HOW PEACE MAY PREVAIL IN MY OWN PERSPECTIVE’’ DOCUMENTATION PRESENTED BY EZEJI GODWIN IKECHUKWU FROM DEPARTMENT OF GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS IN PEACE STUDIES AND DIPLOMACY AT SIAM UNIVERSITY ON 24TH SEP. 2011 = UN PEACE DAY.

Fellow citizens of the world, lets make the world a better place for you and for me, for this is and should continue to be the cardinal reason for our coming together. Society is formed when people as social animals, live in group. The person that exercises the state power is known as government. The government issues rules and laws and regulations to govern the realm as well as relationship with other nations, bilaterally and multilaterally. economic, social and religious interest are factors that affects the making of these laws, rules and regulation and its interpretation and implementation locally and internationally which often results to conflict and war hence there comes need to proffer solution for peaceful coexistence in this world we have found ourselves. Peace can be said to be an ideal freedom and happiness within all people and nations. It is a state of non-violence either voluntarily or by virtue of a system of governance that prevents warfare. Peace therefore means cessation of all sorts of hostility by all persons and nations. In certain cases, world peace has been seen and argued as unattainable because human by nature is violent hence rationally men choose to be violent. It remains also a proven fact that human being can change even more positively but the problem lies on not making attempt to change or cause a change at all maybe because outdated or unreliable believes. At this juncture it will be pertinent to point out some of those things that give rise to conflict and war. 1. The right to take back even by force is the major cause of boundary disputes within and among nations. 2. Revengefulness, colonialism, extreme nationalism and religion, passion, honor and misinformation of the public by any means. 3. Confrontational diplomacy, ethno-superiority, competitiveness and conflict of ideas. 4. The end justifies the means in international policy. 5. Misinterpretation of the law, rules or regulations to suit self-interest even if it harms others.
Therefore addressing all these factors stated above will bring about peace in our society. To achieve this, it requires physical and mental needs as well as basic rules that are absolute and universal. 1. Do not harm others for all men were created equal should be a universal rule that should be preached and implemented among persons and nations. It should be indoctrinated into children through schools, movies, religion, media and most importantly families. This is to enable children to grow up with them thereby frowning at acts capable of hurting others and by so doing they are also not being hurt by other hence peaceful society. 2. Cooperation, help to one another and respect for the law should be encouraged both locally and internationally. These help should be unconditional and it will encourage reciprocity with peaceful coexistence as its resultant effect. 3. Institutions of government needs coercion to keep orders, force to capture criminals and families needs firmness in raising children. Rules are enacted to be implemented by government institution and offenders should be brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to others. Preferential treatment should be avoided when implementing the law locally and internationally. 4. Preaching of hatred by any religious group should be outlawed especially in this age of war on terror, ignited by Muslim extremist. Freedom of speech, press, expression, religion and other human rights should not be misused or abused because where the right of one person or nation ends is the beginning of another. 5. Education and re-education should be another key to a peaceful world. Since war arise out of misinformation and conflict of ideas with the human mind as the platform, it then becomes extremely necessary to be careful of what we feed human mind with, politically, socially and religiously. Education and re-education will orientate and re-orientate the human mind on the need to live within these basic universal principles. Nation does not cause war but individuals. Education will help man to have rational thinking towards his actions, ask questions and reject the negative ones and sticks to the positive ones with greater potential to innovation where and when need arises. Example on religion. Why should a Muslim extremist tell me to be a suicide bomber while he and maybe his families are still alive going about their business? Why not them first? Or he will want to go to heaven BUT later? So why me NOW? . why should a leader based on ego, trust on weapon and selfish economic interest lunch war against his own people or neighbor and recruit me unwillingly to go to war while he send his own children and grand children to other nation for safety? Why should a man remain in power when he has lost legitimacy and support of the people all because your father inherited power and so you must rule at all cost? 6. The media has proven to be a strong tool towards informing the public and should be used positively. The position of neutrality should be avoided because whatever they feed the public remains what their mind will develop on. All these basic universal and moral rules should be encouraged by the media in programs, movies, music and presentations. Ideas contrary to them should be discouraged anyhow. An informed public is important to democracy hence they can constructive influence the decision of government and positive change is certain. Good new ideas and works should be encouraged and rewarded. 7. United nation and international criminal court should be equipped with the ability to capture and punish criminal leaders for such will serve as a deterrent to others. Equality, justice, charity, collective defense and non-aggression should be the interest of all nations. Upon this, killing within a nation should not be considered internal issue but should be highly opposed by other nations.
Fellow citizen of the world let me draw the cotton here by living you with the words of late king of pop music late Michael Jackson in his album titled HEALED THE WORLD.

THINK ABOUT THE GENERATIONS AND SAY WE WANT TO MAKE IT A BETTER WORLD FOR OUR CHILDREN AND CHILDRENS CHILDREN. SO THAT THEY KNOW, IT’S A BETTER WORLD FOR THEM AND THINK IF THEY CAN MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE.

THERE IS A PLACE IN YOUR HEART AND I KNOW THAT IS LOVE
AND THIS PLACE COULD BE BRIGHTER THAN TOMORROW.
AND IF YOU REALLY TRY, YOU WILL FIND THERE IS NO NEED TO CRY.
IN THIS PLACE YOU WILL FEEL THERE IS NO HURT OR SORROW.

THERE ARE WAYS TO GET THERE, IF YOU CARE ENOUGH FOR THE LIVING, MAKE A LITTLE SPACE, MAKE A BETTER PLACE
HEAL THE WORLD. MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE FOR YOU AND FOR ME AND THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE. THERE ARE PEOPLE DYING IFYOU CARE ENOUGH FOR THE LIVING, MAKE A BETTER PLACE FOR YOU AND FOR ME. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY ,, THERE IS LOVE THAT CANNOT LIE, LOVE IS STRONG, IT ONLY CARES FOR JOYFUL LIVING.
IF WE TRY, WE CAN SEE, IN THIS BLISS WE CANNOT FEEL, FEAR OR DREAD, WE STOP EXISTING AND START LIVING.

WHY DO WE STRANGLE LIFE, WOUND THIS EARTH, CRUSIFY ITS SOUL CREAT A WORLD WITH NO FEAR,. LET OUR SPIRIT NEVER DIE, IN MY HEART I FEEL YOU ARE ALL BROTHERS.
TOGETHER WE WILL CRY HAPPY TEARS. SEE NATIONS TURN THEIR SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES. WE WILL REALLY GET THERE, IF YOU CARE ENOUGH FOR THE LIVING……
HEAL THE WORLD, SAVE IT FOR OUR CHILDREN AND PEACE IS CERTAIN.

Therefore think of the future and decide here and now to make it a better place. Upholding LOVE as the key, then future is bright. Just try, peace is possible.
Change is the way to get to peace, because now people are dying for no good reason but wrong ideas and false love without joyful living. Lets try and peace is certain and we can then live in sustainable growth and our faces will bear witness, shining in grace, for we are all brothers. Create the world with no fear and we will cry happy tears for the entire human and material resources wasted in wars are more than enough to make the world a better place for you and for me and our children’s children.

THANK YOU AND PEACE BE WITH YOU.