Peace and stability is no doubt a sine-qua-non to progress and development. No society can really attain its economic and political heights when the ingredients of peace, harmony and social development are lacking. It goes without saying that all nations of the world that aspire to be great must, as a matter of necessity, toe the path of peace among its people, whether multi-religious or multi-ethnic.

Violence not only claims lives, but also unravels the very fabric of society, leaving schools, hospitals and other social amenities destroyed, a devastated population suffering the physical and psychological toll.

Members of society need to be oriented toward peace and tolerance. At the same time, social, economic, and political systems must be re-oriented to the same peace and tolerance. Inclusively, the discipline of peaceful co-existence must shape our way of life.

In today’s knowledge-driven societies, access to right information empowers individuals, equipping them with the skills and confidence to seek out vital choices that have a direct impact bearing on their families and communities. Right and positive information provides a holistic and integrated approach in promoting peaceful co-existence in our society.

Undoubtedly, educating ourselves is vital for the effectiveness of these strategies. For this to happen, this education has to go beyond the warehousing of information in schools alone but appreciation of co-existence with our neighbours at home, best facilitated through parental guidance which is fundamental to peace-building.

No community can hope to establish lasting conditions for peace and tolerance unless it finds ways of building mutual trust among its people. Having common goals promotes mutual understanding, respect, tolerance and dialogue.

We have been seeing hundreds of thousands of refugees undertaking perilous trips across oceans from their war torn regions, hoping to find a peaceful future elsewhere.

For instance, Syria’s ongoing civil war is one of the worst humanitarian disasters of our time. The number of innocent civilians suffering — more than 11 million people are displaced, thus far — and the increasingly dire impact on neighbouring countries seem too overwhelming to understand.

The rise of Boko Haram in Nigeria reveals the need to marshal a collective effort to protect our societies. The magnitude of the insecurity threat that groups like Boko Haram, Al-shabaab and so on pose demand a stiff response just as the ongoing interventions such as AMISON’s operations in Somalia.

Most recently, Burkina Faso’s fragile stability suffered yet another severe blow with a crisis that followed the already aborted coup. The West African nation had not yet healed from a previous instability putting the citizens in a precarious situation.

On another note, Africa’s youngest nation, South Sudan has also been having a rough share of instability. The government and the rebels have reluctantly agreed to sign a peace agreement to establish a transitional government, collaboratively work towards a permanent constitution and legislatively establish reconciliation and peace-building institutions.

Peace for any country must not be negotiable; Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is so far commended for relentless efforts in ensuring a lasting solution is reached at in South Sudan.

Other International or regional bodies need to really put peace building at the helm of their agenda. Just like the International Day of Peaceis observed around the world since its declaration by UN general assembly such a day provides avenues of strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples around the world.

As it was recently celebrated with the theme "Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All” which aimed to highlight the importance of all segments of society to work together to strive for peace, it becomes visibly clear in the mind of every member of society that peace is indispensable.

A few days ago as International Day of Peace was observed on September 21, Rwanda joined the rest of the world in celebrating this auspicious Day that was locally organised by the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) in collaboration with Peace One Day. It marked Rwanda’s tremendous progress in peace building in the last two decades.

It is notable that substantial achievements have been made in the social, economic and political realms. The country has continued to develop institutions and structures that provide a firm foundation for the country’s posterity. These are best practices that can be derived from Rwanda as a nation that has risen from the ashes of history in as far as reconciliation, peace building and stability are concerned.

Finally, this week, world leaders gather at the UN headquarters in New York to discuss, among other topics, a new global development agenda, succeeding the body’s eight millennium development goals. Leaders should and must create a chance to position peace and stability at the centre of their discussions. This is because peace is a crucial factor in achieving the next global development framework which they are set to unveil.

oscar_kimanuka@yahoo.co.uk