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A.S.D. Ngute Grace: Address to Peace Summit 2023, Session IV-C
Written by H.E. Ade Shirri Dion Ngute Grace, Spouse of Prime Minister, Cameroon
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Address to Peace Summit 2023
May 2-5, 2023
Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great opportunity and my singular pleasure to share my humble thoughts with distinguished personalities of your calibre about the contemporary challenges to global order and the urgent need to move toward a world culture of peace. However, before diving into this very crucial subject, one typically asks rhetorical questions like: Is world peace, whatever definition of peace we want to look at, a utopia or something that is achievable?
However, achievable or not, world peace is something people are actually longing for; hence, the huge financial input, time and human resources that have been put aside in the many summits dedicated to brainstorm and find ways to achieve this. Proof of this, in my judgment, is that there have been at least 32 summits on this topic since 1949, pointing to the magnitude of the problem. When one asks the rhetorical question, is world peace a utopia, I personally think the individual is not being a sceptic in light of what is going on around the world.
In world events of recent times, the longest time in the past 100 years that the world has gone with no recorded history of war or conflict somewhere on planet earth is zero days. Every day in one remote village or another, there are conflicts or wars raging either between communities somewhere, between ethnic groups, between religions and the list goes on and on.
How does that make us begin to think or believe world peace is achievable? Yes, it is, but it can happen only if we as individuals collectively start being more loving, understanding and caring individuals. Then we can begin to change ourselves for the better and the world will consequently change. I resonate with mentor and coach Kim Bayen’s thoughts: “World peace can only be achieved BY CHANGING OURSELVES.”
John Lennon said and I quote:
Imagine all the people
Livin’ life in peace
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one.
The question of real, lasting world peace concerns human beings, so basic human feelings are also at its roots and should be addressed. Through inner peace, genuine world peace can be achieved. In this the importance of individual responsibility is quite clear. An atmosphere of peace must first be created within ourselves, then gradually expanded to include our families, our communities, and ultimately the whole planet.
We live in a world that is increasingly interconnected, yet fraught with tension and conflict. Let’s examine a few of these:
- The rise of nationalism and populism born out of cultural insecurity is fuelling world insecurity.
- Terrorism, be it domestic or international, continues to pose a grave threat to our safety and security.
- Climate change threatens the very existence of some populations (floods, droughts etc.) leading to increased fear of loss of lives and property, famine, diseases etc. According to Dan Smith, from the leading arms-control think tank SIPRI, a functioning climate deal “is the greatest peace deal the world could have, yet do all governments believe there is a climate change? If they do not, how then would they truly put in place a functional climate deal?” Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and natural disasters are wreaking havoc on communities around the world, causing untold human suffering and economic damage.
- Economic inequality between nations—the poor and the rich; between sexes—men and women etc., has created a perfect storm of challenges that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of our global community.
- Cyber attacks
- Disinformation campaigns (they versus us)
- Huge arms sales threaten world peace and generate more violence between unequal powers, and the list goes on.
The world today is facing unprecedented levels of violence and conflict. Wars continue to rage in various parts of the world, with millions of people displaced and lives lost.
The simplicity of the list of challenges mentioned above is only the tip of the iceberg, which therefore makes it clear that we need to act urgently to foster a world culture of peace. We need to build bridges between communities and nations, promote mutual understanding and respect, and work together to address the root causes of conflict and violence. There is a need to create an environment in which cooperation and collaboration are the norm, rather than the exception.
The politics of the day, which promotes division and hate, them versus us, needs to be eradicated. Instead, governments need to focus on building inclusive societies that recognize and celebrate diversity. There is an increasing need to promote education and awareness, so that people around the world can understand the complex challenges we face and work together to find solutions. Governments, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders must be willing to create policies and programs that foster peace and promote the well-being of all people.
To end this reflection, the contemporary challenges to global order are immense and diverse, but they are not insurmountable. If we are willing, we can do it—all included in the picture, no exclusiveness. Every individual in every home, community, tribe, race, religion, country, nation making an effort of being more caring, more understanding and more loving.
The question of real, lasting world peace concerns human beings, so basic human feelings are also at its roots. Through inner peace, genuine world peace can be achieved. These are issues that every religion emphasizes, so all we need to do is put them into practice.
An unknown writer wrote: “Why should we only say rest in peace? Why can’t we live in peace too?”
To go to the Peace Summit 2023 Schedule page, click here.