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What Can We Do to Make a Peaceful World

We live in turbulent times, and sometimes it feels like peace is a distant concept that will only occur when we are no longer around to experience it. But when you look at the big picture, it becomes clear that peace has been achieved in the past and can be achieved again. To work toward peace, we (alone) have more power than we would like to believe.

We All Have a Responsibility When It Comes to Creating a Better World

A peace process takes a lot of time. And the process starts when you look at your own behavior, the way you treat others, the way you talk to everyone in your country and outside your country.

It’s very easy to blame others for what happened in our lives.

We always say that other people did this or that, but we are never responsible for what happens to ourselves. And if we can change our attitude towards our lives, I think a lot of things will change.

Every leader who starts a war or makes peace did not start as a leader, but was influenced by others, sometimes by ordinary people like you, who had ideas and shared those ideas with their friends, families, and colleagues.

By influencing others around you, you can change the way people think about war and how they can help keep the peace. You do not have to be famous or rich to influence others; all you need is an idea and a strong desire to share it with those around you.

How We Can Make the World More Peaceful

Peace Education Is the Foundation of Progress

Peace education enables people to make informed choices and determine their own path in life.

Positive peace education empowers people to know their rights and lead healthy, productive lives, and contributes to the peace process for a more peaceful society.

The world today faces many interconnected crises that require a more holistic approach to address. The United Nations is seeking a better understanding of how these problems are interrelated and how they can be addressed together to enable better conflict prevention.

Sustainable development includes economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. Not only they are essential to our future if we focus on one area at the expense of the others, but progress also suffers.

Education is an important factor, and there are many ways to learn about peacebuilding and inequality:

  • Celebrating world days (e.g., World Peace Day)
  • Reading more about Nobel Peace Prize winners (e.g., Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, etc.), following the latest news about the United Nations General Assembly and UN Security Council, learning about human history (e.g., World War II)
  • Learning about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

With the Internet, you can learn about any country, such as the North/South Sudan armed conflict and in the Middle East as well as civil war in fragile states in the world. You can also find out about gender equality in North America (United States).

Inclusive education systems are not only important for sustainable development per se but also enable progress in other areas like gender equality or agriculture.

Better educated farmers, for example, mean higher agricultural productivity and help reduce hunger and malnutrition. Better-educated women have healthier children because they can make informed decisions about health and nutrition. An educated workforce is a driver of economic growth.

Education also protects against discrimination, helps build peace and democracy, and improves community resilience to disasters and climate change.

We can also educate ourselves about the conditions that cause suffering and use our knowledge to help those who suffer.

We can also educate ourselves about the causes of violence and civil war, the value of nonviolence, and respect for humanity. At the same time, we can also educate others about these issues.

Support Peace Initiatives

We can support peace initiatives around the world by donating to organizations that work on violent conflict areas, such as Peace Brigades International, or by volunteering for peacebuilding, justice, or human rights initiatives.

We can promote peace in:

  • In our Communities By working to eradicate poverty and for justice so that everyone is treated fairly. We can also encourage others to do these things, and we can support others who do them.
  • In our homes, by treating everyone with respect and kindness, even when they are angry or upset.
  • In our schools, by creating a community of caring and sharing where it is safe to speak our minds without fear of ridicule or criticism.
  • In the workplace by creating a positive, supportive atmosphere where people feel safe to express their opinions without fear of ridicule or criticism.
  • On the Internet by joining creative communities. If you’re have skills or are a creative person, you can join communities like World Citizen Artists and support creative projects with your skills, creativity, or network.

Peace begins with us as individuals; it begins with each of us making small changes in our lives that lead to larger changes in our communities and in our world.

Stand for Social Justice

Mahatma Gandhi believed that peace can only be achieved through social justice. He said that if you want to change the world, you must first begin by changing yourself.

In a world where everyone is so focused on themselves, it’s easy to forget to help others and think about the problems of others.

People rarely stand up for what they believe in because they fear being judged or not accepted by society. But that can all change if we open our hearts and stand up for what we believe in and fight for social justice. Even if we don’t achieve global peace, there will be more love and tolerance in the world.

Advocating for Human Rights

Human rights are the fundamental freedoms and protections that each and every one of us is entitled to.

Each human right is based on important principles such as dignity, fairness, equality, respect and independence.

These principles are set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document adopted by the United Nations in 1948 to protect the rights of people around the world.

How can advocating for human rights contribute to global peace? Without human rights, people cannot live in freedom. When basic freedoms and protections are guaranteed, people don’t have to fear for their safety and well-being. They can live free from fear and discrimination and participate fully in society. This leads to a more peaceful society for all.

Promoting Equality

Equality is a condition in which all people within a given society or isolated group have equal status in certain respects, including civil rights, freedom of speech, property rights, and equal access to certain social goods and services. In the political sense, equality encompasses the concept of equal political representation for all citizens without regard to gender (gender equality), race, or other physical or social characteristics.

