Today, 21st September, with this message of deep reflection for us as well as for everybody else, we would celebrate the International Day of Peace.
Form and Substance
Talking about peace is easy and happens anyway in every situation. Social media and media in general usually talk about peace. Therefore, peace is constantly brought into play. Peace is an abstract form which often has a content. However, the question is which is the content of peace? Peace is sometimes a form containing aggressiveness. A widespread aggressiveness expressed through words, but we know form is substance, too. Peace, in this case, is not the substance.
Peace cannot risk to become an abstract theory that, once translated into reality, cannot find a concrete form. Peace is a very sensitive theme because it is easy in its theory, but its achievement is difficult to realize.
An History of Peace?
Philosophy has investigated ethic, cosmopolitanism, knowledge as well as the meaning of our existences and of being humans. Jesus himself was a model of peace. Later in history, positivism predicted an ethical and human progress will follow to a material progress of humanity. Today we can see this has never happened.
In the last century, Einstein warned us in his spiritual testament about a serious danger: humanity possessed scientifically advanced and powerful instruments to the point it can decide if use them for its survival or for its destruction.
Therefore, peace is a choice involving a responsible action. However, what can we do in order to bring peace and – most of all – who should act?
Peace is Awareness
Peace is a state of mind with the capability to create citizenship and humanity. Peace is a choice we can realize starting from ourselves. We can bring peace around us by renouncing a part of ourselves because we are part of a wider unity: this is what Bateson’s holistic theory explains.
Peace and Ecosystem
Species’ harmonious coexistence allows us to maintain the global ecosystem balanced. Particularly, mankind should realize ethical and moral respect of all the living world. The rules allowing this harmony originate in local communities, then concerning broader and global dimensions.
Only recognizing value to everything exists we can inaugurate a possible perspective of harmoniuos coexistence.
Peace and UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development identifies in 16th Goal peace’s programmatic importance by promoting peaceful and more inclusive societies for a sustainable development, by giving everybody free access to justice and by creating effective and responsible organisations aiming at being more inclusive at every level.
Peace is awareness of this all: a self awareness starting and then kept inside us. Peace’s form and substance is the one of our deep intention deriving from our existence and our attachment to the world. Therefore, for this very reason, the first step to build peace is towards ourselves, our identity and the deep understanding of what humanity is. The same step we walk every day into a more inclusive, organized, possible, meaningful world. An inclusive world in our heart and our relationships. An inclusive world in civilization’s coexistence.
