Peace is never made; Peace is always in the making. Peace is an ongoing process that reflects aspiration for a new way of life; it is about creativity and originality that brings to public expression the yearnings and hope that have been denied and suppressed for so long. Peace refers to a vision that recognizes that there can be no peace without human dignity. In essence, it means there is no road that leads to peace; Peace itself is the road.
Peace emerges only when all forms of injustices that destroy human dignity are removed and when people have regained their humanity and ownership to be self-determining entities. Peace therefore demands addressing all forms of injustices through fairness and righteous means and necessitates the transformation of all unjust systems to ensure that they are not committed again. Peace is not a single vision; it is a way of life that involves a complex process in which many elements are converging to form a new vision that is united in action. Peace challenges the powers that be by moving from resistance to transformation.
Peace is about empowering people where they learn to live together despite their differences by owning them and accepting the tensions that are naturally inherent in every society. Peace is about how a society deals with the challenges they face. Peace is a way of life. Peace is the critical imagination that evolves from a consciousness of self-realization. Peace is in response to the imperative need to inculcate a definite spirit of independence and an awareness of ourselves with the potential strength to manifest ourselves in many diverse ways.
Peace effectively liberates our imprisoned minds. Peace empowers us to fully grasp the notion of who we are and that we are ready to assume the responsibilities that emerge out of this realization. Peace reminds us that it is perhaps fitting to start by examining why it is necessary for us to think collectively about a problem we never created and whether our position is a deliberate creation of God or an artificial fabrication of the truth by power hungry people whose motive is authority, security, wealth and comfort.
Peace is possible, when we are committed to listening and reasoning together with clarity and foresight. Through honest dialogue we can explore together new and respectful approaches to address conflicting interests in more creative, imaginative and peaceful ways. Peace becomes meaningful when we are able to overcome the core issues of conflict, and not by avoiding them. By transforming injustice to justice, peace is possible.
