essay of peace

Essay on Peace

500 words essay peace.

Peace is the path we take for bringing growth and prosperity to society. If we do not have peace and harmony, achieving political strength, economic stability and cultural growth will be impossible. Moreover, before we transmit the notion of peace to others, it is vital for us to possess peace within. It is not a certain individual’s responsibility to maintain peace but everyone’s duty. Thus, an essay on peace will throw some light on the same topic.

Importance of Peace

History has been proof of the thousands of war which have taken place in all periods at different levels between nations. Thus, we learned that peace played an important role in ending these wars or even preventing some of them.

In fact, if you take a look at all religious scriptures and ceremonies, you will realize that all of them teach peace. They mostly advocate eliminating war and maintaining harmony. In other words, all of them hold out a sacred commitment to peace.

It is after the thousands of destructive wars that humans realized the importance of peace. Earth needs peace in order to survive. This applies to every angle including wars, pollution , natural disasters and more.

When peace and harmony are maintained, things will continue to run smoothly without any delay. Moreover, it can be a saviour for many who do not wish to engage in any disrupting activities or more.

In other words, while war destroys and disrupts, peace builds and strengthens as well as restores. Moreover, peace is personal which helps us achieve security and tranquillity and avoid anxiety and chaos to make our lives better.

How to Maintain Peace

There are many ways in which we can maintain peace at different levels. To begin with humankind, it is essential to maintain equality, security and justice to maintain the political order of any nation.

Further, we must promote the advancement of technology and science which will ultimately benefit all of humankind and maintain the welfare of people. In addition, introducing a global economic system will help eliminate divergence, mistrust and regional imbalance.

It is also essential to encourage ethics that promote ecological prosperity and incorporate solutions to resolve the environmental crisis. This will in turn share success and fulfil the responsibility of individuals to end historical prejudices.

Similarly, we must also adopt a mental and spiritual ideology that embodies a helpful attitude to spread harmony. We must also recognize diversity and integration for expressing emotion to enhance our friendship with everyone from different cultures.

Finally, it must be everyone’s noble mission to promote peace by expressing its contribution to the long-lasting well-being factor of everyone’s lives. Thus, we must all try our level best to maintain peace and harmony.

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Conclusion of the Essay on Peace

To sum it up, peace is essential to control the evils which damage our society. It is obvious that we will keep facing crises on many levels but we can manage them better with the help of peace. Moreover, peace is vital for humankind to survive and strive for a better future.

FAQ of Essay on Peace

Question 1: What is the importance of peace?

Answer 1: Peace is the way that helps us prevent inequity and violence. It is no less than a golden ticket to enter a new and bright future for mankind. Moreover, everyone plays an essential role in this so that everybody can get a more equal and peaceful world.

Question 2: What exactly is peace?

Answer 2: Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in which there is no hostility and violence. In social terms, we use it commonly to refer to a lack of conflict, such as war. Thus, it is freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups.

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December 2, 2021

Peace Is More Than War’s Absence, and New Research Explains How to Build It

A new project measures ways to promote positive social relations among groups

By Peter T. Coleman , Allegra Chen-Carrel & Vincent Hans Michael Stueber

PeopleImages/Getty Images

Today, the misery of war is all too striking in places such as Syria, Yemen, Tigray, Myanmar and Ukraine. It can come as a surprise to learn that there are scores of sustainably peaceful societies around the world, ranging from indigenous people in the Xingu River Basin in Brazil to countries in the European Union. Learning from these societies, and identifying key drivers of harmony, is a vital process that can help promote world peace.

Unfortunately, our current ability to find these peaceful mechanisms is woefully inadequate. The Global Peace Index (GPI) and its complement the Positive Peace Index (PPI) rank 163 nations annually and are currently the leading measures of peacefulness. The GPI, launched in 2007 by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), was designed to measure negative peace , or the absence of violence, destructive conflict, and war. But peace is more than not fighting. The PPI, launched in 2009, was supposed to recognize this and track positive peace , or the promotion of peacefulness through positive interactions like civility, cooperation and care.

Yet the PPI still has many serious drawbacks. To begin with, it continues to emphasize negative peace, despite its name. The components of the PPI were selected and are weighted based on existing national indicators that showed the “strongest correlation with the GPI,” suggesting they are in effect mostly an extension of the GPI. For example, the PPI currently includes measures of factors such as group grievances, dissemination of false information, hostility to foreigners, and bribes.

Peace: Definition and Philosophic Meaning Essay

Peace is the absence of agitation or any form of disturbances leading to a state of serenity within an environment or in a person. The calmness and serenity that lead to an individual sense of peace are known as inner peace. To a nation, it is the normal state of harmony without incidence of hostility, violent crimes, or conflicts.

Inner peace is achieved when there is no conflict within the three most important aspects of a person, that is the body, mind, and soul. The feeling of inner peace does not depend on any external forces, the place we are in, the time, the current situation, the environment surrounding us, or the attitude of the people we are associating with at a particular moment. One can experience inner peace amid a hostile environment brought about by the negative attitude of people, war, and/or sickness. A person who has inner peace experiences justice, inner life balance, restfulness, resolution, freedom, harmony, and contentment. This inner peace should be strong enough to overcome anything that opposes it.

Peace is the cornerstone element that makes all other elements exist. Without peace in an area, a Nation, or the world, no development can take place. Political, economical, and cultural developments only take place when there is peace. On the other hand, development brings about peace. A good example is a scenario in poor countries in the world. Without economical, cultural, and political development, these nations are characterized by war and unending conflict. Modernization, economic funding, and political support from developed nations bring about peace in these nations. When there is proper health care, good governance, improved infrastructure, and the rule of law, the peace of a nation is realized. In turn, this national peace promotes inner personal peace.

The concept of peace

Peace is not an end to itself, but a way to peace. This concept has been used by many political activists in their quest to demand justice from the governing authority. There can never be peace in a person or Nation, without justice. Just as Martin Luther observed when he led the civil rights movement back in the 1960s, “true peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice” To promote world peace, various organizations across the globe have been established. The United Nations Peace Keeping Mission is mandated in peace promotion in nations where there is internal conflict. The Nobel Peace Prize was established to award individuals who promote and help achieve peace through ethical leadership.

Peace is the absence of conflict or violence, within a person or environment. Peace contributes to the development and is also achieved by development. Peace is not an end to itself but a way to achieving it. When justice is done, peace is achieved, in essence, peace exists everywhere, it is only because of limitations put by human beings that peace is not felt and realized. Inner and outer peace can be realized and expanded in everything that we do, as we learn to change our way of thinking.

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IvyPanda. (2021, October 5). Peace: Definition and Philosophic Meaning. https://ivypanda.com/essays/peace-definition-and-philosophic-meaning/

"Peace: Definition and Philosophic Meaning." IvyPanda , 5 Oct. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/peace-definition-and-philosophic-meaning/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Peace: Definition and Philosophic Meaning'. 5 October.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Peace: Definition and Philosophic Meaning." October 5, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/peace-definition-and-philosophic-meaning/.

1. IvyPanda . "Peace: Definition and Philosophic Meaning." October 5, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/peace-definition-and-philosophic-meaning/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Peace: Definition and Philosophic Meaning." October 5, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/peace-definition-and-philosophic-meaning/.

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2 Peace in history

• Published: November 2014
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‘Peace in history’ considers the significance of violence for contemporary international relations by looking at different forms and key dimensions of peace in history. A common historical belief is that humanity is unable to fulfil its potential without peace. As well as there being a ‘will to power’ there is also a ‘will to peace’. There will always be a need for conflict and a need for peace. The historic evolution of peace has moved from a negative and narrow version to a positive and broad notion of peace. It has evolved as an aspiration and a fact, emerging from alliances, social movements, and institutions as well as political, social, and economic philosophical thinking.

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100, 150, 200, 250, & 300 Word Paragraph & Essay About Peace

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A Paragraph about Peace in 100 Word

Peace is a beautiful state of calm and harmony in the world. It is when there is no fighting, no arguments, and no wars. In a peaceful world, people treat each other with kindness and respect. There are no bullies, and everyone is safe and free to be themselves. In a peaceful world, animals roam freely, without fear of being hunted or harmed. Nature flourishes, with clear blue skies and clean rivers. When there is peace, children can play and go to school without worrying about violence. People work together to solve problems and make the world a better place. Peace is a precious treasure that we should all strive for.

A Paragraph about Peace in 150 Word

Peace is a beautiful thing that brings happiness and harmony to our lives. It is like a calm river flowing peacefully, where there is no hate or violence. Imagine a world where people respect and accept one another, a world where conflicts are resolved peacefully. This is the world we all crave. Peace can be found in small acts of kindness, like sharing a smile or helping someone in need. It can also be achieved through understanding and forgiveness. When we learn to listen to others without judgment, we promote peace. Peace can be found in nature too, where birds chirp, rivers gurgle, and flowers bloom without any disputes. We can find peace within ourselves by practicing mindfulness, being grateful, and letting go of anger and resentment. By promoting peace in our own lives and communities, we contribute to a more peaceful world. Let us all strive to make peace our constant companion and spread its joy to everyone we meet.

A Paragraph about Peace in 200 Word

Peace is a wonderful feeling that everyone wishes for. It is when there is no fighting or violence, only happiness and calmness. In a peaceful world, people are kind to each other and help one another. They solve their problems by talking and listening, without hurting others. Peace allows us to live in harmony with everyone, no matter where they are from or what they believe in.

When we have peace, we can play and learn without fear. We can walk outside with a smile on our faces, knowing that we are safe. Peace helps us to focus on important things like education and friendships. We can express ourselves through art, music, and sports without any worries.

Peace also brings together people from different cultures and backgrounds. It helps us to appreciate our differences and learn from each other. In a peaceful world, we can celebrate our traditions and share our stories without judgment.

In conclusion, peace is a beautiful thing that we should always strive for. It makes our lives better and the world a happier place. Let’s work together to create peace and spread love and understanding everywhere we go.

A Paragraph about Peace in 250 Word

Peace is a beautiful and serene feeling that brings harmony and happiness to our lives. It is like a gentle breeze flowing through the air, calming our souls and filling our environment with tranquility. When there is peace, people work together, respecting and understanding one another. There are no conflicts, fights, or wars. Instead, there is cooperation, empathy, and love.

In a world filled with peace, children can play freely in the parks, laughing and sharing their joys without fear. They can grow and learn in safe and nurturing environments, surrounded by the support of their families and communities. Adults can pursue their dreams and ambitions, knowing that they are free to express themselves without facing discrimination or violence.

Peace is not just the absence of war, but also the presence of justice and equality. It means that everyone, regardless of their race, religion, or gender, has the same opportunities and rights. People are treated with fairness and kindness, knowing that their opinions and beliefs are respected.

In conclusion, peace is a state of harmony and calmness that brings people together and creates a better world for everyone. It is a precious gift that we must strive to achieve and preserve. Let us all work towards building a world where peace reigns and where every person can live their lives to the fullest, free from fear and hatred. Let us work for a future in which war and conflict are a thing of the past. Together, we can create a world of love and understanding. Let us strive for a world in which everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

A Paragraph about Peace in 300 Word

Peace is a beautiful word that brings warmth and happiness to our hearts. It is a feeling of calm and serenity that fills the air. In a world that can sometimes be chaotic, peace is like a little oasis where everything is harmonious. Imagine a world without wars, without arguments, without conflicts. That is what peace brings to our lives.

Peace means living in harmony with others and treating one another with love and respect. It means finding solutions to problems through peaceful and non-violent means. In a peaceful world, people can communicate and understand each other without resorting to violence. It is about listening to each other’s opinions and finding common ground.

In a peaceful world, we can go to sleep at night knowing that we are safe and secure. We don’t have to worry about our homes being destroyed or our loved ones getting hurt. Everyone can enjoy their basic rights and live without fear.

Peace is not just about the absence of war, it is also about inner peace. When we have inner peace, we feel calm and content within ourselves. We are able to manage our emotions and handle conflicts in a peaceful manner. Inner peace helps us live a happier and more fulfilling life.

As a 4th grader, it is important to understand the value of peace and how we can contribute to creating a peaceful world. We can be kind to others, help those in need, and resolve conflicts peacefully. We can spread love and positivity wherever we go.

In conclusion, peace is a wonderful thing that we should all strive for. It brings happiness, safety, and harmony to our lives. Let’s work together to create a peaceful world where everyone can live in unity and prosperity.

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Perspective article, building a culture of peace in everyday life with inter- and transdisciplinary perspectives.

• Facultad de Comercio, Administración y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Nuevo Laredo, Mexico

In this article, peace is emphasized as a vital condition for all aspects of our existence, as individuals, as a society, and in our planet. The importance of inter- and transdisciplinarity in promoting a culture of peace and peace education is presented. Some examples of initiatives aimed at cultivating a culture of peace from diverse areas of knowledge are also provided. The paper presents a current and interconnected viewpoint on peace study, as well as some ideas for combining peace with education in the everyday routine of teaching and research work, regardless of discipline.

Introduction

Peace is a global concept that is more relevant than ever in today’s society. It is not simply a concern for countries and governments; it is also a concern for individuals in their relationships with others and with the planet. According to Capistrano (2020) , peace is linked to the harmonious coexistence of individuals in their environment, which depends on principles such as social justice, sustainability, democracy and tolerance. A culture of peace can be fostered and promoted via education not only in large projects but also in everyday life. As stated by Cuéllar (2009) , ordinary life is a key object of philosophical reflection from which “a humanism up to the mark of our time” can be derived, and everyday life is “where we begin to forge ourselves as people, where we can completely fulfill ourselves, in terms of work, production and rest, in married and family life, in the experience of love, freedom and recognition of the other.”

This article highlights the importance of promoting peace education and a culture of peace through inter- and transdisciplinarity. The paper also provides examples of initiatives aimed at fostering a culture of peace from diverse areas of knowledge. Additionally, various concepts for integrating peace with education in everyday life are given, regardless of discipline.

An Imperfect and Everyday Peace

When asked “what is peace?” we tend to define it in terms of the absence of war, warlike conflicts, or discord. Known as a negative conception of peace, this perspective has persisted since ancient times. Conversely, positive peace emphasizes the promotion of values, respect, justice, equity, communication, collaboration, empathy, collaboration, and non-violence. Positive peace desires peace and wellbeing and avoids conflict at all costs. However, this concept appears perfect, utopian, or unattainable. As a result, a new approach termed “imperfect peace” has been developed ( Comins-Mingol, 2002 ). The reason it is imperfect is that we are perpetually reconstructing it; it is a dynamic, continuous, and multifaceted concept. Imperfect peace admits that peace and conflicts coexist. Acosta Oidor et al. (2021) explain that peace and violence are both present in every aspect of daily life and not only in a single field such as politics. Furthermore, they quote that peace is a road and not a state. Imperfect peace alludes to the imperfect nature of every human. The concept of imperfect peace is a productive field on which we can produce from our regular work routine.

