Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Peace Comes Via Harmonious Co-Existence!

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Peace Comes Via Harmonious Co-Existence!

Since antiquity man has strived for political, economical and cultural dominance over his fellow man. On emergence of nations states, rivalries transformed into hostility, disputes into conflicts resulting into devastative wars, eliminating several human generations. World War I proved to be the deadliest conflicts, with over 37 million military and civilian casualties. There were over 16 million deaths and 20 million wounded.

Equally, World War II was another deadliest military exercise in human history with multiplied causalities, over 60 million, which was over 2.5% of the world population.  Civilians killed totaled from 40 to 52 million, including 13 to 20 million from war-related disease and famine. The total military dead ranged from 22 to 25 million, including deaths in captivity of about 5 million prisoners of war. To halt conflicts and wars between countries and to provide a platform for dialogue and persistent peace, UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations.

Peace is a term that most commonly refers to an absence of aggression, violence or hostility. In the world, a country or a society, peace begins to dwell where differences are celebrated than being contradicted to the point of no-return. Peace is based on politics, culture, education, family values, experience, & history but the basis is the same to co-exist without dispute, bloodshed, and undermining fellow beings. Imagine world devoid of peace; the whole human race will be destroyed, as modern war involves atom bomb, hydrogen bomb, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction. So, war should always be avoided for world peace.

Currently world’s peace and harmony face various threats. Terrorism, extremism, regional imbalance, economic disparity, and social inequality are some of the factors threatening enduring peace. Peace is the mother of all human progress. Exclusive of peace a nation cannot propel towards an eminent material accomplishment. So peace is ever desirable. Every leader in the world must aim to find a lasting solution to the problems that beset our planet. The enormous significance of long-lasting peace can only be materialized and publicized with its gigantic celebrations and propagations. The “International Day of Peace”, sometimes unofficially known as “World Peace Day”, is observed annually on September 21. It is dedicated to peace, and specifically the absence of war and violence. The day was first celebrated in 1982, and is kept by many nations, political groups, military groups, and peoples. The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All” which aims to highlight the importance of all segments of society to work together to strive for peace.

The root causes of many conflicts are directly related to or fuelled by valuable natural resources, such as diamonds, gold, oil, timber or water. Addressing the ownership, control and management of natural resources is crucial to maintaining security and restoring the economy in post-conflict countries. Good natural resource management can play a central role in building sustainable peace in post-conflict societies.

The International Day of Peace offers people globally a shared date to think about how, individually, they can contribute to ensuring that natural resources are managed in a sustainable manner, thus reducing  potential for disputes, and paving the road to a sustainable future. Imagining durable peace in Afghanistan became a dilemma, facing almost continuous war for more than 30 years, first against the Soviet Union, then a civil war, and, at present, the Al-Qaida led insurgency against the United States and its allies, all of which have contributed to its status as one of the world’s least developed nations. Security conditions in Afghanistan today remain a serious concern and could worsen as foreign troops depart. Afghans have watched civilian casualties steadily increase in recent years, and insurgent groups control many parts of the country. The United States has tried to encourage peace negotiations but is also operating on the assumption that the war will continue. Without the political conditions for peace in Afghanistan, economic development will be highly depressed. Most wars end through negotiated peace agreements rather than military victory. A peace accord would bring security and stability to the Afghan people, provided the insurgents agree on complete disarmament, pledging to abide by the constitution of Afghanistan and cordially admitting to the supremacy of law. Research shows that peace processes are most successful when they are comprehensive and inclusive, with strong international backing. The chance of success also improves when agreements are monitored and policed by all stake holders, oppositions, civil society and media personnel taken on board. This will require continued international involvement and support for Afghanistan, but with a greater focus on peacemaking instead of war-fighting. Politically stating, lessening national and international conflicts by persuasion, conciliation and arbitration, guarantees world peace to a greater degree. We have to be agents of change and ambassadors of good will. We should learn to live with our neighbors peacefully and do business with each other fairly and honestly.

History documents, the degree of repression accelerated where cowardice apathy prevailed indefinitely. Repression subsided not, continued instead wrenching the elements of peace, tranquility and concord, unless reciprocated iron handed. The reassurance of peaceful coexistence accredits the lengthened subsistence and stability of the state, the incumbent government of Afghanistan is blind to read, the ineffaceable lines of history. A state renders invincible, only when elements of peace and security draws substantial importance –maintenance of law and order secure top priority. Nevertheless, the government stuck to indifference on endless discriminate bloodletting intimate otherwise. When we start with doing well to other people, we can inspire others to do the same. If we expect peace be omnipresent, we have to convert the dream of peaceful coexistence, into reality.

 

Asmat Yari is the permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan and educationalist, social and human rights activist. He can be reached at asmatyari@gmail.com

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