Peace has always been a demanding path. When I first started working in the peace field in the mid-2000s, my colleague, who had already been working in the field for a few years, told me these striking words: “You will have to be patient, peace takes time.” This was a reality that I could accept and that did not seem too surprising to me, as someone who has studied and worked in mediation, a process that is a practical application of peace.
I have come to understand that while it can take only moments for relationships to collapse, it often takes a concerted effort to restore the balance, respect, and trust that are the foundation of peaceful relationships. So while the long road to peace has come as no surprise, I had never really considered that “peace” could be anything other than a shared value and goal, a call for a better life and a better world. Yet, to my surprise and dismay, “peace” has become, in some contexts, a thorny issue, prone to controversy and even contempt.
In the context of war and civil conflict, the use of the word “peace” can be unsettling and loaded with meaning. For some, who support one side of a conflict, achieving peace means that the adversary has the opportunity to resurface and commit acts of violence and cruelty again, or that territorial gains are irrevocable, or that injustices endured go unpunished. For others, the problem lies in the hypocrisy of talking about peace while bombs are falling, innocent civilians are suffering, people are being held hostage, and others are dying.
In a social justice context, the pursuit of “peace” can raise objections to maintaining the status quo and reinforcing privilege. For people from marginalized communities, who have experienced racism and discrimination, and whose opportunities have been limited by barriers related to arbitrary factors such as skin color, gender, accent, or sexual orientation, “peace” necessarily involves working to dismantle systemic oppression—hence the idea of “no peace without justice.”
If, on the other hand, peace means restoring or protecting the status quo in the face of social unrest, we could consider ourselves restoring or defending the privileges of those who face little or no discrimination and barriers, and who benefit from an imperfect and unequal system. I am undeniably someone who benefits from privileges due to a combination of favorable circumstances, but I hope that recognizing my privileges allows me to be an ally in the quest for equity, inclusion, and social justice.
Furthermore, I am a believer in the power of collaboration, and this has allowed me to build relationships with people of diverse cultures, religions and lifestyles, which have enriched my life in ways that have nothing to do with money, but rather an exchange of ideas, a better understanding of social issues, as well as joy, friendship and love.
To complicate matters further, the term “peace” is ambiguous. Almost every element of societal well-being can be linked to peace, if only indirectly: environmental protection, poverty alleviation, human rights, mental and physical health, and almost everything that concerns our communities. However, if we try to work with an all-encompassing definition, we have no clear goal, no direction, and, therefore, we have nothing.
This is why we named our organization: Network for Peace and Social Harmony, clearly indicating that our approach to peace is based on harmonious relationships between individuals, which remains the anchor of peace in families, in communities as well as within and between states. Peace is inseparable from relationships based on respect, trust, non-violence, as well as the acceptance and welcoming of difference.
It is easy to take for granted that, unlike too many parts of the world—Israel, Palestine, Sudan, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Haiti, etc.—we generally live in peace (Canada ranks 11e rank in the Global Peace Index this year). However, in Montreal as elsewhere, peace is not the result of chance and does not come by itself: it is built and maintained thanks to the dedication of organizations and individuals who work for it, for the benefit of all.
Life in 2024 is becoming increasingly complex, even when we talk about “peace.” But we must talk about peace, even if we refrain from using the word “peace.” Better yet, we invite you to participate in building peace, whether you talk about it or not. Whether you are comfortable with the word or prefer to focus on other names, let us wish each other a meaningful September 21, where we work together for social harmony, respect, hope, inclusion, and, dare I say it…peace.