Culture of Peace

Culture of peace refers to “lifestyles, belief patterns, values, behaviors, (…) wellbeing, equality, equitable administration of resources, security for individuals and families, (…) non-violence, and harmony” ( Cabello et al., 2016 ). Culture of peace is inclusive and complex because it incorporates knowledge, values, and communication. It also integrates physical, biological, and social aspects. Culture of peace is all-encompassing. Page (2008) defines peace education as “the process of acquiring values, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors to live in harmony with oneself, others, and the natural environment.” Peace education encompasses personal, social, and planetary dimensions. Thus, can we integrate peace into every facet of our lives? Is it possible to improve coexistence between people to foster a culture of peace? Personally, I believe we may achieve both goals through our daily life activities.

Rationale for Inter- and Transdisciplinarity

Should we continue to foster a culture of peace by focusing on a single discipline or collaborating on several? According to Edgar Morin’s complex thinking ( Morin, 1994 ), our contemporary reality, phenomena, and problems are complex by nature. Complexity entails more than just difficulty; it also signifies that the problems are interconnected in a framework spanning several knowledge domains. Accordingly, to address problems and better comprehend our reality, they must be regarded as interconnected and inseparable in a feedback loop, that is, from a holistic and collaborative perspective of multiple disciplines. For this reason, reductionist perspectives are no longer enough for a pertinent understanding of our reality. In this context, two key elements emerge, namely the integration of diverse specialties and collaborative work, which facilitate inter and transdisciplinary work.

According to the literature, the concept of inter- and transdisciplinarity derives from an advanced and mature level of collaboration between multiple disciplines ( Escobar, 2010 ). First, disciplinarity occurs from specialization in a single area of knowledge. Then, multidisciplinarity emerges when several fields study the same object without interacting with one another. Pluridisciplinarity is the result of uncoordinated collaboration between different areas of knowledge. Finally, inter- and transdisciplinarity are achieved when some methodologies are transferred between disciplines (the former) and when a comprehensive and holistic perspective supports collaborations between disciplines, through them, and beyond them (the latter) ( Klein, 2010 ). In transdisciplinarity, cognitive schemes intersect disciplines. As a result of this advanced level of collaboration, disciplines often face problems, difficulties, or challenges. Transdisciplinarity itself is not an exception; the different approaches to its conceptualization have led to contradictory points of view. For Rigolot (2020) , these contradictions can be surpassed, by considering transdisciplinarity both as a discipline by itself and as a way of being. As a way of being, transdisciplinarity is fully incorporated into the human life and cannot be reduced to professional activities. This vision is compatible with that of Edgar Morin, who fully integrated transdisciplinary work with his personal life experiences ( Rigolot, 2020 ).

Inter- and Transdisciplinary Peace Education

Considering the aforementioned perspectives, effective peace education should be inter- and transdisciplinary. But how can we develop peace education through these approaches? First, embracing a complex conception of reality. In other words, reality should be viewed and understood from a broad perspective to avoid self-serving simplifications that prevent us from collaborating across disciplines. Second, our education should connect key issues such as life, humanity, culture, the planet, complexity, literature, art, philosophy, sustainability, and values regardless of field of knowledge. Third, teaching-learning processes should be adaptable, allowing teachers and students to see each subject as part of a complex whole interconnected through various mediations.

Accordingly, Lappin (2009) explains that it has been well acknowledged that peacebuilding is complex; however, there is a long-standing tendency to address peacebuilding from the point of view of a single discipline. Nicolescu (2012) adds that there is a direct and inexorable link between peace and transdisciplinarity and that any fragmented way of thinking is incompatible with peace research. Hence, education and the university must evolve to welcome a new humanism and adopt transdisciplinarity in their organization and conceptions. Along the same vein, Galtung (2010) asserts that true transdisciplinarity must be present in all aspects of the human condition, as multiple restricted or skewed perspectives will not provide a clear overview or an encompassing understanding of the whole.

Cabello et al. (2016) advocate that peace should be built on “education for justice and freedom; for reconciliation and brotherhood; for critical conscience and solidarity; for integral development and democracy; for the common good and participation; for human rights, and all the values that support and enable a culture of peace.” Acevedo Suárez and Báez Pimiento (2018) explain that educating for peace is inviting to act in the school microcosm and at the macro level of social structures. They conclude that peace education is a necessity that every educational institution must assume. París Albert (2019) exposes that peace education is also a primary tool to achieve the sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda; this tool consists of creativity to imagine careful alternatives to face daily situations, as well as situations of injustice, social inequalities, environmental crises, and sustainable development.

Now comes the question of how we can educate for peace in our daily teaching and research work. Some guidelines ( Zurbano Díaz de Cerio, 1999 ) include cultivating values, learning to live with others, facilitating positive experiences, educating in conflict resolution, developing critical thinking, combating violence, educating in tolerance to diversity of dialogue, and rational argumentation. Furthermore, as educators, we must remember that our example is a powerful ally in all educational processes. We can deliver beautiful and eloquent speeches, but it is our everyday example that sows the most seeds of peace in others. We are also educating for peace via our own actions. We, as teachers, may encourage active listening, empathy, depersonalization of conflicts, and respect for limitations and opinions. In this approach, we may take small steps toward strengthening our coexistence and promoting a culture of peace.

Peace education must also be established at all levels, for all ages, and for all people. However, peace education has a significant impact on youth. Peace education is crucial during childhood and youth because the seeds we sow in them when they are young will flourish henceforth and bear fruit in the future for the benefit of our society. For this reason, youth represents both present and future peace and play a key role in peace education.

Currently, several discourses, initiatives, and indicators from different disciplines describe peace education. Many of them, though, remain limited to inert speeches. Peace, on the contrary, requires action ( Jordan et al., 2021 ). We can make peace education a reality in our teaching activities through inter- and transdisciplinary approaches. Teachers can have influence in everyday life by building meaningful relationships between education and research, as well as by consistently implementing curricular and extracurricular activities that foster a culture of peace through formal and non-formal training.

Examples of Peace-Building Initiatives From Institutions, Research, Teaching and Personal Experience

Initiatives aimed at fostering a culture of peace are commonly promoted by institutions, researchers or teachers. For example, the study by Jordan et al. (2021) highlights an institutional peacebuilding initiative at the University of New Mexico School of Engineering and Health Sciences Center, where summit of the World Engineering Education Forum and Global Engineering Deans Council were hosted. The theme was “Peace Engineering” with the focal point of science and engineering-based solutions to the world’s transcendent challenges. The event responded to the urgent need for engineers to reflect, understand, measure, and anticipate the intended and unforeseen implications of their work in a global context. The results of these events comprised establishing academic programs, starting new areas of education, research, and innovation relating to climate change, water, healthcare, food security, ethics, transparency, resilience, sustainability, social equity and diversity, as well as face-to-face and virtual academic events addressing peace, and engineering concerns.

In the research context, the project by Del Río Fernández et al. (2019) attempts to promote peace via the use of plastic and visual languages. The researchers gained this interdisciplinary experience with early childhood education student teachers through photographic exhibitions and mural workshops. They focused on developing respect for the ideas and beliefs of others, improving peaceful community life, and fostering pacific conflict resolution. This project is a clear illustration of how peace can be promoted from a variety of perspectives, such as the plastic arts.

In the teaching field, Miralay (2020) found that according to teachers’ perceptions, the awareness of the culture of peace by students through arts education would promote individual and social peace. They also found that families, school administrators and governmental institutions have an essential role in promoting peace. Also, it was evident that there are deficiencies in the institutions while performing this process. On the other hand, the work of Domínguez and Ordinas (2019) describes the application of a novel methodology to promote socially equitable education in university teaching in courses involving the past and present of relations between human societies and cultures on a global scale. The aim of their work is to use ludic methods instead of traditional methods of study. Their students were encouraged to have a critical, pluralistic, cooperative outlook on the meaning of peace. This pedagogical approach has enriched the way of teaching and generating historical knowledge by using cooperative games in the classroom.

I can present my personal experience with teaching software development. In the classroom I have incorporated agile approaches which recognize that software development has a strong human dimension. Thus, people take precedence over tools ( Beck et al., 2021 ). When these approaches are used in the classroom, students not only learn to program but also to collaborate while also learning to be tolerant. The principles of Egoless Programming ( Waychal and Capretz, 2018 ) are also addressed during the practical lessons to help students understand the importance of good interpersonal relationships when collaborating. These approaches have been incredibly helpful in software development teaching because they strengthen understanding, respect, empathy, tolerance, and collaboration among students. In addition, I have found through quantitative and mixed research approaches that collaborative programming can produce software with better attributes than those of individually developed programs. For example, pair programming has produced elevated levels of acceptance and well-structured programs in our sessions.

Peace and peace research are pertinent needs in our society. As teachers, we must promote peace education and a culture of peace from various angles. However, this is not an exclusive duty of teachers, but also requires the enthusiastic collaboration of institutions, students, parents, families, and communities. In this process, it is important to reflect on the contributions to peace that we can make in our everyday practice. Then, let us promote collaboration, dialogue, respect, active listening, and inclusion, using a cultural vision and living example of our behavior, thereby creating a culture of peace based on values and love in our daily lives as teachers or researchers.

Data Availability Statement

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author/s.

Author Contributions

RR-H: conception, research, writing, editing, revising, and final draft.

Conflict of Interest

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Acknowledgments

We thank everyone who contributed to my encounter with the ideas presented in this manuscript. We thank Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas for the support provided to carry out this work.

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Keywords : culture of peace, peace, peace education, higher education, interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinary education

Citation: Roque-Hernández RV (2022) Building a Culture of Peace in Everyday Life With Inter- and Transdisciplinary Perspectives. Front. Educ. 7:847968. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2022.847968

Received: 03 January 2022; Accepted: 06 June 2022; Published: 23 June 2022.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2022 Roque-Hernández. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Ramón Ventura Roque-Hernández, [email protected]

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Phenomenon of peace in the world.

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Best topics on Peace

1. Phenomenon Of Peace In The World

2. The Significance And Outcomes Of The First Hague Peace Conference

3. Comparison Of Jimmy Carter And Elie Wiesel Achievements In The Fight For Peace

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5. Comparison of the Subject of Peace in Christianity and Islam

6. The Definiton of Peace in Religion and Overall

7. The Implementation of Peace with Peace Enforcement

8. Extinction of Peace and Constant Presence of Conflict

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Essay on War and Peace

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Understanding war and peace.

War and peace are two sides of the same coin, representing conflict and harmony respectively. War often arises from disagreements, leading to violence and destruction. On the other hand, peace symbolizes tranquility, unity, and cooperation.

The Impact of War

War can cause immense suffering and loss. It destroys homes, breaks families, and causes physical and emotional pain. Moreover, it can lead to economic instability and environmental damage, affecting future generations.

The Importance of Peace

Peace is essential for the well-being of individuals and societies. It fosters growth, prosperity, and happiness. Peace encourages dialogue, understanding, and mutual respect, helping to resolve conflicts peacefully.

250 Words Essay on War and Peace

Introduction.

War and peace, two contrasting states, have shaped human civilization, politics, and cultural identity. The dichotomy between these two conditions is not merely a matter of physical conflict or tranquility but extends to philosophical, psychological, and ethical dimensions.

War: A Double-Edged Sword

War, often perceived as destructive, has paradoxically been a catalyst for some societal advancements. Technological innovations, political shifts, and social change have all been byproducts of war. However, the cost of these “benefits” is immense, leading to loss of life, displacement, and socioeconomic upheavals.

The Necessity of Peace

Peace, on the other hand, is a state of harmony and cooperation, conducive to prosperity, growth, and human development. It fosters an environment where creativity, innovation, and collaboration can thrive. Peace is not merely the absence of war but also the presence of justice and equality, which are fundamental for sustainable development.

Striking a Balance

The challenge lies in striking a balance between the pursuit of peace and the inevitability of war. This balance is not about accepting war as a necessary evil, but about understanding its causes and working towards preventing them. Peacebuilding efforts should focus on addressing root causes of conflict, like inequality and injustice, and promoting dialogue, understanding, and cooperation.

In conclusion, the complex relationship between war and peace is a reflection of the human condition. Striving for peace while understanding the realities of war is a delicate but necessary balance we must achieve. It is through this equilibrium that we can hope to progress as a society, ensuring a better future for generations to come.

500 Words Essay on War and Peace

War and peace are two polar opposites, yet they are inextricably linked in the complex tapestry of human history. They represent the dual nature of humanity: our capacity for both destruction and harmony. This essay explores the intricate relationship between war and peace, the impacts they have on societies, and the philosophical perspectives that underpin both.

The Dualism of War and Peace

War and peace are not merely states of conflict and tranquility, but rather manifestations of human nature and societal structures. War, in its essence, is a reflection of our primal instincts for survival, dominance, and territoriality. It exposes the darker side of humanity, where violence and power struggles prevail. Conversely, peace symbolizes our capacity for cooperation, empathy, and mutual understanding. It showcases the brighter side of humanity, where dialogue and diplomacy reign.

Impacts of War and Peace

The impacts of war and peace are profound and far-reaching. War, while destructive, has often catalyzed technological advancement and societal change. The World Wars, for instance, led to the development of nuclear technology and the establishment of international bodies like the United Nations. However, the cost of war is immense, leading to loss of life, economic devastation, and psychological trauma.

On the other hand, peace allows societies to flourish. It fosters economic growth, social development, and cultural exchange. Yet, peace is not merely the absence of war. It requires active effort to maintain social justice, equality, and mutual respect among diverse groups.

Philosophical Perspectives

War and peace have been subjects of philosophical debate for centuries. Realists argue that war is an inevitable part of human nature and international relations, while idealists contend that peace can be achieved through international cooperation and diplomacy.

Philosophers like Thomas Hobbes viewed humans as naturally combative, necessitating strong governance to maintain peace. Conversely, Immanuel Kant argued for ‘Perpetual Peace’ through democratic governance and international cooperation. These differing viewpoints reflect the complexity of war and peace, and the ongoing struggle to reconcile our violent instincts with our aspirations for a peaceful world.

