World vaccination campaign cannot advance in countries where there are armed conflicts, so peace is fundamental to achieve this recovery. The pandemic has been accompanied by a surge in stigma, discrimination, and hatred which only cost more lives instead of saving them, because the virus attacks all without caring about where they are from. Article 3 of Human Rights says: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person”. Everyone may make a contribution starting to think about how to help their surroundings recover better from Covid-19.
However, we could not build a peaceful world if we are at war with nature. Despite the restrictions which have caused the pandemic, climate change is not on pause. There are many reasons to think that the environment influences world peace. First, natural disasters cause more displacement than conflicts, and as a consequence, many people leave their home to search for refuge. Then, the lack of sources creates stress between people and villages. And also, salinization of water and crops endanger food safety.
In these times of crisis, we need a green and sustainable global economy which produces jobs, reduces emissions and builds resilience to climate impacts. The International Day of Peace is a day in which everyone also has to work on other issues such as poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, water, sanitation, electricity and social justice. All people should be involved in to be more tolerant, and this implies: reject hate and discrimination and be more empathetic with others. We should be reminded that we are not each other's enemy and we must maintain peace with one another.
Peace is a war which begins with yourself, a war that is won day after day if you tolerate others. Don´t you think that it is better to cause someone to smile than to tear? One day, John Lennon sang to us: I hope someday you will join us and the world will live as one. I think we could all learn something from him.