USW

Speaking of peace, we stand on the cusp of an urgent and missing need, for peace will not be merely the absence of war, but the dignity and well-being of all.

The Concept of Peace According to the United Nations

Peace, as noted by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace, means: “Access to education, health, and essential services – especially for girls and women.
It means giving every young woman and man the chance to live as they choose. It also means developing sustainably and protecting the planet’s biodiversity”. [1]

The Importance of Peacekeeping

Peacekeeping operations began in 1948 with the establishment of the first UN Peacekeeping mission. [2] [3]
Over the years, UN Peacekeeping’s goals remain the same; primarily aimed at maintaining ceasefires, stabilizing the situation on the ground, and resolving conflicts by peaceful means through settlement and negotiation with efforts made at the political level.
Upon the intensification of conflicts and the escalation and depth of disputes and clashes, we see the need for UN Peacekeeping operations and personnel, as effective means of dealing with many interstate conflicts.

Also read: The international day of cultural diversity.

What does UN Peacekeepers Do?

One may ask, what is it that entitles Peacekeepers to achieve security? Peacekeepers provide peaceful resolutions to conflicts, human rights monitoring, empowering women, deliver field support, reform the security sector, disarmament, demining, protect civilians, and more. [4]
In its ongoing pursuit of women’s empowerment, the United Nations, following the resolutions issued by its Security Council, encouraged and called for the necessity of women’s participation in peacekeeping operations and the equality of their roles with those of the male workers. [2]

As a result, women’s involvement in Peacekeeping operations achieves greater access to civilians, especially women and children, which helps collect accurate and statistical data, participation in decision-making and planning improves the quality of work, building trust and confidence among those targeted by Peacekeeping operations, especially civilians and victims, and lastly, creating an emblematic blend of women who represent power and compassion at the same time.

The Role of Syrian women in Peacekeeping

As for Syrian women and their role in Peacekeeping in general, they are inspiring examples of resilience and determination, playing crucial roles in humanitarian response, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution.
However, framing their work and effort at community levels has not easily translated into a voice at the international level, or among key parties to the conflict.

For sustainable peace in Syria, women’s leadership, engagement, and full participation in peace talks and peace-building efforts must be ensured by international actors and development partners. [2]
On the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, 29 May, the Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative, in a continuing effort, aims at uplifting  Syrian women and helping those interested in engaging in peacebuilding in Syria, through education, empowerment, awareness-raising, and equal opportunities.

♀️ Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative aims at sustainable peace building in Syria through targeting women and providing them with free online courses, workshops, discussion sessions and trainings, with a view to achieving the goals of Gender Equality, Quality Education and Decent Work and Economic Growth, which all fall into the interest of society as a whole and serve the purpose of rebuilding it.

“Cultural Diversity gives our life its richness.”
-Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.

In 2001, UNESCO adopted the Universal Declaration of Cultural Diversity. The year after, the UN General Assembly declared May 21 as World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

The Importance of World Day for Cultural Diversity

The importance of this day is reflected in being an opportunity to celebrate culture’s manifold forms. And highlight being a driving force for development. In addition to an asset that is indispensable for poverty reduction and the achievement of sustainable development. Moreover, the World Day for Cultural Diversity contributes to dialogue and mutual understanding. Also to the social, environmental, and economic vectors of sustainable development. [1]

The Contribution of Cultural Diversity Cultures Openness

It is often believed that cultural diversity can pose a threat to society. But in fact, cultural diversity allows individuals to open up to cultures different from their own. This, in turn, enables them to acquire the knowledge they are unfamiliar with. Also learn about various civilizations on our planet. Therefore, their minds become enlightened with new prospects for thinking and addressing problems. 

The Contribution of Cultural Diversity to Promoting Peaceful Coexistence 

This is what makes it imperative for individuals to accept and respect cultural diversity. As a means to enrich the learning experience with our different experiences. While most conflicts come from our ignorance of others and their perceptions. The great benefit comes from learning about the experiences of others and increasing the ideas for advancing ourselves and our societies. On the other hand, our awareness of the importance of accepting and respecting cultural diversity contributes to promoting peaceful coexistence away from conflict.

Also read: International Day of Living Together in Peace

Some Challenges

Despite the importance and necessity of cultural diversity. The fact that it faces some challenges cannot be ignored. Of which: [2]

• Conflicts may arise as a result of differing views and opinions. Especially on sensitive matters, such as the beliefs inherent in all individuals.
• Exaggerated interest in a particular group of individuals over others within the same country or institution.
• Despite the numerous attempts within some institutions to set foundations and standards that suit all working individuals. Managers continue to face difficulties in finding standards that fit the different cultures present in one work environment.
• We won’t forget the most important element of any culture in any part of the world, that is the language, which, at the same time, forms a barrier to communication among different cultures.