In conclusion, war and peace are multifaceted concepts that reveal much about the human condition. Understanding their dynamics is crucial to shaping a world that leans towards peace, even as it acknowledges the realities of war. The challenge lies in mitigating the triggers of war and nurturing the conditions for peace. It is a task that requires not just political and diplomatic effort, but also a deep introspection into our collective values and aspirations.

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Essay on peace: need and importance of peace.

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Essay on Peace: Need and Importance of Peace!

The issue of war and peace has always been a focal issue in all periods of history and at all levels relations among nations. The concern of the humankind for peace can be assessed by taking into account the fact that all religions, all religious scriptures and several religious ceremonies are committed to the cause of peace and all these advocate an elimination of war. The Shanti Path recited by the Hindus, the sermons of Pope and the commands of all the holy scriptures of the Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and all other communities hold out a sacred commitment to peace.

Yet the international community fully realized the supreme importance of the virtue of peace against the evil of war only after having suffered the most unfortunate and highly destructive two World Wars in the first half of the 20th century. The blood soaked shreds of humanity that lay scattered in several hundred battle grounds, particularly on the soils of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, cried for peace, peace and peace on the earth.

The UN Charter and International Peace and Security:

The human consciousness then rallied in the Charter of the United Nations to affirm. “We the people of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our life time has brought untold sorrow to humankind…. and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security….. have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims.”

Since 1945, the United Nations and its specialized agencies, several international associations and institutions, international peace movements, global and national level human rights movements and in fact all members of the international community have been consistently and strongly advocating the need for the preservation and promotion of peace against war.

In contemporary times, the most urgent and important international objective has been to preserve protect and defend peace against terrorism and terrorist organizations like A1 Qacda, Talibans, and other enemies of peace.

How International Community has been trying to secure peace:

Through international peace keeping under the aegis of the United Nations through the development and use of international law; creation of more international and regional institutions committed to promote peace, promotion of friendly cooperation for development among the member countries; popularization of peaceful means of conflict-resolution, institutionalization of relations among nations; integration of international community through strengthening of human consciousness in favour of peace against war; and by enhancing the ability for crisis-management, the humankind has been trying to secure peace against war.

Currently, through:

(i) Globalization i.e. by encouraging the free flow of people goods, information services and knowledge;

(ii) Establishment of non-official people to people socio-economic-cultural relations;

(iii) Organisation of international peace movements against nuclear weapons, armament race, militarisation, and environmental pollution;

(iv) Launching of special drives for elimination of such evils as apartheid, poverty, illiteracy; ill-health, hunger, disease, inequalities, tyranny and terrorism; and

(v) organised attempts at environment protection and protection of Human Rights of all, the international community has been making meaningful attempts to limit the chances of war.

What is Peace?

One elementary way of defining peace has been to say that peace is absence of war. This is, however, a very narrow view of peace. No doubt absence of war is the first condition of peace, yet peace is not merely an absence of war. It is in reality a condition characterised by peaceful, cooperative and harmonious conduct of international relations with a view to secure all-round sustainable development of the people of the world.

Nevertheless, since absence of war is the first condition of peace, one of the major concerns of all scholars and statesmen has been to formulate and follow the principles and devices needed for securing this primary objective. The cold war that kept the world preoccupied during 1945-90, indirectly secured this objective in a negative way by developing a balance of terror in international relations.

While it was successful in preventing a global war, it failed to prevent local wars and in fact gave rise to several tensions, stresses, strains and crises in international relations. The international community had to work very hard for keeping the conflicts and wars limited. It, however, successfully exhibited a welcome and positive ability in the sphere of crisis-management.

In fact, till today there have been present several hindrances in way of securing a stable, healthy and enduring peace. Fortunately, the final end of cold war came in the last decade of the 20th century and the world found herself living is an environment characterised by a new faith and commitment to peace, peaceful co-existence, peaceful conflict-resolution, liberalisation, cooperation for development and attempts at sustainable development.

The people began focusing their attention on the need for the protection of human rights of all, protection of environment and securing of a real and meaningful international integration. However several negative factors, ethnic conflict, ethnic violence, ethnic wars, terrorism in its several dimensions, neo-colonialism, hegemony n-hegemony and the like kept on acting as big hindrances.

The need to secure peace by controlling these evils continues to be a primary aim of international community. Crises have been repeatedly coming and these are bound to keep coming. This makes it very urgent for the humankind to prepare and act for managing crises through collective efforts and by the use of several devices.

Related Articles:

• Does Peace Require Non-Violence?
• 8 Devices used for the Preservation of Peace

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Imagine: Reflections on Peace – photo essay

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia, Lebanon, Northern Ireland, and Rwanda, a new project and book by the VII Foundation, Imagine:Reflections on Peace shows the difficult work being done to break cycles of conflict in each country’s recent history. Survivors and photographers who witnessed events during and after the dark times, tell their stories

T he project is conceived to encourage discourse and conversation around peace-building and ending conflict. It is an initiative of The VII Foundation, which was established in 2001 to challenge complex social, economic, environmental and human rights issues through documentary non-fiction storytelling and education.

“When battlefield prowess and political manipulation are not enough to achieve peace through victory, we summon our best and brightest to negotiate an end; we celebrate peace settlements; and we give prizes, if not to victors, then to visionaries. We exalt peace as a human achievement, and justly so. But the reality of peace is flawed. The rewards of peace are elusive for the men and women who live in the post-conflict societies of our time. Why is it so difficult to make a good peace when it is so easy to imagine?”

Palestinians fleeing massacre by Christian gunmen, Karantina, Beirut, Lebanon , 18 January 1976. Photograph: Don McCullin/Contact Press Images.

“I went running with the first wave. It was evening and raining hard. They all wore hoods. We stopped behind a low wall and watched people being shepherded out of a hospital for the insane. People came to the windows of one wing. One of the Falange fighters shouted and when he didn’t get a proper answer he shot a burst of automatic fire into the window. There was the same snip-snap of sniper bullets in the morning. Everyone seemed to have shrunk in the centre of Karantina. An old American truck, like a Dodge pick–up, was brought up with a huge 50mm machine gun mounted on it. The Falangist on top was pouring out fire indiscriminately. It was more than frightening, it was catastrophically fearful, like the dawn of a new dark age. I photographed, and went on photographing. I had pictures that would tell the world something of the enormity of the crime that had taken place in Karantina.” Don McCullin

The Falangist on top was pouring out fire indiscriminately. It was more than frightening, it was catastrophically fearful, like the dawn of a new dark age.

People enjoy ‘80s night at B 018 — one of Beirut’s most legendary clubs — in the Karantina quarter.

Chamran Hamieh [left], Hamza Akel Hamieh’s son, goes through his father’s collection of images from the civil war, stored in old suitcases in his home in the the Bekaa Valley, Taraya, Lebanon. Nicole Sobiecki

“In 2017 I travelled to Lebanon with writer Robin Wright to try and make sense of what peace means in a place so defined by conflict. As we met with former fighters and young creatives, I thought back to one of Aesop’s fables, The Oak and the Reed, and the countless storms this country has weathered without breaking. Peace here comes in shades of grey. It’s the reason to bend with the next wind, to endure, and to embrace the present despite the fire under the ashes.” Nicole Sobiecki

A Cambodian government soldier firing his outdated M1 carbine at the Khmer Rouge from a fox hole. Kien Svay, Route 1, Cambodia 1973. Roland Neveu

“In 1973, I was a student in sociology in Brittany and was very motivated to experience the ills of our world first- hand. During the summer break, a friend and I dreamed of getting to Cambodia to hone our skills as burgeoning photographers. We managed to fly into Phnom Penh a couple of weeks ahead of the end of the US B-52 bombing of the country. That for me was a revelation in covering a conflict, a big leap after trailing my camera along the student protests of the early 1970’s in France. It also became a jumping off point from university and the entry into a career as a photojournalist. Reporting that war became a passion, and with the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge in April 75, it altered my life forever. Witnessing the tragedy of Cambodia over the years has taken me from the disembodiment of the country to the relatively prosperous time it has entered now. Peace has been a very long and tortuous road for the Cambodians, affecting many generations of its people.” Roland Neveu

During the heavy monsoon in September 1979, travelling in the forest of Western Cambodia with a group of Cambodian guerilla favourable to Prince Sihanouk. Photo by Roland Neveu. Right; Sophary Sophin, bomb disposal engineer. Photo by Gary Knight/VII

Cambodian opposition political activists (left to right) Sin Chanpouraseth, Chay Vannak, Ney Leak and Douch Sovunth. Photo by Gary Knight/VII

“The story of peace – much like the story of war – is personal. Everyone who lives through it has a different experience, and the breadth of those experiences cannot all be expressed within a photo essay. In creating this work, I revisited places that I have been visiting since the war of the 1980s and 1990s when I started my career in Cambodia. I spoke to men and women of all generations and wrote down what they told me. Some had lived through the civil war of the 1970s and the Khmer Rouge genocide that followed. All of them had lived through the years of violence and deprivation of the post-Khmer Rouge period. All had expectations of the peace that followed. For many, the reality of that peace was desperately inadequate. There are people in Cambodia for whom peace has been a great benefit, such as the family members and associates of the political classes, the military, and the police. No one would argue that peace has been less favorable than war, especially that war – but sit on a stool next to a Cambodian villager and ask about the peace, and the stories of suffering and injustice will soon begin to flow.” Gary Knight

An RPF soldier (Rwandan Patrioric Front) advancing in Gikoro district, 1994. Jack Picone

“In 1994 as Rwanda was in the throes of genocide, I illegally crossed the Ugandan border to document one of recent history’s darkest events. I documented a broken country gouged, burnt, scarred and littered with corpses.

“Twenty-five years later, I revisited Rwanda and found a very different country. A country that carries the genocide with it in its collective memory but refuses to be defined by it. Instead, Rwandan people have been transformative and accomplished the impossible, turning the darkness of the genocide, into light.

The Amahoro Stadium, Kigali, 1994. During the genocide the stadium was temporarily a “UN Protected Site” hosting up to 12,000 mainly Tutsis refugees.

Alice Mukarurinda and Emanuel Ndayisaba. Ndayisaba admits to killing dozens of people during the genocide. Alice is one of his victims, left for dead in a swamp after he cut off her hand. Ndayisaba was imprisoned for his crimes, but under the laws of ‘Gacaca’; the local courts set up to encourage truth and reconciliation, he confessed to his murders and was released. He later recognised Alice and admitted to her it was he who had tried to kill her. In an unlikely partnership they have both reconciled and now work in a restorative group teaching reconciliation within the community.

“A country once gouged is now full, a country once broken is now whole and scars once obvious are fading. Rwanda’s transformation is squarely rooted in the Rwandan people’s unparalleled ability to forgive.” Jack Picone

Senad Medanovic, sole survivor of a massacre finds his home in ruins after the Bosnian army recaptured his village from Serb forces. He is standing on what is believed to be a mass grave of sixty-­nine people, including his family, 1995. Ron Haviv/VII

“What happens when 3.5 million people suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder for an entire generation? What happens when a whole nation – forged from an imposed peace agreement, with opposing sides forced to live together – can’t move beyond the past? Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country that continues to battle itself as it moves in a constant circle.

A defaced photograph that was found by a Bosnian family when they returned to their home in a suburb of Sarajevo, Bosnia, March 17, 1996.

Nedžiba Salihović, who lost her husband and son during the Srebrenica massacre, celebrates the conviction of Bosnian Serb General Ratio Mladic for his role in the genocide.

“Memorials litter parks and hilltops. Conversations turn to politics and at a moment’s notice back to the war. The political parties remain the same as those that brought the conflict to fruition. There is no agreed-upon history of the war taught in schools. Children learn old grievances from their parents, ensuring that for many the war will always be a dividing line. Stories from the 1990s now take their place alongside older tales of war, those from the 14th century to World Wars I and II. Repressed anger and hatred simmer just beneath the surface. The pressing question: how can we use memory to move past the loss and create one nation for all Bosnians?” Ron Haviv

• Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Derry, North of Ireland, 1996. Gilles Peress/Magnum/for Imagine:Reflections on Peace

“In 1994, the Irish Republican Army and the Combined Loyalist Military Command declared ceasefires on behalf of the predominant paramilitary organizations in the North of Ireland. Political conversations had dragged on for decades, but the ceasefires kickstarted a process that eventually led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and the cessation of active hostilities. Another 25 years on, no one knows if this will be permanent: There have been similar pauses throughout the 800-year British occupation of Ireland, and even the 1994 ceasefires proved neither lasting nor universal. But something unquestionably changed.”

12th of July Parade, City Centre, Derry, North of Ireland, 1996.

Short Strand, East Belfast, North of Ireland, 1994.

“The previous 30 years had been dominated by the Troubles, a conflict defined not by violence but by the tension between the necessities of everyday life and periodic, inescapable eruptions of violence precipitated by the British Army, by Loyalists, and by Republicans. During this era, dark and full of murders, Gilles Peress defined the structure of history as helicoidal. Nothing seemed to progress or regress; rather, each day became a repetition of every previous day.” Gilles Peress (excerpt from The Battle for History, with Chris Klatell)

Residents of Ituango, Antioquia, a region that has suffered greatly from the armed conflict, converse outside a polling station on the day of the national plebiscite to approve or reject the peace treaty negotiated between Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) insurgents and the government. Stephen Ferry

“Colombia is a country where the Cold War combined with internal factors to create a human rights disaster, one which implicates all players in the Colombian armed conflict as well as United States foreign policy. I documented the Colombian conflict from 1997 to the signing of the Havana peace accords and then, of course, followed the peace process with great interest and hope.

Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos shakes hands with Rodrigo Londoño, alias “Timochenko,” top commander of the FARC insurgent army, at a celebration for the completion of the FARC’s disarmament.

Family members mourn during the funeral services for Wílmar Asprilla Allim, a FARC member who, after laying down arms, was participating in the organization of the FARC’s new political movement.

“It’s too early to know whether Colombia has found its way out of a cycle of brutal internal wars, but certainly the signing of the peace accords is a big step forward.” Stephen Ferry

Fighters with the Free Syrian Army fire at regime forces on the front line in Qastal Al Harami, a section of the Old City in Aleppo, Syria, on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Nicole Tung

“To step into the wake of the war against Isis was to enter a dystopian world. As the circle closed in on the terrorist military group, first in Mosul, then in Raqqa, and then in their last redoubt in Baghouz, I travelled between newly liberated villages and cities. I went to document that vital moment between the end of a conflict and peace – the space where life begins to emerge. At first, everything seemed a blur of rubble, like a dark, smudgy water colour of a never-ending nightmare about war and how it forever mutilates lives.

