The Need For A Culture of Peace

The Need For a Culture of Peace
The amount of armed conflict has increased greatly since the 1980s - first in Central Asia,
then in parts of the Middle East and West Africa. This has led to increased destruction of
historical places by terrorist groups and a huge increase in the trafficking of cultural
artefacts. With a much wider range of tools at its disposal, the international community has
firmly responded to the destruction making it possible to increase the protection of
humanity's cultural memory.
In 2017, the international community showed it's unity and its political determination to
protect cultural heritage- The UN Security Council formally acknowledged that the
preservation of cultural heritage is crucial to peace.
It took a long time for the seeds of the idea of wartime immunity for cultural property to
blossom into a landmark decision. This marks a new global awareness of the role culture
plays in ensuring peace.
If we consider the big picture of peace, when we hear things like this we might think “wow,
the world is such a great place, sure we have some wars going on, but we are already taking
care of that” when that’s really not the case at all. Peace isn’t just a worldwide concept.
Right now, we live in a culture of violence. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury
to women, more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. In 2013/14, there were
47,571 ‘racist incidents’ recorded by the police in England and Wales. On average, that is
about 130 incidents per day solely in England and Wales. And these are just two examples.
This needs to be turned around. We, the “average people”, tend to believe that we have no
control over this type of issues, because its not our lives, and there is nothing we can do
about it. However, there is a lot we can do with, and in our culture to improve our local
environments and communities.
Even though we sometimes don't realize how, we can have a significant impact on
preserving peace in our society. We do this by building cultures of peace. A culture of peace
is a set of values, attitudes, modes of behavior and ways of life that reject violence and
prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and
negotiation among individuals, groups, and nations.” Since its founding over 60 years ago,
UNESCO asserted that, “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that
the defenses of peace must be constructed.”
But the real question is how can we build a culture of peace? Building a Culture of Peace
rests on the belief that we must treat others as we wish to be treated. This ethical principle
applies at all levels of human endeavor – personal, family, community, and national. When
honored, dignity and stability follow. When violated, instability results. In the midst of the
current challenges of war, fear, racism, intolerance, and populist nationalism, today more
than ever it is necessary to promote a Culture of Peace that follows tolerance and respect
for diversity as a fundamental principle of coexistence among human beings and nations. A
Culture of Peace expresses unconditional respect for human life and human rights. Human
rights are the foundation upon which humanity can live in harmony. A Culture of Peace
includes being at peace with oneself, others and the natural world. The primary tool to
promote a Culture of Peace is Peace Education, which must be taught in families, all levels
of education, workplaces, and disseminated through the media, and encouraged at all levels
of society.
Martin Luther King, Jr said 'The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in
moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.'
Now is the time to change. Now is the time to act.
We all as human beings, and as a community, desperately need to implement a culture of
peace within our cultures and ourselves if we want to move forward. There is no greater gift
we can give our nations and communities than peace. Our children and generations to come
deserve this gift, so let’s make the Culture of Peace our legacy.

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