Finally, this day represents a true celebration of our initiative based on its embrace of different women and men in their diversity of cultures and environments, and giving them a safe and appropriate space to show their differences to spread the culture of dialogue and promote the learning process.

“It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt. [1]

Concept of Peace According to the United Nations

Peace can be defined as the absence of wars, sectarian, ethnic, and religious problems and conflicts and hate speech, and equal rights for all members of society, which creates an atmosphere of safety and stability and helps development and renaissance.
Living together in peace is “accepting differences and having the ability to listen to, recognize, respect and appreciate others, as well as living in a peaceful and united way”.
This includes the acceptance of all religions and races, the equal rights and duties for all individuals, one’s entitlement to a good job and a decent life, and the equality of all before the law.

Given the importance of this matter, the United Nations General Assembly declared May 16 the International Day of Living Together in Peace, to make it clear that this day requires the efforts of most countries around the world to promote tolerance, solidarity, peace, and harmony.
This day invites countries to further promote cooperation and reconciliation, through working with all parties; including local communities, faith leaders, and other relevant actors in order to find effective measures that will enable us one day, despite all differences, to achieve a world of peace and solidarity. [2]

Also read: International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace.

Challenges to Living in Peace

The widespread hate speech at the present time is one of the most common causes of problems and crises, due to the spread of feelings which may not immediately incite violence, but sow the seeds of intolerance and anger that encourage discrimination and hostility based on race, religion or gender, and gives legitimacy to acts of violence.

In addition, the existence of stereotypes and prejudices against the rest of the people is one of the matters that may increase problems, so there must be wise management of ethnic and religious diversity, by helping everyone perform their rituals and customs in comfort and safety, and in the presence of a law that protects everyone and equals them regardless of their different ethnic or religious affiliations. [3]

Importance of this Day to the World

Living in peace and security is of great significance at the level of the individual and society, as peace does not only mean the absence of conflicts and wars but also requires a set of attitudes and values that are based on full respect for sovereignty, human rights, accepting the opinion of the other and coexistence among different cultures and civilizations. It is no secret that all peoples of the world are waiting for peace, that achieves their dreams and aspirations and secures for everyone a decent life away from intolerance, discrimination, and violence.

Having peace around the world accomplishes a lot of things; as it helps the peoples of the world to learn, acquire and disseminate culture, and build civilizations, in addition, the conducive environment achieved promotes creativity and production, reflecting positively on life of the individual and society.
In the end, needless to say, peace lifts humanity towards the level of civilized social existence, while wars lead it to barbarism. [4]

Role of the Arab Peoples in Achieving World Peace

On the Arab Countries’ level, perhaps what most hinders the implementation of the living together in peace principle are issues like bullying and gender inequality, as bullying is an undesirable aggressive phenomenon that involves violence and aggressive behavior done by an individual or group of individuals against others, and it may take several forms, physical, verbal, social, psychological and electronic.
Children are often the victims of this harmful behavior, which results in a generation that lacks self-confidence and concentration, negatively affecting the academic achievement of these children in the future, and leading to a generation that knows no language other than violence. [5]

As for gender equality, according to the Gender Development Index (GDI), the Arab States region has the second widest gender gap in the world after South Asia, and at the current rate, this gap is estimated to take another 153 years to close. 
As a direct result of gender inequalities, women and girls achieved 14.4% less in human development than men over the past 20 years.
As for work, the Arab region has the world’s lowest rate of female economic participation (26% compared to the global average of 56%). By contrast, the male labor force participation rate, at 76%, is above the global average of 74%. These numbers have remained stubbornly resistant to change despite increasing levels of education amongst women. In addition to the limited participation of women in managerial positions, which often reflects negatively on the decisions taken.

From the above, we conclude that the Arab region, in general, requires a lot of work to implement the principle of living together in peace, in view of their issues, which impedes the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the principle of living together in peace continues to elude the Arab countries. [6]
Upon the values and principles of our initiative, we believe that living together in peace is only possible when equality between men and women is achieved at all levels, as peace is closely linked to women’s access to their rights. In addition to the message that the initiative seeks to spread, which is the right of all people, regardless of their races or religions, to live in good and healthy conditions that secure a decent life for them.

♀️ Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative aims at sustainable peace building in Syria through targeting women and providing them with free online courses, workshops, discussion sessions and trainings, with a view to achieving the goals of Gender Equality, Quality Education and Decent Work and Economic Growth, which all fall into the interest of society as a whole and serve the purpose of rebuilding it.