question: “What have I done today to enhance the peace prospects of others in my home, my community, my province, my country, my world?”
We can make progress.
Peace be with you.
