Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”- St. John 14:27. We live in world where conflicts, war and strife are ever present. We have all seen the images on television and social media in many parts of the world such as the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan where peace is just an illusion. However, one does not need to look to faraway places to see the results of conflicts, in our own backyard we have the statistics as listed below which indicate how violent we are and have become over the years. Jamaica's snail's pace justice system also contributes to a culture of jungle system and reprissal killings as victims of crime and violence seek justice outside of the formal system. Alarmingly, for a country of under 3 million people Jamaica has over 370 gangs, of which 262 are active. This statistics was revealed by a senior law enforcement official recently in a radio interview. In 2017 Jamaica recorded 1,647 murders. Are we at war? We are not fighting an invasion; we are at war with ourselves. 2012 1,102 2013 1,202 2014 1,005 2015 1,208 2016 1,354 2017 1,647 2018 1,287 2019 1,339 2020 1,323 Source: Jamaica Constabulary Force The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire. Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire. The United Nations states as the world heals from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are inspired to think creatively and collectively about how to help everyone recover better, how to build resilience, and how to transform our world into one that is more equal, more just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and healthier. The United Nations added that the pandemic is known for impacting the underprivileged and marginalized groups the hardest. By April 2021, over 687 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered globally, but over 100 countries have not received a single dose. People caught in conflict are especially vulnerable in terms of lack of access to healthcare. In line with the Secretary-General’s appeal for a global ceasefire last March, in February 2021 the Security Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for Member States to support a “sustained humanitarian pause” to local conflicts. The global ceasefire must continue to be honoured, to ensure people caught in conflict have access to lifesaving vaccinations and treatments. The pandemic has been accompanied by a surge in stigma, discrimination, and hatred, which only cost more lives instead of saving them: the virus attacks all without caring about where we are from or what we believe in. Confronting this common enemy of humankind, we must be reminded that we are not each other’s enemy. To be able to recover from the devastation of the pandemic, we must make peace with one another. And we must make peace with nature. Despite the travel restrictions and economic shutdowns, climate change and global warming are not on pause. The United Nations declares what is needed is a green and sustainable global economy that produces jobs, reduces emissions, and builds resilience to climate impacts. The 2021 theme for the International Day of Peace is “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world”. The United Nations turns the focus on recovering better for a more equitable and peaceful world. The international community is urged to celebrate peace by standing up against acts of hate online and offline, and by spreading compassion, kindness, and hope in the face of the pandemic as we recover. The principles of Conflict Resolution should be compulsory in all schools beginning at the primary level. In fact the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) should be revisited with the aim of infusing Conflict Resolution in the curriculum. The path to peace is not that challenging. However, the hearts of mankind is woefully wicked and spiteful. On the other hand, if we all implemented a principle of treating each other how we would like to be treated then many of the conflicts we currently have would be a thing of the past. In the words of Albert Einstein, peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo ©