Dear Editor,
The International Day of Peace, sometimes unofficially known as World Peace Day, is observed annually on September 21. It is dedicated to world peace, and specifically to the absence of war and violence, such as might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access.
The day was first celebrated in 1982, and is kept by many nations, including political and military groups. In 2013, for the first time, the day was dedicated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to peace education, the key preventive means to reduce war sustainably.
To inaugurate the day, the United Nations Peace Bell is rung at UN headquarters in New York city. The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents except Africa, and was a gift from the United Nations Association of Japan, as “a reminder of the human cost of war.” The inscription on its side reads, “Long live absolute world peace”.
I believe that the pursuit of total and complete peace is indeed very ambitious. Ambitious because we live in a world where people’s varying beliefs and strong convictions give direction to their actions; actions that at times may bring about violence that ultimately threatens peace either in the home, community, country or among nations.
This quest for absolute peace, however, is one that citizens of the world must never abandon; such a desire is needed in our world.
It was Nelson Mandela who once said, “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Guyana, our beautiful country is very unique in many ways and its uniqueness is one I would like to categorise as a blessing.
We are a nation that is blessed with six different peoples of different beliefs, culture, customs and practices all blended together to form a people we call Guyanese.
It is our differences that make us an exceptional group of people in the Caribbean region, in South America and I dare say, the rest of the world. These differences should not divide us but rather unite us like different pieces of a puzzle coming together to form a beautiful picture of one people, in one nation with one destiny.
The quest to achieve this peace, which coincides with the theme for the International Day of Peace 2015 ‘Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All’ is one that requires the genuine involvement of all stakeholders in all sectors of Guyana.
For far too long we have allowed the political players of the land to hoodwink and bamboozle us as our colonial masters did, into believing that some of us are better than others.
It is this belief to which some of us fall victim, and which continues to divide us even today. Our political actors have read and learnt the script of our colonial masters so well, that it has now become their playbook, and they use it so skilfully that they have succeeded in causing division among Guyanese brothers, sisters and their children. How long will Guyanese allow themselves to fall prey to this divide and rule play? When will we realise we need each other to coexist in this society? When will we come to the realisation that for Guyana to reach its developmental apex, all Guyanese people have to play their part?
I am of the firm conviction that our NGOs as well as our religious, political, civic and business, sectors, and in particular our education sector, must take the lead in creating an environment of peace and social cohesion.
If Guyana is to become a safe and peaceful community where its citizens and businesses can thrive, then education in our nation must have a different approach. We must have, as President David Granger said, an “education nation”. Education as it is, must go beyond its primary role of teaching our children how to read, write and count. It must play a more pivotal role in building a culture of peace among all our citizens.
Education must inculcate mutual respect and tolerance for others in our communities, townships, regions and all Guyana, irrespective of our differences. It must be used as a tool to help create a more just, peaceful and inclusive society in which we as Guyanese can live. The education of peace must be the process of acquiring values and knowledge, and developing attitudes, skills and behaviours to live in harmony with oneself, with others and the natural environment.
Yours faithfully,
Jermaine Figueira,
MP
