Africa-Press – Seychelles. Each year on September 21, the world unites to celebrate the International Day of Peace, established by a unanimous United Nations resolution in 1981.
This day serves as a poignant reminder of the need for global cooperation and the commitment to fostering peace, transcending all differences, and striving to build a Culture of Peace.
This year carries special significance as it marks the 20th Anniversary of the UN Resolution on the Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.
Under the banner of ‘Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals’, the 2023 Global Peace Day theme serves as a compelling call to action. It acknowledges the collective and individual responsibility we all share in promoting peace – a mission intertwined with the realisation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). These goals aim to bring us closer to a world where peace, justice, inclusivity, and freedom from fear and violence reign supreme.
As we mark the 100-day countdown to the next International Day of Peace, it’s an opportune moment for global reflection on this year’s theme: ‘Climate Action for Peace’. This theme sends a clear message –the global climate emergency poses a grave threat to security and stability. Coastal regions and degraded inland areas are increasingly becoming uninhabitable, forcing millions to seek refuge and better lives elsewhere. With the surge in extreme weather events and disasters, disputes over dwindling resources risk exacerbating climate-related conflicts.
Instead of seeking the opinion of a sole expert renown in the field of climate change, Seychelles NATION took to the streets to garner people’s opinions about what this day means for them. The results were mostly “indifference”.
T.T. Roger Payet noted that while he understands the overall goal of what the theme of the day is meant to accomplish, it falls flat and is just another way for climate change to wiggle into something that it has nothing to do with.
“What does climate action have to do with peace? It is baffling to me that the United Nations chose a day which is meant to be celebrated for peace, as climate change,” he stated.
James Morel stated that it would be a good initiative if the day was focused around the Ukraine/Russia war instead of climate action as there is a multitude of platforms that fight for climate action already.
“It is ironic how the United Nations have chosen to sweep the Ukraine/Russia war under the carpet since they are supposed to be the peacekeepers of the world,” he claimed.
Britany Porter, who is a British-Seychellois, noted that it is a commendable act by the United Nations and is something which Seychelles should be paying more attention to.
“I believe that through climate action, we can have more peace and stability in the world,” she conveyed.
Source: nation
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