“End Racism. Building peace. This is the theme of the United Nations International Day of Peace, celebrated on September 21 each year. A perfect time to reflect on a surprisingly difficult question: “what is peace?” Is peace simply the absence of war, as one might readily believe? Everyone knows that living through the horrors of war, in cases too numerous to mention, is not living in peace.
Except that war is only the extreme form of social dysfunction that annihilates peace. When violence, hostility, discrimination and division reign, peace is no more. In many peace events to which I have contributed over the years, we have hailed Quebec society as a model for peace — in Quebec, we are fortunate to live in communities rarely touched by violence, hostility, discrimination or division. Today, unfortunately, I find myself finding it increasingly difficult to support this assertion.
This may be the result, in part, of a realization of my own privileges. A white man from a well-known family, I had every opportunity to realize my potential. The doors are rarely, if ever, closed to me. There is hardly any doubt about my abilities or my intentions, with the possible exception of vain presumptions because of my surname – a slight inconvenience in comparison to the obstacles encountered by my fellow citizens from various cultural and religious communities. marginalized, who live outside norms of age, ability, sexual orientation and others, as well as women, who continue to face harassment, violence and inequity.
My friends and colleagues from Black, Indigenous and racialized communities have suffered, almost without exception, from racial profiling, employment discrimination, police harassment or other forms of prejudice and injustice. The more I get involved and collaborate, the more I read and research, the more I deepen my relationships with people of diverse origins, the more I become aware of the forms of systemic racism and discrimination that plague our society.
Concrete solutions
As luck would have it, I was not born with a skin pigmentation, an accent, a gender identity, a physical or intellectual challenge, or any other visible, audible or personal particularity that exposes me, like so many of my fellow citizens, to contempt, discrimination and harassment at the hands of some members of the dominant culture. However, each manifestation of hostility or discriminatory gesture undermines peace in society as a whole.
It is sometimes said that racism and discrimination have always existed and that it is only the current awareness that brings the problem to the fore, that this is a form of social progress. While I concede that some awareness is due to tragedies like the deaths of George Floyd and Joyce Echaquan, we still see too much violence, anger and injustice to speak only of increased awareness.
Violent incidents are on the rise in Montreal, making people feel less safe there. We see too many people being the target of discrimination, physical and verbal aggression, because of the way they look, what they wear, the way they speak and what they believe or not. In the fight for a more peaceful world, we always reach a point where the conscience is there, where the stakes are on the table, but where people continue to suffer. It then becomes obvious that it is time to bet on concrete solutions.
Fortunately, the hope, the solutions are there. The vast majority of Quebecers know how to appreciate the wealth that diversity brings to our province in terms of arts and culture, cuisine, traditions and, above all, ideas. We recognize that life would be much less rich, stimulating and fulfilling if it weren’t for the diversity that surrounds us. Peace is not just the absence of war, violence, hostility, discrimination and division; it is the presence of healthy relationships based on trust, respect, understanding, fairness and inclusion.
build peace
If I look back at my background, for example, I didn’t know any Muslims for the first three decades of my life; Since then, I have undertaken to meet many Muslim Montrealers, which has led us to work together and, in some cases, to become friends. I thus found allies to serve the causes of social justice, anti-racism, non-violence and peace. Stereotypes, prejudices, misunderstandings have been dispelled through joint projects and, above all, through honest and open dialogue, based on mutual respect, discovery and trust. We have thus been able to better understand our similarities and our differences, to recognize more clearly our common needs and desires, to appreciate the humanity that we have in common. […]
Each and every one of us can be a peacemaker and contribute to preventing or neutralizing the forces of division that attack us. Building peace means making the effort to meet people who are different from us, to dialogue, it means doing what we can so that all our fellow citizens and people arriving in Quebec feel welcomed, included and respected. It means ensuring that our daily actions reflect recognition of our common humanity and the richness that diversity brings to our lives.
We must also speak out against offensive comments and behavior and encourage our society to invest in equity and the common good, as well as in our young people, for example by giving the necessary support to community organizations, for affordable housing and for services. in mental health. Montrealers can make a personal commitment to the path of peace by participating in one of the 45 activities planned as part of Peace Days, which take place until October 2.
Everyone in Quebec must take responsibility and take action. Let us work together to ensure that peace, fundamental to our well-being as a society, ultimately prevails.