The culture of peace promotes brotherhood.
The culture of peace is the set of behaviors, attitudes and values that promote harmonious coexistence without violence . It is a vision that advocates dialogue for conflict resolution.
It is worth noting that the idea of culture can be associated with a way of life. Peace , meanwhile, is related to harmony, understanding and the absence of violent conflicts.
Promoting a culture of peace is therefore essential to discourage attacks, aggression and even armed conflicts. This is why it is promoted by the United Nations ( UN ).
Characteristics of the culture of peace
The culture of peace is a view of reality or a way of life that is based on non-violence . It promotes tolerance, solidarity, empathy and compassion both at the individual and community level.
Its principles are set out in the United Nations Charter . Following two world wars, the UN was founded in 1945 with the aim of contributing to lasting peace and to States that resolve their conflicts through diplomacy, negotiation and conciliation.
The culture of peace can be understood as a system of beliefs, attitudes and ways of acting that demonstrate respect for people, animals and the environment . Guaranteeing human rights, promoting social justice and defending democracy are among its objectives.
It must be considered that the construction of a culture of peace requires the commitment of the whole society. Otherwise, its effects will be limited or null. It must be understood as a process where conflicts are not rejected or denied, but rather are positioned as a source of learning for social transformation .
Emotional intelligence and assertiveness are important in the culture of peace.
How it is promoted
Peace education is key to the development of this type of culture. These principles must be instilled in schools so that the search for consensus and the peaceful resolution of conflicts are present from childhood.
However, there are multiple variables that affect the culture of peace and that go beyond behaviors and attitudes. The fight against poverty, social inclusion, sustainable development and gender equality, for example, must be part of the government's goals since they are indispensable for peace. In other words, social and economic inequalities threaten harmonious coexistence . Citizen participation and freedom of expression are also necessary for the culture of peace.
It should be noted that the concept of peace can be analysed in various ways. People often speak of negative peace (the absence of war or direct violence) and positive peace (through justice, equality, etc.). The culture of peace implies the promotion of a positive peace where common interests are promoted and where there is a commitment to respect for all people and social groups. This means that peace is not taken as the absence of conflict, but rather as the existence of justice and equality, since conflicts cannot be avoided in social relations but can be resolved without leading to an outbreak of violence.
A culture of peace requires committed global citizenship and global ethics.
Examples of culture of peace
Let's take the case of a school that works to educate in values and build a culture of peace. In each class, two delegates are chosen, who represent their classmates and must carry out arbitration tasks in the event of conflicts that affect school coexistence. In turn, the institution carries out meditation sessions to reduce stress and increase emotional well-being, and promotes volunteer work so that students become committed to their community.
Let us now consider a province where different ethnic groups live together. The authorities, guided by the culture of peace, encourage intercultural dialogue . In fact, they consider this cultural diversity to be a heritage of the region and they strive to make it known. In this context, they organize exchange activities and spread local practices and customs.
Another example of a culture of peace can be found in a municipality or town hall that is developing a disarmament campaign . The proposal invites citizens to voluntarily hand over their weapons.
A country, in turn, can opt for demilitarization , dissolving its armed forces and establishing non-aggression pacts with other nations.
Interfaith dialogue initiatives, human rights training and peaceful activism are other examples of a culture of peace. Organizations such as the International Red Cross , Doctors Without Borders and Amnesty International can also be cited as examples of entities whose actions are framed within this valuable vision.