Let’s See What Peace Can Do: Joint International Day of Peace Statement

The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined over 200 peacebuilding organizations in issuing the following statement for the International Day of Peace, September 21.

Read the statement as a PDF

September 21, 2021

Can we find our way back? 18 months into a global pandemic, our hearts go out to those who are suffering. We are in awe of the extraordinary efforts by so many to save lives and offer comfort. Yet, in too many ways, humanity has fallen short. COVID-19 has shown us the fragility of our institutions and the fault lines in international cooperation, just as the need for unified action is more urgent than ever in the face of the expanding climate emergency.

In 1945, the United Nations was founded to ‘promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom’. But the steady progress that has been made is now at risk, not only from the challenges we face, but also from the way we respond to them. Responses to crisis that increase violence, injustice and exclusion will exacerbate development losses and human suffering, leaving many behind.

As we face the stark human-made realities of a warming planet, we must redouble our peace efforts, to help mediate and navigate the immense shifts in power and resources that will be needed to forestall further avoidable temperature rise, to prevent and resolve the conflicts that may be exacerbated or precipitated by environmental destruction; and to prepare the path to a more sustainable, peaceful, and equitable future. We must re-dedicate ourselves to the 2030 Agenda vision of a global partnership of all stakeholders to foster peace, justice, and inclusion, not just in development, but as a goal to unite all efforts to transform our world and respond to the challenges we face. Peace is not an add-on: peace is the way.

As organizations devoted to building peace and justice around the world, we call on the international community to:

• Refocus on peace, justice and inclusion, in development, in crisis response and in addressing the climate emergency. The 2030 Agenda and the SDGs show that development gains are only sustainable if accompanied by efforts by all governments to foster peace, justice, and inclusion. We know that for crisis response to be effective, it needs to be transformative, rooted in the needs of affected communities, and tied to long-term efforts to further peace, development, and human rights. Now we need to embed these lessons in all our actions to address the climate emergency and its root causes. As governments come together this year, we urge delegates to recall that no technical or political solutions will be sustainable unless they are inclusive and equitable, foster trust, include mechanisms to address grievances and promote resilience, respect human rights, and leave no one behind.

• Mainstream and step up investment in peace. Meeting the challenges that the world now faces will require significant resources. These investments will have a more sustainable impact when they are crafted to foster peace, justice and inclusion as an integral part of their health, humanitarian, economic, or security objectives. We call on member states to mainstream conflict sensitive and risk informed approaches that are people-centered and promote long-term sustainable peace in all funding for crisis response and development, and in that spirit to support the upcoming UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Financing for Peacebuilding.

• Prioritize inclusion and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. The inclusion and participation of all people is vital, including women, youth, minorities, indigenous peoples, and those with disabilities. This year has been witness to a deeper focus on entrenched and systemic patterns of intersectional exclusion, including racism, as highlighted in the establishment of a Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. We support OHCHR’s Agenda Towards Transformative Change for Racial Justice and Equality. The bedrock of sustainable development is inclusion, and it is just as important amid crisis where engaging endogenous capacities and perspectives is critical.

• Step away from securitized responses. This month marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11. The horror of that moment stays with us, and we continue to grieve. And we also grieve for all the lives lost since then. The preoccupation with counterterrorism has not made the world any safer. We have seen increasingly militarized and violent reactions to political dissent, the normalization of torture and extrajudicial killing, and international relations determined more by the perceived security needs of a few, rather than the right to peace and development of the many. Violence is never the answer. As our communities are ever more buffeted by change, governments must protect civic space, become more accountable and inclusive, and respect international humanitarian and human rights law.