Humanity has made countless attempts at peacebuilding over the years, and it seems no matter how hard we try, something always gets in the way. When people differ in race or ethnicity, racism stands in their way. If people are controlled by an oppressive government, then totalitarianism will stand in the way. If people are financially unequal, greed will stand in the way. It seems that these problems are so deeply rooted in humanity itself that we cannot just shake them off with a wave of the hand and move on to a more peaceful time without first tackling them head-on.

However, if I had to choose one problem to address in order to create peace, I would name financial inequality first and foremost, because it affects every other problem while bringing its own problems.

Community Service

Volunteering may not be the main key to peace, but it certainly contributes. Especially in a world where people know that peace does not pay. If everyone did a little unpaid work to help others overcome challenges, it would make a big difference.

Peace can never really be achieved if people are constantly trying to compete with each other to see who has more money or is more popular. Some people do not have enough money to buy food, water, and clothing, and they do not have a home to live in either. This is where volunteering comes in: By taking time to help a human being, you can brighten their day, week, or even year.

There are so many great examples of people who have worked hard to help others and make the world a better place. Mother Teresa is one of them.

Be a World Citizen

In most countries around the world, the right to vote is reserved for those born in a country where they can vote.

If you live in a country where you can vote, it is a great and perhaps only privilege to have a voice. It’s even possible that your vote can make all the difference. In many countries, voting has increasingly become a duty and a responsibility.

Whether or not your vote influences a national election, it still has value. Your vote sends a message about how you feel about what is happening in your country and whether or not you support the status quo.

Even if your party loses in the election, it does not mean you are powerless. After all, you have retained the freedom to vote.

Show Kindness and Compassion

Kindness is a virtue. Kindness is a habit. Kindness is a way of life. And kindness is the key that unlocks all the doors in this world and opens the gates to eternity and heaven itself.

Kindness and compassion are two great pillars on which we can build our lives, our society, and our world. Kindness is not one of the virtues that we can easily do without or neglect. It is an essential quality for building a just, peaceful, and happy world.

In our time of global conflict, the idea that kindness can be the strongest force for good seems almost quaint. But it’s true – kindness is contagious, it makes us happier, and being happy can improve our health. And people who are kind to themselves tend to have more self-compassion, less depressed, and more helpful to others in need.

The Dalai Lama once said, “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness. That is my simple religion. There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; philosophy is kindness.

If all the world leaders had to grade kindness above all else at the college, perhaps we would live in a more peaceful world.

Practice Inner Peace

Most of us do not want to be involved in a war, because we know very well that violence is destructive, spiritually and physically.

When all nations are at peace, there will be no more wars, and we will be able to enjoy a world full of happiness. Therefore, the first step to world peace is a peaceful heart. If you are at peace with yourself, you will never feel hatred or aggression toward others.

If you have a peaceful heart and mind, you will find it easier to love others. When you love others and feel them as part of your life, a violent conflict between people becomes less likely. You will realize that they are also a part of your life, so there is no need to fight or be angry with each other.

Having a peaceful attitude can help resolve conflicts between nations or countries because if there is a conflict between two countries, the leaders of the countries should sit down and talk about what their differences are and how they can resolve those differences peacefully without going to war. But if the leaders are not at peace with themselves, then it becomes difficult for them to solve their problems without fighting, and so war breaks out.

Celebrate International Day of Peace

International Day of Peace was first observed in 1982 and has been celebrated annually by the United Nations ever since. The purpose of International Peace Day is to encourage all people to engage in at least one activity that promotes world peace.

In addition to celebrating World Peace Day, this is also a day to gain global positive peace education. This means learning about peacebuilding, nonviolence, civil war, armed conflict prevention, and conflict resolution.

Peace education also includes learning about the history of nonviolent movements, such as Gandhi’s Salt March and the civil rights movement of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who received a Nobel Peace Prize.

Making the World More Peaceful Starts With Each Individual

If we all make changes in our own lives to live more peacefully, the world will become a more peaceful place as a result. So what can we do as individuals to make the world more peaceful?

We can start small by changing our own behavior to promote positive peace. We can increase our tolerance of others and think about how our actions affect others.

We can strive to be kinder and more compassionate to others in small ways. We can smile at people on the street, hold the door open for someone, or help an elderly person across the street. These small acts of kindness may seem insignificant, but they send the message that we are not only kind and compassionate but that we value these qualities in others.

The golden rule is to practice tolerance of others by listening to those who have a different opinion than ours. It is easy to exclude or reject people who have different beliefs because they might offend or anger us.

This is important because, without tolerance and respect, it is impossible to come together on important issues like war and poverty that affect all people regardless of their background or beliefs.

It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.

Nelson Mandela

Resources

Global Peace Index

The foundation for lasting peace

United Nations General Assembly

UN Security Council