September 21 marks the International Day of Peace. Recently, the 10th Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution with overwhelming support, urging Israel to end its illegal occupation of Palestinian territories within the next 12 months. Some people suggest that we don’t really live in an era of peace; instead, they argue, we are fortunate to reside in a country that experiences relative stability. The stark contrast between peaceful neighborhoods and the devastated landscape of Gaza is heart-wrenching.
As we look forward to this day next year, will children be free to play under the shade of trees, competing to see whose paper airplane can fly the farthest? Or will they still be scrambling for survival, evading the dangers of bombings and missiles?
Peace is a shared human responsibility. It’s only when everyone values and promotes peace, learning from the painful lessons of war, that the true light of peace can shine across our world.