Students in class at the heavily damaged Hawari Bu Medyan School, in Raqqa, Syria. May 2018.

“But, very quickly, the streets buzzed back to life. I witnessed civilians, so utterly traumatized, do the only thing they knew how to do: go on and survive. It was dark, yet remarkable, to see the cautious hope among people who had lost everything. They know: peace is so incredibly fragile. Unless the marginalization of peoples in each country is addressed, unless resolution is brought to disputed territories, unless the systematic corruption that hinders everything from rebuilding to job creation is ended, peace can once again unravel with astonishing speed.” Nicole Tung

The book is available through the website www. reflectionsonpeace.org and Waterstones

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A short essay on peace

Peace is one of the important human values. It refers to silence or reconcilement. It means to live together in harmony. Without it, society can't progress. It is very necessary for the growth of society as well as a nation. Peace is similar to nonviolence. This article describes how it is important for the nation as well as society.

Introduction Peace is a human need. Maintaining peace of mind helps us to achieve goals in our life. Peace is the way for bringing growth and prosperity in life. If there is peace in every human's mind then this world will go on peacefully. Without peace, any kind of development is impossible. Peace is vital for the survival of human beings. According to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's words " peace is a precious commodity, necessary for any progress". Right from the beginning, we Indians are fond of peace. Whenever war happened in any country, we tried to solve problems through peace. Nowadays, It is not an easy task to maintain peace as new generation people believe in violence. As you know in our country multilingual and multi-religion people reside still we live together happily. But in another country, the condition is not favourable. In a European country, there is much bias between black men and white men. They are never treated equally. But in India, we provide equality to every people irrespective of caste, creed and religion. In our country, Mahatma Gandhi was against violence and believed in peace only. He wanted to get independence with peace. He used to preach to the people if someone slaps you on one cheek then you should forward the other cheek to take another slap which means he was a very peace-loving human being. Besides, The Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, and Saint Francis de Sales are known as peace idols. They tried to make this world understand that peace is the strength of mind. We can conquer this world through peace only. War always brings destruction in life. Nobody can be happy by violence. Oftentimes you would be felt that we could not do work due to a lack of peace. Peace is necessary not only for progress in life but for good health also. A peaceful mind can do good work. If you create a peaceful environment then only work will happen properly. Peace helps us in preventing violence. Why peace is Important for society? Peace is important because it brings unity, optimism, and collaboration among society. Peace increases our concentration of mind. when our mind is in peace position then we are not affected by other people what they think about us. A peaceful mind helps us in learning and understanding things faster. Peace keeps us mentally and physically fit. Peace provides strength to society. Peace brings brotherhood, happiness, and integrity to society. Peace develops job opportunities in society. No society can exist without peace. Conclusion Peace is the accurate way to maintain love in society. Peace is essential for protecting our society from being damaged. Peace can make our nation healthy, wealthy, and strong. Without peace, It is impossible to imagine a prosperous and developed nation. Peace can be achieved only by mutual understanding. And It is the responsibility of every person to maintain peace in society.

True. peace is a very important virtue one should have. When there is peace in and around. our mind will be pleasant and we work very efficiently. Without peace, progress is very difficult. The main reason for our country not developing fully is due to the lack of peace in the country. Our country is having some neighbouring countries who always try to create unrest and disturb the situation in the country. Because of these acts we have to be alert always which is taking away peace from us. If we have friendly neighbours we need not spend such a huge amount on defence and that money might have been used on the development of the country. Even in such adverse conditions also, we tried to maintain peace and tried to make agreements with the neighbouring countries. In such attempts, we have lost great leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri. When there is peace around we will be happy and the whole environment around us will be pleasant. But many politicians try to disturb peace in the society by creating a difference between the people so that they will get importance.

Peace is an elusive entity. Since time immortal from the dawn of civilization our leaders, scholars, and saints had always preached about peace and tried to achieve it in this world but it always seemed to be difficult to achieve peace in totality among the various tribes and societies existing in the world. There could be many reasons for not having peace in this world but some of the main reasons are attributable to the difference in cultures, difference in religions, difference in ideology, and difference in the way the different societies live and aspire to expand their own kingdoms or country boundaries. Ambitions and aspirations for winning on other countries and ruling over them is the root cause of creating disturbance and unrest in this world. Though number of such invaders might be less in the world in comparison to the peaceful people but small number of bad people is enough to spoil the atmosphere throughout the globe. So this is a very difficult situation where most of the people in the world are peace loving but at the same time there are few pockets where some terrorists or ill minded people live and are creating all source of problems for the people all around the world. These ill minded people are stubborn in their thinking and approach to the other societies and are beyond repair in the sense that even after teaching and explaining them the modern way and modern life of living they do not agree to that proposition and remain in their mindset of fighting and attacking others.

In this run-of-the-mill world, every country has become so engrossed in proving itself as the top that it does not even realize that humanity and peaceful life are being lost in the meaningless disputes between countries over borders and land, etc. . The person who wants to live in peace is also sacrificing his life in these disputes and the peace is lost. Thinking about one's own progress is a natural common behavior, but it is wrong to prove oneself high by destroying the interests of others or their religions and the same is happening in some parts of the world. India is really a great example, where people of different religions and cultures live together in brotherhood, give respect to each other. When a person thinks about the interests of others along with himself and is also happy with the happiness of others, then his life automatically becomes peaceful and people who live such a peaceful life become a symbol of peace in the society as well.

Yes, very nicely define the theme of peace by the Author. All our sages have preached the message of peace. Because they realized how important the need for peace is for a nation. We have at least learned something from them, so at least as Indians we are proud of it. In this context, the words of the seven sages are not to be forgotten. The modern famous personnel in India also teaches us the words of peace. The names of Gandhiji, Mother Teresa, Vivekananda, etc. are significant. Some of their quotes are very much relevant at the present situation like- “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind" by Gandhiji, “Peace and war begin at home. If we truly want peace in the world, let us begin by loving one another in our own families. If we want to spread joy, we need for every family to have joy" by Mother Tressa, and “It is a privilege to serve mankind, for this is the worship of God. God is here, in all these human souls" by Swami Vivekanand. So peace makes everyone happy both physically and spiritually. In the modern world, the word peace is so important in recent times, it is my personal opinion that there has been a communal intolerance all over the world, the consequences of which could be horrific. Moreover, with the recent withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban have taken over Kabul and we are witnessing various acts of violence, which are never desirable. So above all this is the place of peace, so it is possible to solve all this only through the proper application of the message of peace. When can we all forget the violence and go to peace?

Nice try from the author and the subject matter is very strong. The essence of everyone's life is to live in peace and no one wants to get disturbed or distracted from the peace of life. Whoever has attained wisdom in life have always advocated for peace and those who are saints and scholars always referred to the holy books citing peace as the main plank of living in harmony. Lord Krishna has played a major role in trying to avert the possible Kurukshetra war and just asked for five villages in the name of Pandavas but that could not be digested by Duryodhana and thus the great war was announced. Even our country is for wholesome peace in the region and does not tolerate the overtures of China and Pakistan. As long as human beings stay, peace is going to stay as what they want the most.

Peace within can create peace outside the world. The other way around is not possible. However, the irony is that despite knowing that we have to create it to experience it, we keep looking for it outside. It is just that we have forgotten how to be peaceful. When we realize that we are peaceful, we will experience stillness within us. We will come at peace with ourselves and at ease with ourselves. When we discover it, we will not be able to again get distracted no matter how many efforts others make to bring disturbance into our lives. As we have forgotten that we can create it and experience it, we feel that it is others who will bring it for us. We have made it dependent on others. When someone speaks loudly and creates chaos, we blame him for disturbing our peace. We don't want to do the inner work because it is difficult. Also, it requires us to take personal responsibility. When we are disturbed, it denotes that we failed to remain at peace. We don't want to admit it, and therefore, we lay the responsibility on another person.

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The world seemed to split in two on Oct. 7, observed political psychologist Oded Leshem .

“You need to be either pro-Israeli and anti-Palestinian or pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli,” said Leshem, the senior research associate at Hebrew University’s Psychology of Intergroup Conflict and Conciliation Lab. “This is, of course, a huge, huge mistake. And the people who pay the price for that mistake are Israelis and Palestinians.”

The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs convened a fifth conversation in its “Israel/Palestine” series last Wednesday. Previous installments explored history , geopolitics , and civil dialogue , but the educators and activists on this panel spoke to peacebuilding. As divisive political discourse dominates, viewers of the online forum were urged to embrace an alternative.

“There are a lot of common points between the two cultures to focus on,” offered Mohammad Kundos , principal of the Hand in Hand School in Kfar Saba, Israel.

Moderated by Melani Cammett , Weatherhead Center director and Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs, the event covered such topics as school integration, coalition-building, and narrative change.

“If we all agree on freedom and equality and independence, the main question we should ask is: ‘Where do we start?’” said Kundos, whose school offers a bilingual Hebrew and Arabic curriculum . “And for me, the first step is education.”

Israeli Jews and Palestinian citizens of Israel traditionally attend separate schools until college. “The idea of Hand in Hand is to start teaching Palestinians and Jewish Israelis together since kindergarten,” he said. “Our goal is to create a common, equal stage for kids to grow up together, to learn about each other, to speak each other’s language fluently — to know each other’s music, food, poetry, history. And by giving them this opportunity, we believe that we’re raising the leaders that in 20, 30 years will be able to come up with a political solution.”

The grassroots Jewish-Arab movement Standing Together operates with full acknowledgement of the conflict’s power differentials, explained national co-director Alon-Lee Green , citing the number of children killed ( nearly 14,000 ) and homes destroyed ( more than 70 percent ) by Israeli military action in Gaza over the past five months.

“We understand the Palestinians are paying a higher price,” said Green, who worked as a political adviser in the Knesset, Israeli’s parliament, before co-founding Standing Together in 2015. “But when we ask ourselves, ‘Does it mean that the Jewish people are benefiting because of this reality? Do we … profit out of occupation? Out of oppression?’ The answer is no.”

Green remembered gathering the Standing Together coalition following Oct. 7, when Hamas killed roughly 1,200 people and took more than 240 hostages . It was supposed to be an outlet for expressing pain.

“And then we understood that there are forces within our society that are wasting no time — not even one second — to drive our society into very dangerous places,” said Green, whose organization calls for an immediate ceasefire and return of all hostages.

“We understood that there’s not only a war waging on Gaza, there’s actually a war over the soul of our society,” he added. “And we started fighting this war, we started organizing, trying to bring people together, trying to speak about basic solidarity, basic empathy.”

The political organization A Land for All advocates for separate Palestinian and Israeli states under a shared confederacy, said political scientist Rula Hardal , the group’s Palestinian CEO as well as a research fellow at the Kogod Center for the Study of Jewish and Contemporary Thought at the Shalom Hartman Institute.

“We encourage a paradigm shift when we speak about the two-state solution, which is based on sharing the same homeland … and partnership instead of separation,” explained Hardal, who emphasized the region’s common climate, economy, and currency.

Hardal offered the European Union as a model when asked by an audience member for clarification of what her group had in mind. That would enable both flexibility and the level of self-determination both Palestinians and Jewish Israelis, on average, say they require.

“If some part of the nonviolent settlers would like to remain where they live now in the West Bank, in the future Palestinian state, they will be able to be residents in the state of Palestine and keep their citizenship in the state of Israel,” Hardal said.

A Land for All’s plan calls for Palestinians to receive automatic citizenship in a Palestinian state. But they could exercise their United Nations-recognized right of return by applying for residency status in Israel.

Leshem, who lectures and writes about hope as a political phenomenon, noted that bilingual education and Jewish-Arab solidarity movements are not mainstream in Israel today. That makes it all the more important to bolster these efforts, he argued, appealing directly to the panel’s American viewership.

In the aftermath of “acute events” like Oct. 7, Leshem said, history tells us the conflict will go in one of two ways. The first possibility would entail perpetuating hostilities.

“But another pathway is what these organizations are trying to do,” he said. “If we are just observers — if we just look and say, ‘Oh, interesting; where will it go?’ — we are not actually doing the right thing. The only right thing is to support these initiatives, to make sure that the future does not go in the direction of escalation and extremism.”

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Reader essays: ‘In a world filled with woe, I found solitude, beauty, grace, and peace.’

This month’s theme of “Fast-Told Tales” -- 200-word essays by Fast Forward readers -- was Sacred Spaces, and we received some quite evocative, passionate, and even romantic compositions. All contained a common thread: Calm, peace, tranquility. To find such contentment, even if for a short period of time, is a gift. Thanks for sharing those moments.

My daughter, 24, was graduating with a master’s degree last September in Geneva. As soon as I landed, she asked me to braid her hair for the ceremony. I put my hand to my mouth – I had not done her hair in maybe 10 years. It means two hours of her sitting between my knees while I carefully moisturize, comb, part, and plait braids through her thick hair. Our ritual began with gathering up the items we needed, recreating a sacred space we shared for that most intimate task between a mother and her baby girl. I loved and missed her deeply, and now she sat between my feet, with her elbows on my knees, her fingers unconsciously stroking my shins as she shared her challenges in our space. I gently kneaded rows of braids down toward the nape of her neck. My heart soared as my baby girl smiled and patted the finished product.

I pondered the insecurities she had faced in graduate school that braids at the ceremony would enable her to conquer. She is undeniably beautiful, smart and strong. In this conflicted moment, the sacred space brought comfort and love, and strength.

– Adelaide Steedley

The stains on the concrete floor tell a story. So do the tools hanging from the pegboard and the cabinet holding dusty cans of paint and stain. It was here that I took apart a classic British sports car with oil dripping in my face and onto the floor. When I look at the stains now, I can hear myself cussing my way through the seven years of its restoration.

On the pegboard hang the saws, planes, squares, and chisels I used for countless projects: my son’s Pinewood Derby race car for Cub Scouts; the plywood “gravestones” I made for our Halloween lawn display. The shelving that turned a messy closet into a pantry to my wife’s delight.

In the metal cabinet are my paints and stains, each with a story to tell. The Early American stain I used on the plank flooring in the dining room. The can of Butchers Wax I used to make drawers and windows slide more easily.

The workbench is old and worn, with dried paint drips and oil from small engines dotting its surface. And a long-faded testimonial written with a black felt pen: “We ❤️ Dad.”

