This is how peace and development are... a hand that builds and a hand that protects
This is how peace and development are... A hand that builds and a hand that protects
Peace is the path that troubled societies seek to reach. However, its concept today is no longer limited to the absence of wars. Rather, it is now viewed as an essential condition for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a comprehensive manner. How can troubled societies grow, their individuals innovate, and their environments recover?
Sustainable development is the foundation that allows these societies to grow in a comprehensive and balanced manner, ensuring sustainability in resources and opportunities for future generations; Therefore,Protectors of the Earth will address in this article the deep and complex relationship between peace and sustainable development, revealing the threads of interconnection that combine societal stability, economic prosperity, and the protection of the planet Earth. So continue reading the article.
The breadth of the concept of peace
The concept of peace has long been associated in our minds with a ceasefire or the end of armed conflicts, but this definition is no longer sufficient in a world in which the forms of violence are multiple and whose roots are intertwined. Norwegian peace scholar Johan Galtung explains that negative peace is merely the absence of direct violence, while positive peace is manifested in social justice, equality, and the building of just institutions that guarantee rights and opportunities for all.
Galtung classified violence into three categories:
- The direct violence that we see in wars and crime.
- Structural violence resulting from depriving entire categories of society of resources.
- Cultural violence that is rooted in customs and traditions that perpetuate discrimination.
These three patterns hinder any attempt to achieve real development. Countries that suffer from such forms of violence find themselves in a closed circle of poverty and instability.
In addition, peace is a crucial factor in protecting vulnerable groups in society, especially children who are directly affected by conflict and instability; In its absence, children face multiple crises, most notably malnutrition as a result of deteriorating economic conditions and the collapse of food systems. Which negatively affects their physical and mental development.
Moreover, the lack of security leads to them being cut off from education, whether due to the destruction of schools or their forced displacement; Which deprives them of their basic right to education and undermines their opportunities to build a better future. Hence, achieving peace does not only mean a ceasefire, but also includes ensuring a safe environment that guarantees the child food, education, and a decent life.
Therefore, it is not possible to talk about achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) without addressing the roots of violence. Positive peace - as Galtung sees it - is the foundation of human progress, the invisible infrastructure that allows the economy to grow, societies to cohere, and the environment to be protected.
Pillars of Positive Peace
In the face of increasing global challenges such as conflicts, climate change, and economic disparity, there is a need for a comprehensive model of peacebuilding that goes beyond the traditional concept of the absence of violence, and here comes the role of the Institute for Economics and Peace(IEP) Institute for Economics and Peace, which has developed a practical framework for building peaceful societies, through what is known as the “Eight Pillars of Positive Peace,” which are interconnected elements that strengthen societies’ immunity against... Crises.
These pillars are not only related to government policies, but extend to the business climate, the level of education, freedom of information, and respect for rights. Sustainable development contributes to strengthening these pillars by providing long-term strategies for economic and social growth. Which enhances the stability of societies in the long term.
This framework represents a comprehensive approach in enhancing the stability of countries, especially in light of the rapid technological transformations and radical climate changes that the world is witnessing. Here, the importance of positive peace increases as a tool for enhancing digital governance, achieving social justice, supporting accountability, and ensuring environmental security.
This requires a government capable of adapting to innovation through flexible and transparent legislation, along with a business environment that believes in environmental and social governance and applies it effectively. This matter is also linked to the fair distribution of resources, at a time when climate changes are fueling conflicts over water, food, and energy. This concept also includes promoting justice by respecting the rights of others, and encouraging stable international relations that contribute to confronting cross-border threats.
Towards a peaceful and sustainable future
Climate change is one of the biggest threats to peace in the twenty-first century. Rising temperatures, dry lands, and declining water resources are all factors that create a fertile environment for conflicts over resources to erupt, and intensify tensions between local groups or between countries.
The matter does not stop at direct conflicts; As waves of migration resulting from natural disasters have become a tangible reality that imposes increasing pressure on host communities, these communities are now facing dual challenges, which include maintaining their social cohesion on the one hand, and ensuring the economic and social integration of new arrivals on the other hand, and without fair integration policies that guarantee rights and equal opportunities, these pressures may turn into potentially explosive tensions.
On the other hand, experiences prove that societies that invest in sustainable infrastructure, provide green job opportunities, and respect the rights of environmental migrants, succeed in transforming challenges into opportunities, and become inspiring models for stability and green transformation. However, when affected groups are left without protection or support, they often turn into hotbeds of tension and conflict.
In the context of the accelerating challenges that hinder the achievement of sustainable development, technology today plays a dual role in shaping the future of societies. It is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it opens unprecedented horizons for enhancing transparency and combating corruption, thanks to technologies such as Blockchain, which is used to create secure and tamper-proof digital records, and artificial intelligence, which contributes to improving the efficiency of services and monitoring performance.
On the other hand, these same tools can turn into means of strict censorship, spreading misinformation, and fueling divisions within societies, and here the importance of strengthening cybersecurity, establishing ethics for technology development, and ensuring that development remains within a peaceful framework emerges.
In this context,Protectors of the Earthbelieves that peacebuilding is necessary to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from eliminating poverty, to improving the quality of education, and protecting life on Earth, and that without solid foundations of trust, justice, and social cohesion, no development plan will succeed, no matter how ambitious.