Signatories: 
1000 SHADES OF WOMEN INTERNATIONAL
5 Elementos – Instituto de Educação e Pesquisa Ambiental
ACT Alliance
American Friends Service Committee – AFSC
African Law Foundation (AFRILAW)
African Youth Action Network – AYAN
AfroLeadership
Airwars
All Anglophone Union for Peace and Development (AAUPD)
Alliance for Peacebuilding
Amis des Etrangers au Togo: ADET
Asian Academy for Peace, Research and Development
Associação Bem Comum
Associação Bem-te-vi diversidade
Associação Viraçao
Association For Promotion Sustainable Development
Association of Concerned Africa Scholars (USA)
ASSURE UGANDA (AU)
Bangladesh Centre for Human Rights and Development (BCHRD)
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication
Banka BioLoo
Bareedo Platform Somalia
Bridging for Sustainable Development
Building Blocks for Peace Foundation
CAFSO-WRAG for Development
Camp for Peace Liberia
Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers)
Candid Concepts Development
CARREFOUR DEVELOPPEMENT (CARD)
Casa Generalizia della Societa del Sacro Cuore
Center for Global Nonkilling
Center for International Policy
Center for Justice and Peace Studies
Centre de Défense des Droits de l’Homme et Démocratie
Centre de Documentation et de Formation sur les Droits de l’Homme (CDFDH)
Centre for Sustainable Development and Education in Africa (CSDEA)
Centre for Youth and Development
Christian Aid
Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy
Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development
Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS)
Coalition Nationale des Organisations de la Société Civile pour le New Deal (CNOSC/New deal)
Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA)
Conciliation Resources
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd
Conscience and Peace Tax International
CSYM HUDUMA*
Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation
Democracy And Development Associates-Sierra Leone (DADA-SL)
Denver Justice and Peace Committee (DJPC)
Development & Integrity Intervention Goal Foundation
Development Services Exchange
DT Global
Economic Justice Network Sierra Leone
EIHR: The Educators’ Institute for Human Rights
El-Bukhari Institute
Empathy Surplus Project Foundation
FEMALE PRISONERS SUPPORT TRUST
Fórum Nacional de Prevençãolho e Erradicação do Trabalho Infantil
Forum National Dette et Pauvreté (FNDP)
Foundation for International Dignity (FIND) Liberia
FOUR DIRECTION
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Friends Women’s Association
Friends World Committee for Consultation (Quakers)
FriEnt – The Working Group on Peace and Development
Gatef organizations
Generations For Peace
Gestos (soropositividade, comunicação, gênero)
Global Directions
Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)
Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ
Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC)
Global Security Institute
Globethics.net Foundation
Glokala Sjuhärad Association, Sweden
Great Lakes Peacebuilding Initiative-GLPI
Halley Movement Coalition
Héritiers de la Justice
Human Security Collective
Humanitaire Plus
Humanity United
Igarapé Institute
Improve Your Society Organization (IYSO)
Initiative congolaise pour la Justice et la Paix
Institute for Democratic Action & Development (IDAD)
Instituto 5 Elementos – Educação para Sustentabilidade
Interaction Management Associates
International Alert
International Association of Applied Psychology
International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
International Federation for Peace and Sustainable Development (IFPSD)
International Federation of Women in Legal Careers
International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS) Pax Romana, Asia Pacific
International Volunteers for Peace – Australia
Jerusalem Peacebuilders
Just Peace QLD Inc.
Justice Call
Karuna Center for Peacebuilding
Kashmir Institute of international relations
Kenya Economic Youth Network (KEYNET)
Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation-University of Liberia
KonfliktKultur
Lawyers Beyond Borders (India)
Maria Ebun Foundation
Marrickville Peace Group
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Metta Center for Nonviolence
Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute Foundation, Inc.
Minnesota Peace Project
Modern Advocacy Humanitarian Social and Rehabilitation Association (MAHSRA)
Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies
Mother of Hope Cameroon- MOHCAM
National Campaign for Sustainable Development Nepal
National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC)
National Religious Campaign Against Torture/USA
NETWORK OF RURAL WOMEN PRODUCERS Trinidad and Tobago
Nonviolent Peaceforce
North American Somali women’s association: NASWA
NYU Center on International Cooperation
Odbor za ljudska prava Srbija
Older Women’s Network NSW
ONG ADOKA
OPTIMUM WOMEN & YOUTH EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION
Organisation pour le Développement durable et Intégré de la Guinée
Our Lady of Perpetual Help initiative (OLPHI)
Pakistan Development Alliance
PartnersGlobal
PAX
Pax Christi Australia
Pax Christi International
Pax Christi Korea (PCK)
Pax Christi USA
Peace Boat
Peace Direct
PEACE WARRIORS ORGANISATION
PeaceNexus Foundation
Peacifica (Australia)
Plan International
Platform for Dialogue and Peace
PLEADING FOR THE WIDOWS INTERNATIONAL
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Princess Okaine Initiative For Girl-Child and Women Empowerment
PyeongChang Youth Peace Ambassadors 2021
PyeongChang2018 legacy Foundation
Quaker Council for European Affairs
Quaker Service Australia
Quaker United Nations Office
Quakers Australia
Quakers in Britain
Regional Centre for International Development Cooperation (RCIDC)
Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary – NGO
REPAOC
Roobaroo
Rondine Cittadella della Pace
Rural infrastructure and human resource development organisation (RIHRDO) Pakistan
Saferworld
SCOFIELD ASSOCIATES
Sisters of Charity Federation
Social Economic and Governance Promotion Centre (SEGP)
Solidarité avec les Victimes et pour la Paix-SOVIP
Somalı Conservation Organization (SCO)
South Sudan Youth Peace and Development Organization (SSYPADO)
Spanish Society for International Human Rights Law
Students Against Corruption
Success Capital Organisation
Sustainable Development Council
swisspeace
Sydney Peace & Justice Coalition
Sydney Peace Foundation
The Bridgeway Group
the civil pole for development and human rights / TUNISIA
The Cora di Brazzà Foundation
The Faith and Justice Network (Mano River Basin Countries) West Africa
The Graduate Institute of Peace Studies at Kyung Hee University (Namyangju, South Korea)
The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network
The Peacebuilding Project
The Spanish Society for International Human Rights Law
TRIPPINZ CARE INC
TRIPPINZ CARE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
Uganda Peace Foundation
Unitarian Universalist Association
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
United Methodist Church-General Board of Church and Society
United Nations Association of the National Capital Area
United Network of Young Peacebuilders
United Youth for Growth and Development
Universal Rights Network
Upline Centre for Development
UWEMA ASBL RDC
Veille Citoyenne Togo
VIVAT International
Volunteer Service in Nepal- VSN
Voz di Paz – Iniciativa para consolidação da Paz na Guiné-Bissau
Wada Na Todo Abhiyan
Watch Democracy Grow
WILPF/RDC
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT ASSOCIATION FOR DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA- WEADA
Women in Alternative Action-WAA Cameroon
Women in Development (WID)
Women Mediators across the Commonwealth
Women Peacebuilders Network
World Council for Psychotherapy
World Federalist Movement/Institute for Global Policy
World Society of Victimology
World Vision International
Yayasan LKIS
Youth Help Sierra Leone
Youth Partnership for Peace and Development – Sierra Leone