My sanctuary, my sacred place, my garage.

– James Gaffey of Groton, N.H.

I was alone. We were together. The weather was crap, but it was a beautiful day. I was grateful and I was disappointed.

Near the campground in Acadia National Park, Maine is a patch of woods leading to the Otter Cliffs. A steady drizzle dashed plans to hike or even climb on the rocks for morning coffee. So I wandered into that little patch of woods.

I have been to wild places, but this little patch was a world away. Fog condensed on pine needles and dropped heavy onto the undergrowth, my dog, and on me. The lichens and mosses did not crush under our weight but yielded and sprang back, plumped up, happy for the fog. They blanketed the rocks. Mushrooms drew the affection of hungry slugs.

How marvelous to see us all there, so different and so much alike. Earth, air, and water nesting such diversity, ancient and recent, representing all the Phyla of life yet with similar DNA. Things living on rock, on the dead of the forest detritus, on each other, yet all so balanced and vibrant.

I was alone. We were together. An atheist in the fog – in church.

– Edward Daniels of Eastham

Inside edge, outside edge, repeat, repeat.

When thawed, the mosquitoes mass, the crickets chorus, the squirrels traipse through the brush pond-side. When frozen, subtle breezes rustle past my scarf and hat on the local frozen pond.Inside edge, outside edge, repeat, repeat.

The skating isn’t elegant – the beauty seen with Olympic dizzying displays – but more a shuffle, a sluggish attempt at solitude amidst foggy breaths and sighs. It became routine in afternoons, after work, alone, when nature normally naps for three months and sunsets edge horizons earlier than preferred. Gone are the mosquitoes, the crickets, the squirrels. Gone, too, are deadlines, stresses, and demands – if only for a half hour.

The only noise is the crisped flaking of ice, the carving of a loop that wanders aimlessly from side to side, turning only to meander another frozen route again. It’s not lonesome or boring or static, nor a labor to shuffle in my sighs. The birches sway, the breezes graze, the sun blushes its goodbye. And tomorrow begins anew.

Inside edge, outside edge. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

– Patrick Cuff of Medford

My sacred place is my first game of the year at Fenway. It tells me that everything has been renewed, that the world once again is full of promise (at least for the next few hours), and that spring is finally here.

– Bruce Richardson of Chestnut Hill

The term “sauntering” is discussed in Thoreau’s essay, “Walking.” He explained that the verb “saunter” had two possible derivations. One was people going to the Holy Land or la Sainte Terre were said to be “Sainte Terrer” which became “saunterers” or " one who saunters.” Another possible derivation is “sans terre” or people “without land” who could find home anywhere – an apt description of pilgrims.

Those who saunter on the Camino de Santiago travel various distances on different routes. The reasons why we saunter are as varied as each individual who undertakes this journey. One can read the guidebooks and watch the videos, but until one pulls on their hiking shoes and starts walking, you can’t really understand the magic. The magic really is inside you.

My reasons for the sauntering were in thanksgiving for a blessed life, a recovery from a life-threatening illness, and to pray for more than 50 friends who asked me to pray for them along “The Way.”

Although the Camino can be crowded, I found many moments of solitude, beauty, grace, and peace. In a world filled with woe, I could not ask for more.

– Peter H. Gilligan of Chapel Hill, N.C.

I think it’s the combination of the deer and the land that’s it for me. A walking trail, through the woods, past ponds and waterfalls, through cow pastures sublime and pastoral. Morning sunrises of infinite variance and hue, sometimes misty, sometimes saturated. I touch creation and creator here, every morning to begin the day. The deer and cows look on, the birds sing, and sometimes the heron visits. This special slice of nature is my physical and mental therapy, and yes, is my church. I try to take its blessings with me as I venture forth into the world. I’m so very fortunate to have this sacred space.

– Anne Bristow

My home is my sacred place. Probably the majority of submissions will say the same thing. For me, though, home is where I can still be with my wife of 44 years, Faye, who succumbed to cancer in December 2020.

We literally shared everything in our lives, and now that she’s gone… For so long now, my home (condo) is all I have left of our life together. All the furniture, art, pictures, kitchen items, music, etc. we collected over so many years remind me of her constantly. It’s a blessing to remember her that way, but also tends to keep me from becoming who I have to be to reclaim my own life and move forward, writing new chapters. But the memories live on in my heart, my soul … and my home.

I’ve been dating recently and have found someone I’m beginning to develop feelings for. She’s widowed, too, and we actually have the same birthday. We’re taking ballroom dancing lessons and enjoying each other’s company. She visits me and I visit her, so we’re each writing a new chapter in our lives … while honoring the deep love we both once knew that will always be with us.

– Bill Bradley of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

You’ve heard of “a loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou,” right? Well, I’m a “fishing rod, a worm, and nobody” kind of person. I love to fish but I really love to fish alone. Sky above, water beneath, fish lurking somewhere … and me between all of them. I have a bucket list of fish I want to catch (and I’ve made a good start on it), but for the most part, it’s the joy of being out, being by myself and just never knowing what the day might bring. No calls, no texts, no communication. I can start before dawn and return in the late afternoon and however the day has turned out, catch-wise, it’s always a success.

– Mary Helen Sprecher of Columbia, Md.

I thought this would be so easy. It’s my garden, of course! Inspecting new life that appeared overnight, pruning spent efforts, tending, dreaming, reinventing, but wait … what about the ocean so close by? Letting the breeze take my hair, inhaling life and death in one breath, syncing my rhythms to the waves, the big boulder I sit on, dangling my feet just above the water, and all those gorgeous rocks, freshly deposited at my feet, begging to go home to my garden. My home also vies for this honor with its centuries-old, wooden beams. Putting thoughts of wars and loss away for the silky feel of flour on my hands, the savory aromas and the creativity of what I can make with what I have, and the satisfaction of providing sustenance. Travel photos on the walls, constant reminders of adventures from faraway places, and my old, yellow cat, Tom, always ready to share purrs and warm cuddles. The act of being a good listener for friends, exercising creativity to help with good causes and self-care on my old exercise mat to the rhythm of favorite music.

I finally realize: Purpose is my sanctuary.

– Andrea Daniels of Eastham

Sanctuary. It is both a place and a yearning. A place of refuge and safety. A sacred space. Sanctuary is sought both by those fleeing oppression and those in search of peace, silence, and solace. I am one of the latter.

My sacred space is in Northern New Mexico. “Sanctuary” is right there in its name: Santuario de Chimayo. I was born nearby, just after WWII. My family predates statehood. I have since lived in NYC, LA, Chicago, Seattle, and Portland. I’m an old atheist, but it is to Santuario I return when my soul needs healing.

I went home last month to sit in silence. I’m a full-time caregiver to a beloved wife in the grip of late-stage Parkinson’s. You can’t imagine what it’s like. I was ragged, in need of sanctuary … and a respite from hallucinations.

Reverence, like courtesy, is a virtue in danger of extinction. We are too self-involved to be reverent. We need quiet spaces in which to practice being small. Forests do nicely. So do lonely beaches. I needed silence in which to regain my equilibrium. The 200-year old Santuario is a place silent and sacred enough, even for an old atheist like me.

– Jack Haynes of Portland, Ore.

Smashing through mounds of recently fallen oak leaves, we leave the cozy canopy of the woods, and the sky opens up. I am not alone. My Alabama, mostly Labrador rescue, Harlow, leads the way, her tail swinging like a happy pendulum. Our pace quickens as we strut south through the vast pastureland where sheep and cattle graze. We are surrounded by a Great pond, filled with brackish water, where wild oysters and blue crabs live. This pond is where my grandparents summered in a rustic cabin, and where, as kids, my brother and I wildly romped.

Once again, for our walk, nobody is here. We have the whole earth to ourselves.

Almost a mile in, we arrive at the opening through the tall grass and bushes at the pond’s edge. Harlow wades in up to her chest, her tail swings, and she dips her mouth in for one salty gulp. Her plunge is done. No swimming for her. As I said, she is not a full Lab. She does a vigorous shake to expose her shiny black coat, and leads the way out, heading north. We are both smiling.

– Tina Miller of West Tisbury, Martha’s Vineyard

The fish pond came with the house my husband and I bought in 2021. He thought having a pond was great, but I could take it or leave it. Fish kind of creeped me out and the notion of having to take care of yet one more thing was unnerving. We already had two dogs and a cat, and my husband’s Parkinson’s was getting worse every day.

During the chaos of getting settled in our new home, I found that the few moments I could spend staring at the goldfish were surprisingly restorative. The fish are calm. They open their mouths and expect to be fed. They don’t worry that you might forget or that you won’t give them enough. They don’t crave, they accept. They are the most Zen-compliant beings I’ve ever encountered. I peered into the pond several times a day and I always came away feeling more settled.

A year after we moved in, my husband passed away. Tending the pond reassures me that life goes on and being in the moment is enough. It helped me start rebuilding the rest of my life. The fish pond is my homily: my reflection, instruction, exhortation, and consolation.

– Lisa Peterson of Biloxi, Miss.

I have hiked Knuckup Hill for more than 50 years, from the top of which one can enjoy a wonderful view stretching to the New Hampshire border on a clear day. This Wrentham hummock is strewn with giant boulders deposited during the last Ice Age, some of which our two sons named after dinosaurs during our many trips to the summit.

Tucked away on the south side of Knuckup, there is a small cedar grove working diligently to bury its feet in the sparse soil atop the granite outcroppings. On a sunny day, you can lounge on a bed of moss that grows near the stone surfaces, which soak up and radiate solar warmth. The forest fragrances are both soothing and inspiring.

It is here that I am persuaded to dream and write, while the birds and wildlife scurry about, tending to their many chores, oblivious to the painful and worrisome travail of mankind.

– G. Gregory Tooker of Wrentham

Two years ago, we went from washed-up high tech workers to wash-ashore residents on Cape Cod. Like so many, COVID changed our lives forever.

In the pandemic’s early days, my husband and I lost jobs. No income + skyrocketing costs = bad news. So we sold our home of 36 years and quickly bought the first fixer-upper that we could tolerate. It was a whirlwind romance!

Now the honeymoon is over. It’s time for some old Cape magic.

Years ago, on my family’s annual summer trip to Cape Cod, our station wagon passed and ignored a sign on Route 6A for this jam kitchen place called Green Briar. Now the Green Briar Nature Center and Jam Kitchen is a neighbor. One sunny day this summer I heeded the sign and turned onto a narrow, shady country road to the woodland where the animal characters of naturalist and children’s writer Thornton Burgess had many adventures.

I plopped down under an ancient maple. The sky was riotously blue populated with requisite perfect clouds. A hushed hum vibrated the air as bees and dragonflies bothered wildflowers. A turtle slid off a log into the pond. The world was gone. I was home.

– DB Harrison of Sandwich

My sacred place has morphed through the years. When I was a homeowner with an acre of land, half of it in woods, it might have been the big rock where the trail through the woods to the top of the property begins. I would go there sometimes and just sit. Or sometimes I would take a folding chair and place it further up along the path, where I was in the woods but could see the lawn below, and my house.

Last year I moved into an apartment in the independent living portion of a life care community. I took my stone statue of the Buddha, the one from my old garden, and put it on my tiny balcony, thinking that would be my meditation space. But life is different here – my whole apartment has become a kind of refuge from the generally welcome but sometimes overwhelming presence of lots of other people in the public spaces of the community. I am as likely to find spiritual sustenance in reading a book or essay in a comfy chair, practicing my guitar, or editing photographs, surrounded by a welcome silence, as I am in formal meditation.

– Peg Espinola of South Setauket, N.Y.

My most sacred space exists inside my brain: My imagination.

It started out as a real place – the creek trail at Placerita Canyon, where, pregnant in 1978, I hiked and communed with nature and divinity. The glaring California sunshine gets soft under the trees creekside. I invent a cave in the rocks behind the waterfall. The cascading water is a portal; walking through it cleanses me in preparation for the sacredness inside.

As I enter, I am greeted by a wise woman dressed in white. In the dim cave, in comfy seats, an assortment of loving guides – people, animals, plants, and spirits – wait to comfort or enlighten me. The peace is absolute. Whatever is troubling me, whatever desire is unmet, whatever unrest I bring, the answer is there. With deep love and gentleness, the appropriate guide shows me another way of seeing my dilemma or walks me through confusion and heightened emotions. Sometimes I simply rest in a guide’s arms, basking in peace and love as I regain strength to go back out there.

– Carol Brach of Bellingham, Wash.

My favorite sacred place is the Jesuits’ Gonzaga Retreat House at Eastern Point in Gloucester, Mass. Overlooking the sometimes tranquil but otherwise raging North Atlantic, this holy space offers retreatants acres of rocky precipices, forested land, and a nearby deserted cove to ponder their lives and things eschatological; it also allows me to pose Kris Kristofferson’s musical question, “Why me, Lord, what have I ever done to deserve even one of the pleasures I’ve known . . .?”

In the autumn of my life now, I was first welcomed here as a BC High senior in November of 1961, but I really didn’t appreciate the overriding silence until I started going there as part of the St. Ignatius parish retreat maybe a decade ago. For 40 hours the silence prevails – even though we know our fellow parishioners – from after supper on Friday evening to lunch at noontime on Sunday; of course, one is free to “break the silence” by participating in in common prayer services. And to me, the highlight is when our former pastor arrives to humorously and prayerfully inspire us as he had done for years at our parish straddling the Brighton-Newton line.

– Joe Galeota of Boston

Weeding is peace. My large vegetable garden is where I contemplate and find strength. Fortified by a tall perimeter fence, the garden originated from my love of food and my need for my own playpen, a quiet space while my three children played outside the fence. I planted, pruned, and weeded while keeping an eye on the kids. They were allowed inside with the understanding that the garden was a place of peace. No conflict was allowed. They were welcome to help, but I did not expect them to work. The beans, corn, squash, and more sprouted – or not – thrived – or not – and always yielded plenty of food. Germinating, watering and weeding have provided me with vegetables, humility, and wonder.

– Mary Hollinshead of Rehoboth

The place I go when I need to get away is a tiny beach on the New Hampshire coast. It’s generally quiet there. I love to sit in the sun, listen to the waves crash, and read a book. Usually my thoughts wander away from my book, and I think about how my family had such happy times at the beach when my children were young. My husband also likes to sit quietly at the beach, which makes it even better.

– Sharon Pecci of Haverhill

I used to walk to an abandoned rock quarry about a mile from my house. I’d sit near the pond and contemplate the long row of random numbers painted on the rock wall across the water. My husband says those numbers were there more than 60 years ago when he was a kid. No one knows who painted them or what they mean.

Through the years, I pondered the numbers accompanied by three different dogs: Buster, Woody, and Domino. All gone over the Rainbow Bridge. I first visited the quarry with Buster, who led me home as the crow flies when I got lost. I pondered the numbers with Woody in March, 1988, newly pregnant with our son Travis but not aware yet. When he was a little boy, we hiked to the quarry together and Travis scooped up frogs from the pond with his bare hands while Domino waded and I watched.

Twenty years ago, someone bought the rock quarry and the land around it. I haven’t been there since. I miss the quiet, the pond, and the little boy my son once was. I miss the numbers. I still wonder who wrote them and why.

– Marylou Ambrose of Tafton, Penn.

My sacred space is not a physical location but a mental haven, where I find solace, self-discovery, and renewal. It’s the realm of words and imagination, where literature and writing transport me to different worlds, times, and perspectives. In the pages of a book or on a blank document, I discover my sanctuary. Within the realms of literature and writing, I find a refuge for my thoughts and emotions. Whether engrossed in a novel, exploring an essay, or weaving my narratives, this space offers an escape from daily chaos. It’s where I connect with authors, past and present, who share their wisdom and experiences, guiding me through life’s challenges and enriching my understanding of the world. Writing, in particular, allows me to process thoughts, express feelings, and articulate ideas. In this sacred space, I confront fears, embrace dreams, and give voice to my stories. My sacred space transcends physical walls and boundaries, a boundless expanse of literary exploration and creative expression. Here, I find my authentic self and connect with the wisdom of humanity. This is why my sacred space is one of words and imagination.

– Paul Tennis of Pepperell

Check list done, canopy and airbrakes locked, wing up, tow rope slack out. The tow plane departs the runway on its way to where I release. I’m free! Just the clouds, the birds and looking at the beautiful earth below. Where to now? If the conditions are good, I’m off on a short cross-country, 50-100km out, then return – all without an engine.

Watching the clouds, deciding which are best for thermals, where under the cloud the lift is, eyes continuously outside scanning for traffic, listening to radio chatter, checking instruments to decide where other glider pilots are. If close enough, I’ll join up and fly a bit with them. If not, that’s okay too, solitude under the clouds, in the clear, well above the ground truly enjoying the scenery.

After a couple of hours and wondering at the pure joy of flying a sailplane, it is time to head back to the airport. Gear down, checklist done, scanning for traffic, and listening on the radio. In the pattern, conscientiously thinking safety, speed to fly, time to turn to final approach. Over the grid, flare, smooth touch down, roll to a stop by my trailer. Another beautiful flight.

– Fred Looft of Leicester

In my bedroom, right next to my bed, I have created a small altar with some of my most sacred objects: pictures of those who have been my spiritual teachers, whether formally or informally; small statues of two Hindu gods with whom I feel a strong personal connection; a picture of the Matrimandir – the temple to the Divine Mother at the center of the spiritual community of Auroville in south India; a small candle and an incense holder. Oh, and also my malas – prayer beads for counting repetitions of the mantra I use during my morning Practice.

I find it extremely helpful to have this resource any time I need re-centering or calming down, in addition to having it be the focus of my morning meditation. Also, it is somewhere I can place as an offering anything like a letter, a gift, any kind of bill or anything that makes me feel conflicted, to help me rise above or to embrace difficult emotions that may be associated with that object. I may leave it for an hour, or a day or two, until the emotional charge has been resolved. Sometimes simply lighting a candle is enough.

– William Moss (Karun Das) of Montague

Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, Mass., is the oldest performance space in the US designed for dance, and my sacred space. Though I never was a dancer, the Pillow is a magical combination of nature and art. Just stepping out of the car becalms me (an antique but apt word).

It’s partly the setting. The views of the Berkshire hills are breathtaking, no matter which way you look. Although there’s plenty of open space, there’s plenty of forest, too. I always expect to spot Tinkerbell (or at least the odd forest faerie) behind the next tree. The outdoor performance space is the infinity pool of dance floors – jutting out into thin air with the hills in the distance. Even the main stage has a back wall that fully opens to a different forested vista – a perfect backdrop for some stunning dance performances.

And it’s partly the friendly ghosts that coexist peacefully there – generations of indigenous peoples, 18th century settlers who saw the switchbacks in the road leading to the area as rungs of a Biblical ladder and the stone boulders as “pillows,” and the spirits of 90 years of dance icons who taught and performed in this magical place.

– Alison Sneider of Lenox

People might scoff and say you cannot call a state sacred, but I disagree. I grew up in the Midwest and never saw the ocean until my teenage years. My vacations were not spent at the beach, but in Kenosha with my grandparents. It wasn’t until my 20s that I encountered Maine.

In 1995, my boyfriend (now my husband) surprised me by driving us to Maine for the weekend. A Massachusetts native, he grew up summering there and wanted to share it with me. One trip to the Nubble Lighthouse, and I was hooked. The colors, the ocean, the people. It became my favorite place.

Every trip east to visit family ends with Maine. The serenity that I feel there is unparalleled to any other place. Breathing in the pine-scented air, hearing the gulls, watching the sunrise, smelling the sea roses, these fill me up the way nothing else does. It truly is my sacred space. I understand why Maine’s motto is “The Way Life Should Be.”

On Oct. 26, we awoke in Ogunquit to frantic texts from loved ones asking if we were safe. While we slept, Lewiston was torn apart by violence. My heart aches for Maine.

– Jennifer Dolan of Louisville, Ky.

My sacred place to escape the craziness of the world around me and daily stress is to be near the ocean or a running stream. President John Kennedy once said, “We are drawn to the sea because that is where we came from, and in time that is where we shall return.”

I come from a family of seafarers, lifesavers, fishermen, and Lighthouse Keepers. The salt air and the sea run through my veins. When I need to relax and escape life, that is where I go. The calming effect of the crashing waves, the colors of the rainbow, and reflections of a setting sun or a full moon. It is my place to converse with the creations of Mother Earth, watch graceful gulls or playful seals, and perhaps encounter whales, the monsters of the sea.

The sea is where I feel most at home!

– Robert Metell of East Boston

My sacred space is along the shore of Lake Michigan. The waves crash upon the shores, the sun glints off the water. Trees rise high, home for birds, squirrels and other wildlife. Gulls soar across the open water, plucking unlucky fish out of their homes. On a rare day, a bald eagle or two can be spotted.

If you listen closely and quietly, you can feel the souls of those who lie in her icy depths. You can feel their desire to have returned home, yet also their love of being on the water.

It is easy to pray here. It is easy to feel peace here. To breathe, releasing the burdens of the real world. To feel one with nature. And to feel God’s presence all around.

– Amy Rivera of Milwaukee, Wis.

My sacred space is more of a moment in time in which I would recall regularly.

February 2017. I was visiting Kentucky. Old Friends Farm in Georgetown featured retired thoroughbreds who are now enjoying rolls in the mud while receiving bits of carrot from their fans. During the tour, we met graded stakes winners and claimers.

At that time, I was dealing with my husband’s dementia and my years-long depression and spiritual upheaval.

The tour guide brought the group to the star of the farm, 1997 Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm. Noble yet mellow. I stepped forward to feed him. He ate the carrot from my hand and then he kissed me on my forehead. That was when things shifted from mundane to mystical.

From that kiss, a flood of divine love and joy came over me. It was a message telling me that life was too short to remain miserable. I spent the next several days pondering.

Ultimately, I moved to Kentucky and I found a healthy spiritual environment and sought mental wellness. When I had my moments of despair, I remember Silver Charm’s kiss and that reminds me that God is closer than I think.

– Carol Rutz of Shepherdsville, Ky.

When I was a kid in the 1960s, about twice a month we would head up into the San Gabriel Mountains to be the hosts for Harwood Lodge, a three-story, stone and timber, 100-plus-year-old Sierra Club Lodge, up the road from Baldy Village and deep in the trees. Once there, we kids had only two rules: We could run around anywhere on the mountain as long as we could see at least a corner of the lodge, and we had to come when the whistle sounded. Such freedom! Even when the weather precluded outdoor activities, there were games, books, and puzzles. In the evenings there might be dancing, singing, or playing music. It was magical and still where I go in my head when I think of childhood.

– Saski Augustine of Sunnersta, Sweden

I must be the only person on this planet who finds their sacred space at the office. And willingly shares that space.

To be precise, just down the corridor from my office, which as a mostly remote worker I now visit infrequently, exists a transcendent, enveloping space of peace, a small silent cocoon, a retreat from some decidedly un-sacred work moments and any other of life’s lunacies. The compact interfaith chapel, despite the prominence of the 23rd psalm engraved on the wall behind the altar, is a haven sought out by all persuasions.

In the great equalizer that is the hospital, this lapsed Catholic may encounter fellow travelers in deep nonsectarian meditation, or Muslims at prayer at the back, or a patient’s relative in deep supplication, or hospital employees at all levels of its multilayered strata seeking a moment of tranquility and escape. We are the whole world on a tiny scale, each quietly respecting the other.

I think of the chapel as a place where the dream of America is alive, a place where all visitors are freely, comfortably, able to worship or reflect or just sit quietly together without judgement or fear. Our own little practicum in democracy.

– Pat Conway of Rochester, N.Y.

I spend time walking along the Touchet River in Columbia County, Washington state, to experience both sacred space and sacred time. I have a water meditation I practice silently when walking. This is a simple process and also powerful for my 75-year-old body, mind, and spirit. The river flows alongside a mountain and the mountain provides much-needed shade during the hot/sunny summer months. This walking is a sacred space experience for me because it is also a block away from my husband’s rest home. There is the old saying that your cup needs to be half full in order for you to be able to be present and be generous with others. Metaphorically, I walk by the Touchet River so I will be quietly nourished and my cup will be half full.

– Dee McMurrey

My Sacred Space is without longitude and latitude. My Sacred Space is time.

I spend most if not all of my waking days with colleagues, my family, my pets, with others. This time is spent for the most part quite happily.

It is rare that I have time with just me. This time is my sacred space.I don’t even need to pray, meditate, or leave my chair if I prefer not to. It’s a time when my mind is free to wander. Sometimes it will wander over the times I’ve spent or will spend with others; other times, it goes beyond to other places, other times – future and past. Sometimes I ponder, other times I just reflect. Still other times I am a blank (these times usually mean I’ve been on overload and my mind needs to be empty).

These occasions do not happen often, and they’re impossible to plan. I take them when they present themselves and am exceedingly grateful for them. If you asked, I wouldn’t be able to tell you how long I’d been in my sacred space.

I emerge like a butterfly from a chrysalis, ready to fly off again. Until the next time.

– Elena Zadoroznia Larsen of Vermont

Some places hold a special home in my heart. Just being in them brings out gratitude, awe and wonderment.

We held our “Moving Through Grief, Trauma and Loss Workshops” at the Notre Dame Spiritual Center in Alfred, Maine. For more than 22 years, I had the extreme privilege and honor of working with participants struggling to move through experiences of grief, loss, and trauma.

But those are just words. Words pale and are insufficient to describe what was in that room in Eugene Hall.

Death, suicide, overdoses, accidents, cancer, divorce. Extreme violence, physical abuse, rape, incest, cults, clergy sexual abuse. How to describe the emotions they expressed in those four days? I can’t do justice to their work with words.

When we arrived at Eugene Hall on the day before the workshop, I would walk into that empty room and memories would take over and time would stop.

– Paul K. Matteson of Pownal, Maine

“Made or declared holy.” What is sacred centered in a place, a hallowed spot in the space-time continuum? Google Earth shows the ocean trenches and raised relief mountain ranges, omniscient live view drills down to 10 acres outside Pittsburgh, closer in to see the settlers’ gravestones akimbo, closer still to see the windows of the restored pioneer church. Then two real feet on the ground with hands cupping the window to hide the reflected sky, to peer through to the rows of wooden pews facing the massive tree stump holding the pulpit.

By the pulpit is the font, simple on a carved stand, dry now but filled up with every memory of every baptism whose water caressed a baby’s head. Time has passed and rippled but the space is intact and still. The difference between space and memory, and maybe the difference between holy and human. Sacred because it was consecrated and used by parishioners building in communion a rural retreat from the steel mills in Duquesne.

A tiny wooden sanctuary anchors arranged cabins made from US Army castoff building parts, a picnic pavilion, and a swimming pool dug out of former farmland. Reclaimed for sacrament; declared holy.

– Skye Fackre Gibson of Boston

My sacred place is in my small living room and serves as a refuge only in the early morning hours, when no one else is awake. The silence is of primary importance, as is the natural light that floods the room, inviting the day forward in the most pleasing way. This is “alone time” that I truly love.

Sitting in a bright-red antique chair that has molded to my body, I prioritize my morning meditation. In the “metta,” or loving-kindness practice, I direct goodwill to myself, a loved one, a challenging person, and/or all beings. My tailored phrases include: “May I experience deep joy” and “May all sentient beings delight in the natural world,” among others.

Once the meditation is done, something substantial has been accomplished. I turn to gazing outdoors at the birds or the lush landscape, watching for the sweet 8-year-old child headed to her bus stop. I note whether she is skipping ahead of herself with eagerness or hanging back reluctantly; she is so dear to me. I pick up my journal, a book, or a puzzle, and nod in gratitude for allowing myself, in this sacred space, a “soft start” to what will be a very good day.

– Rita Ghilani of Ashland

Music has forever been my place, my sacred space. When the fingers hit the keyboard, I drift into my own personal meditation, my singular Zen. Sometimes it’s a gentle touch, a soft release resolving into a cherished feeling of peace. At other times, it’s a pounding! It’s mad frustration or it’s joyful exhilaration. The world slips away. The calm overtakes me, and the beauty surrounds me.

In moments of collaboration, when other instruments join in and voices unite, there is essential joy and sweet harmony. It’s all so simple, yet it’s so beautiful.Music. My passion. My personal space. My sacred place.

Music is life.

– Marianne Howell of Nashua, N.H.

Sixty-five years ago, my 2nd-grade class took a field trip to the public library. We left clutching our first library cards, and ever since that day some library, somewhere, has been my sacred space – as the dictionary instructs, a space I regard with respect and reverence.

The libraries of my past and present have been both peaceful spots of quiet and relaxation, where the stresses of daily life fade away, and exciting places of stimulation and discovery, where the whole world awaits exploration. All are locked in my memory – the old stone building where my teenage self barreled through every book on the science fiction shelf in order and dropped nickels into an awesome new invention, the copier; the busy college center where I soaked up knowledge at my favorite carrel and earned $1.60 an hour at the check-out desk stamping due dates (and deleting friends’ fines – ssh); the children’s rooms of suburban libraries where I tried to nurture in my kids, with uneven success, the love of reading that has carried me my whole life.

Sit home and download a novel onto my e-reader? No thanks. I’m going to the library.

– Jane Wiznitzer of Stamford, Conn.

I wake at 4:30 a.m., take a cold-water plunge in the Lamprey River, and then meet with 60+ teenagers at a high school to enthrall them with the joys of French and Spanish. I write bathroom passes, remind my cherubs to take out their cahiers or cuadernos, insist they have Chromebooks charged, encourage them to quiet down and engage in the study of language.

By 2:30 p.m., I am toast.

My sacred spot is the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Rochester, New Hampshire. I head there on my way home; put on a podcast, and wander through the aisles. I do not talk, save for a “Hi” to the welcoming clerk. I disappear in the racks, perusing the bags, the dresses, the coats, the scarves.

I find the locale soothing, comforting, and not once have been asked, “Can I help you?” I crave being left alone, delighted that no one asks me for a thing. I meander and touch and, on occasion, find some treasure, a beautiful trench coat I’ll give my daughter, a fishing shirt for my husband. I hunt in silence, in peace.

I decompress just as many of the donors decompose.

– Susan Dromey Heeter of Newmarket, N.H.

I’ve spent most of my adult life looking for a place that could be my sanctuary. I found it in 2010: Briarwood Beach, Wareham. The beginning of the experience was a challenge. Purchase home – job loss – regroup – relocate – renovate – reap benefits – a roller coaster, 10-year adventure. It’s a short stroll to the sandy spot by the Weweantic River where you can park your chair, but make sure you keep moving with the tide. Most days there’s no one there but the birds looking for a meal. The gentle lapping waves and warm sun bring peace. What began as a part-time experience is now permanent. We’ve added two couples, long-time friends who also craved the serenity and spectacular sunsets of our neighborhood. The house has changed, but the feeling remains. Simple peace every day.

– Joanne Robertson

Wind in the sail, water gurgling past the hull, hand on the tiller, alone on the water in a small sailboat feeling the forces of nature – or is it the hand of God – moving us along. Wind in the sail, water churning past the hull, hand firmly on the tiller with muscles tensed as the gale drives the small sailboat forward, soaked with spray, feeling the forces of nature – or is it the hand of God – driving us furiously forward.

On a large schooner, standing wheel watch alone, feeling the forces of wind and water transmitted through spokes of the wheel, watching the compass in the dimly lit binnacle, keeping us on course moving onward through the night toward our destination, feeling the warm steady breeze, the gentle force of nature – or is it the hand of God – helping us on our way.

These are my sacred spaces, wide open places in which to find both solitude and renewal, places like no other in which to feel close to the spiritual world, to feel a gentle softness much of the time and the full fury of a possibly angry spirit testing strength and resolve. All are sacred to me!

– Walter G. Ensign Jr. of Ashland, Ore.

My rowboat is 7 1/2 feet long. I was lucky to inherit her. She needed a home and I welcomed her. I’d learned to row as a kid and rowing, like bike riding, is a skill never forgotten.

At that time my husband was falling apart with Parkinson’s and dementia. As his caregiver, I lived a constrained life. Getting out on the water seemed like a fine idea. I’d bring in a friend to keep my husband company when I rowed. And once on the water, all constraints fell away.

My husband died four years ago, and still I row in the broad, busy harbor. I like to row alone. It’s never silent, but the sounds have meaning: the cries of the ospreys and gulls, the occasional boat horn, the thrum of a lobster boat engine.

Boats, buoys, moorings are constants in the harbor, but the water, the sky, the clouds, are miracles of light. There are seals to sing to or flotillas of ducks bobbing on the waves. Sometimes I visit a beach and look for treasure. Other times I just row for hours. And watch. And listen. My rowboat is the entry to my sacred space.

– Lynn Hower Allen of Rockland, Maine

On most Sunday afternoons, after errands are completed and social gatherings are finished, my husband Jim and I sit on the bed with a bunch of pillows and our two dogs, pull out our books, and read. It is the best time of my week, and the constant answer to the question that one podcast host always asks her guests, “What is saving your life right now?” It doesn’t matter that we read differently – he devours formulaic mysteries on his iPad and I tend to enjoy literary fiction in “real book” form. What matters is the quiet togetherness. Sometimes we hold hands while we read. Sometimes we laugh at something silly the dogs are doing. Sometimes we read until we fall asleep. If we’ve been cranky with each other during the week, being here fixes everything. If, as I believe, the highest spiritual practice in any faith is love, this time and space is our sacred space and we always come away better from having been there together.

– Sharon Lewis of Williston, S.C.

My sacred space is my home yoga studio and practice. My practice happens via Zoom once a week. My yogi lives in one state and the rest of us live in different states, so it is perfect for us. I also appreciate that I do not have to leave my home to have a yoga practice. It is so peaceful to sit on my mat in my own home. I can moan and groan to my heart’s content in my own private yoga space. I have my own candle and essential oils and I do not need to worry about offending anyone with the scents. This is the one hour a week where I can be alone and at peace. This practice grounds me and helps me cope. I am very lucky to have this sacred hour as part of my life, and I offer my unending gratitude to my yogi. 🙏

– Nancy Stenberg of Easthampton

When I was little, my family would take the week before Labor Day to spend at Camp High Sierra, near Mammoth Lakes in California. Mostly, our dad would go fishing (we would, too, but not every day, like he would). We would take an all-day horse trek up to Grass Lake from McGee Pack Station. The trek would be led by Bill Bryan, a former rodeo rider and after a few years, our friend.

Along the way, there was (is still?) an area where the trees bent toward each other, forming what Bill and I called “the Cathedral.” It was a peaceful pathway and very quiet. Only the hoof-falls and birds could be heard. That was, and will always be, my sacred space.

– Janice Cagan-Teuber

My sacred place has stood the test of time, from childhood into adulthood. I now share it with my own family, and they have grown to similarly cherish the remoteness as a needed respite from a too-connected, “always-on” life we struggle to manage.

This particular haven of solace is nestled on the Maine coast, 30 minutes from the hectic thoroughfare that carries visitors into mid-coast Maine, to Boothbay, Acadia, and beyond. No signage adorns the familiar turn from the blurring traffic of Main Street to the calming pace of vacationers as we leisurely navigate toward an idyllic seaside fishing village. A quaint cottage containing a kitchen, a sitting room, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms offer me perspective in troubled times. The easy meander over a stone path to the churning and rejuvenating sea brings me strength, focus, and gratitude, all sorely needed after the tribulations we all experience from time to time. A short stroll beyond, the Marshall Point Lighthouse and Museum welcomes weary travelers keen to learn of local history or bask in the late-day sun.

This nirvana on the coast of Maine is my sacred place, and the medicinal qualities I have enjoyed here are more powerful than any other therapy I’ve yet found.

– Thomas Moore of Shrewsbury

My sacred space is a 34-foot sailboat I have sailed with my husband and son for more than 30 years. Our ship is sacred to me because it connects me with a more beneficial life rhythm. At home, there is always something else to do or an email to answer. I need to move fast to keep up and often become frazzled. But on the boat I am responsible for only a limited area below deck, mainly the salon and galley, plus internet is not constant. So I am able to slow down – to breathe, relax, dream, and just appreciate being.

I love to stare at the waves when underway, be they sparkling in sun or green-gray under clouds. I savor the “golden hour” when the almost setting sun gilds the landscape in glorious light. I like to sit on deck then with a glass of wine and contemplate the peace of the harbor. I also enjoy leaning against the deck shrouds after dark to study stars – so many points of brightness way, way above the mast. After that, to climb below, crawl into my bed in the bow’s v-berth, and be gently rocked to sleep.

– Jean Trescott Lambert of West Newbury

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Stories from the UN Archive: Greatest of All Time fights for peace

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Boxing legend Muhammad Ali took on fights outside the ring for civil rights and against war, bringing strong messages to the UN since the 1970s, so ahead of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace , we looked back at what he brought to the world.

“Here’s a little Black boy from Louisville, Kentucky, sitting in the United Nations talking to presidents of the world, why? Because I’m a good boxer,” he said at a press conference at UN Headquarters in 1979. “I needed boxing to get here. So, my purpose is to use boxing to get to people.”

Devoting most of his time outside the boxing ring to the pursuit of peace, Mr. Ali had earlier delivered a statement at the UN the year before to address the UN Special Committee against Apartheid in South Africa.

From the 1970s until his death in 2016, the United States Olympic gold medallist floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, as he often aptly described himself, both inside and outside the boxing ring.

Listen to our Podcast Classic episode below.

God, boxing and fame

Over his career, Mr. Ali supported relief and development initiatives. He hand-delivered food and medical supplies to hospitals, street children and orphanages in Africa and Asia.

In a press conference at UN Headquarters in 1979, Mr. Ali spoke about God, boxing and using his fame for a good cause. The son of a sign painter, he also talked about painting for peace.

Listen to the full press conference  here .

Giving back to fight African drought

Mr. Ali also visited UN Headquarters in 1975, ahead of his title fight against Chuck Wepner, announcing that the promoters would give 50 cents from the proceeds of each ticket sold to African drought relief.

At the time, promoter Don King said he expected an audience of 500,000 to a million via closed-circuit TV. The money was divided equally between the UN Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ) and Africare, a Black aid organization, to help dig wells in Senegal and Niger.

UN Messenger of Peace

Known worldwide as "the Greatest", three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer Muhammad Ali was designated UN Messenger of Peace in 1998.

Bringing people together by preaching “healing” to everyone irrespective of race, religion or age, over the years Mr. Ali was a relentless advocate for people in need and a significant humanitarian actor in the developing world.

Upon his death in 2016, then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the UN was grateful “to have benefitted from the life and work of one of the past century’s great humanitarians and advocates for understanding and peace”.

On #ThrowbackThursday, UN News is showcasing pivotal moments across the UN’s past. From the infamous and nearly-forgotten to world leaders and global superstars, stay tuned for a taste of the  UN Audiovisual Library ’s 49,400 hours of video recordings and 18,000 hours of audio chronicling.

Visit UN Video’s Stories from the UN Archive playlist  here and our accompanying series  here . Join us next Thursday for another dive into history.

• stories from the un archive

Opinion Leaders of Jordan, France and Egypt: Cease fire now in Gaza

Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein is king of Jordan. Emmanuel Macron is president of France. Abdel Fatah El-Sisi is president of Egypt.

The war in Gaza and the catastrophic humanitarian suffering it is causing must end now. Violence, terror and war cannot bring peace to the Middle East. The two-state solution will. It is the only credible path to guaranteeing peace and security for all, and ensuring that neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis ever have to relive the horrors that have befallen them since the Oct. 7 attack.

On March 25, the U.N. Security Council finally assumed its responsibility by demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. This is a critical step that must be fully implemented without further delay.

In light of the intolerable human toll of the war, we, the leaders of Egypt, France and Jordan, call for the immediate and unconditional implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2728. We underline the urgent need to bring about a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.

We emphasize the urgency of implementing the Security Council’s demand for the immediate release of all hostages and reaffirm our support for the negotiations brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States that address a cease-fire, as well as the hostages and detainees.

As we urge all parties to abide by all relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, we warn against the dangerous consequences of an Israeli offensive on Rafah, where about 1.5 million Palestinian civilians have sought refuge. Such an offensive would only bring more death and suffering, heighten the risks and consequences of mass displacement of the people of Gaza and threaten regional escalation. We reiterate our equal respect for all lives. We condemn all violations and abuses of international humanitarian law, including all acts of violence, terrorism and indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Protecting civilians is a fundamental legal obligation for all parties and the cornerstone of international humanitarian law. Violating this obligation is absolutely prohibited.

Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine, but famine is already setting in. There is an urgent need for a massive increase in the provision and distribution of humanitarian assistance. This is a core demand of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 2720 and 2728, which emphasize the urgent need to expand aid supplies.

U.N. agencies, including the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, and humanitarian actors play a critical role in relief operations in Gaza. They must be protected and granted full access, including in the northern part of the Gaza Strip . We condemn the killing of humanitarian aid workers, most recently the attack against World Central Kitchen’s aid convoy .

Consistent with international law, Israel is under an obligation to ensure the flow of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population, a responsibility it has not fulfilled. We reiterate the Security Council’s demand to lift barriers to humanitarian assistance and for Israel to immediately facilitate humanitarian assistance through all crossing points, including in the North of the Gaza Strip and through a direct land corridor from Jordan, as well as by sea.

We, the leaders of Egypt, France and Jordan, are determined to continue stepping up our efforts to meet the humanitarian, medical and health needs of the civilian population of Gaza, in close coordination with the U.N. system and regional partners.

Lastly, we underline the urgency of restoring hope for peace and security for all in the region, primarily the Palestinian and Israeli people. We emphasize our determination to continue working together to avoid further regional spillover, and we call on all actors to refrain from any escalatory action. We urge an end to all unilateral measures, including settlement activity and land confiscation. We also urge Israel to prevent settler violence.

We emphasize the necessity of respecting the historical and legal status quo at Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian holy sites, and the role of the Jordanian Waqf under the Hashemite custodianship.

We stress our determination to step up our joint efforts to effectively bring about the two-state solution. The establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the basis of the two-state solution, in accordance with international law and relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, to live side by side in peace and security with Israel, is the only way to achieve true peace. The Security Council must play a role in decisively reopening this horizon for peace.

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Guest Essay

Israel’s Security Depends on Rafah

By Benny Morris

Mr. Morris, a professor emeritus of Middle Eastern history at Ben-Gurion University, is the author of “1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War.” He wrote from Sarigim, Israel.

Unfortunately, Benjamin Netanyahu is right — “unfortunately,” I say, because he is the most incompetent, corrupt and divisive Israeli prime minister ever, as many in Israel believe. But he is right that it’s crucial for Israel to conquer Rafah and destroy the Hamas battalions ensconced in that city at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, protected by a human shield of some 1.4 million residents and refugees from the north.

If this does not happen, Hamas will survive to fight and murder and rape another day — and its leader, Yahya Sinwar, will emerge from his hiding place declaring victory. And he will be right. For Palestinian-Israeli peace to have any chance, for regional stability and for the future welfare of Israel and Israelis, especially those living in the south of the country, Hamas must be obliterated.

Whether Israel will actually attack Rafah or whether it could carry out such an assault to what it considers a successful conclusion is still up in the air. This week, the Biden administration strongly cautioned against a full-scale invasion of Rafah, saying it could be enormously harmful to civilians and ultimately hurt Israel’s security. Mr. Netanyahu said on Monday that a date for an invasion had been set, although he didn’t specify what it was.

Of course, there are formidable reasons for Israel to refrain from invading Rafah. First, above all, is that human shield. Assaulting Rafah will inevitably cause many civilian casualties, despite assurances by Israel that it will move the civilians out of harm’s way before launching the offensive. The civilian toll in the prospective Rafah assault will come on top of the estimated 33,000 dead cited by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry (which number includes the more than 12,000 Hamas fighters the Israeli military claims to have killed these past six months). Many of those were killed in ground offensives in Gaza City and Khan Younis to the north.

The additional civilian casualties and the attendant further disruption of humanitarian aid through the Egypt-Gaza border will ratchet up condemnation of Israel’s conduct by its Western allies, led by the United States. The threat of international sanctions is already on the table.

Second, for months Egypt has been telling Israel to stay out of Rafah. Cairo fears that an Israeli assault will spill over into the Sinai Peninsula and result in Palestinians pouring into Egypt. That could engender both a fresh humanitarian crisis and a political challenge, given Hamas’s kinship with Egypt’s powerful, though now banned, Muslim Brotherhood movement. Egypt has hinted that such an Israeli campaign could even subvert the 45-year-old Israel-Egypt peace treaty, seen by the Israeli government as a foundation stone of its national security.

Moreover, any campaign in Rafah, like the Israeli military’s previous war-making in Khan Younis, is bound to be protracted, given the expansive Hamas tunnel system under its streets and the care the Israeli forces will most likely take because of the possible presence in the tunnels of Israeli hostages from the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on southern Israel.

Which brings us to Israeli public opinion. The start of a Rafah offensive may in itself delay by months, if not years, a deal with Hamas to get some or all of the hostages back.

The recent mass demonstrations on Israel’s streets calling alternatively for such a deal or for Mr. Netanyahu’s ouster might turn violent and anarchic. And the prospective assault on Rafah could require calling up a large number of Israeli reservists who were only recently released from service in Gaza, along the border with Lebanon or in the West Bank. Indeed, the confluence of these two issues — the hostages and additional, burdensome reserve service — might halt the offensive in mid-stride and precipitate a crisis in the government coalition.

Lastly, the prospective offensive — with its promise of the final destruction of Hamas — might even set off a full-scale war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which until now has restricted itself to harrying Israel’s northern border communities and military positions. And an Israel-Hezbollah war could herald an even wider regional conflict, including a direct Israel-Iran clash, which the Biden administration has been at pains to avert since Oct. 7, lest the United States too be sucked into the maelstrom.

Yet, despite these powerful reasons to stand down, Israel must take Rafah if it wants to demolish Hamas as a military and governing organization. And for Israel, that potential outcome outweighs the many risks.

If Hamas emerges from this war in control of Rafah, where thousands of its fighters are believed to remain, and the southern quarter of Gaza, it could gradually rearm through the tunnels connecting the Strip and Sinai, and soon project its power northward to encompass most or all of the Strip, many analysts believe.

Above all, an Israeli failure to take Rafah and smash Hamas’s last organized military formations and its governing structures will paint Israel, in its enemies’ eyes, as a weak, defeated polity, easy prey for the next potential assailant. Paradoxically, the spectacle of Israeli weakness — as much as a Rafah offensive — could tempt Hezbollah to gamble on a full-scale war.

Any possibility of foreign troops (Emirati or Saudi) or Palestinian Authority/Fatah police replacing the Israelis in the bulk of the Gaza Strip will disappear, given the likelihood that those troops would be denounced and attacked by Hamas as Israel’s agents.

Down the road, a resurrected Hamas will again threaten, and probably attack, southern Israel’s border communities. Most of the residents of those communities have been internal exiles since Oct. 7 alongside the 70,000 or so inhabitants of northern Israel’s border communities displaced by Hezbollah rockets since the war began.

The Oct. 7 Hamas incursion has raised a big question mark over Zionism itself. Zionism came into this world some 140 years ago to end the 2,000 years of Jewish humiliation and oppression at gentile hands and to provide the Jews, at last, with a haven.

To now allow the badly mauled Hamas to emerge victorious will underline Zionism’s crucial failure. And critics in the Arab and Muslim world of making peace with Israel — Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco have done so — may well be emboldened to reject such ties.

A hundred or so years of conflict with Arab nations and of terrorism, culminating in the Hamas brutality of Oct. 7, have demonstrated that Israel, certainly for the moment, can be considered the least safe place on earth for Jews. Invading Rafah is vital to eliminating Hamas and restoring that safety. You don’t have to like Benjamin Netanyahu to see that.

Benny Morris is a professor emeritus of Middle Eastern history at Ben-Gurion University and the author of “1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War.”

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Moscow, like other international urban areas , is decentralizing, despite considerable barriers. The expansion will lead to even more decentralization, which is likely to lead to less time "stuck in traffic" and more comfortable lifestyles. Let's hope that Russia's urban development policies, along with its plans to restore population growth, will lead to higher household incomes and much improved economic performance.

Wendell Cox is a Visiting Professor, Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers, Paris and the author of “ War on the Dream: How Anti-Sprawl Policy Threatens the Quality of Life ”

Note 1: The 23 ward (ku) area of Tokyo is the geography of the former city of Tokyo, which was abolished in the 1940s. There is considerable confusion about the geography of Tokyo. For example, the 23 ward area is a part of the prefecture of Tokyo, which is also called the Tokyo Metropolis, which has led some analysts to think of it as the Tokyo metropolitan area (labor market area). In fact, the Tokyo metropolitan area, variously defined, includes, at a minimum the prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama with some municipalities in Gunma, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The metropolitan area contains nearly three times the population of the "Tokyo Metropolis."

Note 2: The expansion area (556 square miles or 1,440 square kilometers) has a current population of 250,000.

Note 3: Includes all residents in suburban districts with at least part of their population in the urban area.

Note 4: Urban area data not yet available.

Photo: St. Basil's Cathedral (all photos by author)

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Road in city area.

The roads and ways of the city areas are very clumsy and many accidents are happening due to the short road. But you need to maintain the driving properly otherwise you may face accident. So now the government decided to expand the road which may put the positive effect on automobile sector. I think it is a helpful service for the society people. If you have a BMW car and you have faced any problem then better to repair it at BMW Repair Spring, TX for the best service.

Transit & transportation

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Moscow is bursting Noblesse

Moscow is bursting Noblesse at the seams. The core city covers more than 420 square miles (1,090 kilometers), and has a population of approximately 11.5 million people. With 27,300 residents per square mile (10,500 per square kilometer), Moscow is one percent more dense than the bleach anime watch city of New York, though Moscow covers 30 percent more land. The 23 ward area of Tokyo (see Note) is at least a third more dense, though Moscow's land area is at least half again as large as Tokyo. All three core areas rely

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Russians seeing the light while Western elites are bickering?

What an extremely interesting analysis - well done, Wendell.

It is also extremely interesting that the Russian leadership is reasonably pragmatic about urban form, in contrast to the "planners" of the post-rational West.

An acquaintance recently sent me an article from "The New Yorker", re Moscow's traffic problems.

The article "abstract" is HERE (but access to the full article requires subscription)

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/02/100802fa_fact_gessen

One classic quote worth taking from it, is: "People will endure all manner of humiliation to keep driving".

I do find it odd that the "New Yorker" article author says nothing at all about the rail transit system Moscow had, on which everyone was obliged to travel, under Communism. It can't surely have vaporised into thin air?

Moscow is a classic illustration of just how outmoded rails are, and how important "automobility" is, when the auto supplants rails so rapidly than even when everybody did travel on rails up to a certain date, and the road network dates to that era, when nobody was allowed to own a car; an article written just 2 decades later does not even mention the rail transit system, other than to criticise the mayor for "failing to invest in a transit system".......!!!!!!!!

This is also a give-away of "The New Yorker's" inability to shake off the modern PC ideology on rails vs cars.

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The late Bishop Gumbleton’s reflection on his 94 years of life and ministry

Editor’s note: This essay is drawn from Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton’s preface to No Guilty Bystander , a biography of him  published in 2023 by Frank Fromherz and Suzanne Sattler, I.H.M. It is used with the permission of Orbis Books. Bishop Gumbleton died on April 4 at the age of 94.

I am an introvert. This might seem a strange statement since I have from time to time been on local, national or international platforms. But I am at my happiest when I am sitting in a comfortable chair and reading a good book. That is why having someone write my biography has been a bit uncomfortable. I would much rather be reading the stories of others.

There have been some real blessings in this process, however. I have been able to reconnect with friends from the past. We have shared memories long forgotten but cherished nonetheless. I have been reminded once again what blessings these friendships are for me, what life lessons they have taught me and how I have been inspired by them to “Keep on keeping on.”

I thank God for all those in my life who have shown me by their example—Thomas Merton, Archbishop Óscar Romero, Franz Jägerstätter, Dorothy Day, Cardinal John Dearden, Archbishop Ray Hunthausen and many others—what it means to live as followers of Jesus in the struggle for justice. They integrated their whole ways of being into the message of Jesus.

I would add to my “Grateful List” men and women from the parishes where I served who sought to live their Catholic faith in a family setting. I marvel at how parents with jobs, a mortgage and school tuition manage a household and children and create Catholic families of faith where a guiding principle is the Beatitudes.

I would also include those who did not even know they were an inspiration to me. I have encountered young people around the world and in the United States who received little encouragement from within their countries to build the reign of God. They didn’t give up. They kept struggling to spread the message of peace and nonviolence. I continue to be deeply inspired by these youth.

I feel deep gratitude for a trip I took to the Holy Land during the time I was living in Rome. I went with two other priests, and on the way we visited Cairo. In that city, we were looking for the place where tradition has it that Mary and Joseph took Jesus. Of course, it was in one of the oldest parts of Cairo. As we walked along, we entered a large area that was teeming with homeless people. These were people who were living on the streets all the time, without access to water, food or any clean clothing. It was a situation of absolute poverty. I grew up in Michigan during the Depression. It was a struggle for my parents to pay their bills and keep us dressed and fed. But our poverty was nothing like that which I experienced that day.

For all those who have allowed me to share in your lives through my priestly ministry and through friendship, thank you. It has been my privilege to celebrate your families’ marriages, births and deaths—and everything in between: family reunions, graduations and baptisms. You have allowed me the chance to share in the joys and sorrows of your lives, and I am a better person because of your friendship.

By going back over my 90-plus years, I have been reminded how history repeats itself. As followers of Jesus, we know our clarion call: to be doers of God’s word and to build God’s reign in the here and now. This call is one that has guided my life. The challenge has not changed over the years.

How do we respond to this call? Start with one thing. The defense of democracy. Human trafficking. The prison system. L.G.B.T. rights. And be aware. Keep reading to find out what is going on in the world and let yourself be touched by the events around you. For example, a more recent issue is climate change. We are at the point of bringing harm to our planet that will make it unlivable within the next 20 years. This issue needs to be faced, as Pope Francis spelled out for us in his encyclical “ Laudato Si’ .”

Lest all of this seem overwhelming, the important thing is to recognize that each of us has a small part to play in the whole picture. No one does it alone. We must join with others in common efforts to bring about the kind of societal changes that are necessary.

Finally, since our task is to build up the reign of God, we must have as our basis a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus. I was once told that we should act as though everything depended on us and pray as though everything depended on God. But more recently I’ve come to know that we must pray as though everything depends on us but that the results depend on God. With that kind of spirit, we can constantly move forward with calmness and determination in our effort to transform our world into as close an image of the reign of God as possible.

As Jesus put it in his call to each of us: “The reign of God is at hand. Change your lives.”

Read next from America :

• “ Contemplating eternity: Bishop Gumbleton’s life of witness ”
• “ Bishop Thomas Gumbleton remembered as a supportive friend to LGBTQ Catholics ”

Thomas J. Gumbleton was a retired auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit. A longtime advocate for peace and social justice, he died on April 4, 2024.

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Kish college names perla gonzales winner of gandhi/king peace scholarship.

Kishwaukee College named Perla Gonzales as the winner of the 2024 Gandhi/King Peace Scholarship. Gonzales was selected after submitting an essay where contestants outlined a plan for a nonviolent response to the problems of hate and discrimination and drew upon the lives and writings of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Gonzales, of Kirkland, received a scholarship for the Spring 2024 semester and was recognized with a certificate of achievement at the April Board of Trustees meeting. Her entry was forwarded to the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) for consideration in the statewide Gandhi/King Peace Scholarship competition.

In her essay, Gonzales focuses on providing education for the community and examining the issues of hate and discrimination through personal connections.

“The first step is acknowledging the scope of the problem. I propose initiating workshops and seminars that explore the historical context of discrimination, its present-day manifestations, and its impact on individuals and communities. We will bring light to the issue at hand. Incorporating the teachings of Gandhi and King will emphasize the connection between humanity and highlight the shared responsibility we bear in confronting discrimination,” Gonzales wrote in her essay.

Gonzales said she viewed the essay prompt as an opportunity to showcase the lessons and peaceful strategies she has learned to use against discrimination from personal experiences.

“My hope for readers of my essay is to understand that diversity does not equal inferiority. My essay was written to encourage individuals to embrace a mindset of learning and understanding regarding various religions, cultures and spiritual beliefs they may not be familiar with. By learning to appreciate everyone's differences, I aim to inspire people to peacefully support one another rather than remaining passive bystanders in the face of discrimination and hate,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales plans to graduate from Kish’s Registered Nursing program in May with an Associate in Applied Science degree. Following her time at Kish, she plans to join the workforce at a regional hospital while continuing her education in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a Nurse Practitioner License.

Kishwaukee College is committed to a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, focused on respect and fairness, in all aspects of the College experience.

To read Gonzales’s full essay, visit www.kish.edu/iccta .

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Pedro hall named winner of kish college paul simon student essay contest.

Pedro Hall was selected as Kishwaukee College’s winner of the 2024 Paul Simon Student Essay Contest, where he described “How Kishwaukee College Changed My Life.”