writes Shahzad Hussain Hamdani
The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between.—–Mother Teresa
Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, the word peace suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the establishment of equality, and a working political order that serves the true interests of all. In international relations, peace is not only the absence of war or violent conflict, but also the presence of positive and respectful cultural and economic relationships. Peace is an idea simple in principle but difficult to achieve in practice because, as individual members of our species, we have not found peace within ourselves. Societies cannot be peaceful societies until the members of the society look peacefully toward each other. But, it is impossible to look peacefully toward each other under constant threat for one’s survival.
The quest for peace must be carried out on many fronts, the most important of which is for each of us to contribute our portion toward an environment in which humans can labour and enjoy the fruits of their labour without fear that aggressive neighbors and oppressive governments will confiscate their gain. Commensurate with this freedom from fear is the responsibility to respect the ecological systems of the Earth, which gives us sustenance. The Various form of peace which is associated with us and we need to follow in true letter and spirit are:
Peace enshrined in Religion:
Religious beliefs often seek to identify and address the basic problems of human life, including the conflicts between, among, and within persons and societies.
Many Christians call their prophet Jesus as “Prince of Peace”, and see him as a messiah (savior or deliverer), the “Christ”, who came to establish God’s Kingdom of Peace, wherein persons, societies, and all of Creation are to be healed of evil.
Buddhists believe that peace can be attained once all suffering ends. They regard all suffering as stemming from cravings (in the extreme, greed), aversions (fears), or delusions. To eliminate such suffering and achieve personal peace, followers in the path of the Buddha adhere to a set of teachings called the Four Noble Truths — a central tenet in Buddhist philosophy.
Islam means submission. The title “Muslim”—etymologically directly related to salaam and the name Islam—means a person who submits to Allah in salaam. The submission to Allah (the Arabic proper noun for “The God”, One and Only) is based on humility. An attitude of humility within one’s own self cannot be accomplished without total rejection of violence, and a personal attitude and alignment toward peace.
Inner Peace of Mind:
Inner peace (or peace of mind) refers to a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress. Being “at peace” is considered by many to be healthy homeostasis and the opposite of being stressed or anxious. Peace of mind is generally associated with bliss and happiness.
Peace of mind, serenity, and calmness are descriptions of a disposition free from the effects of stress. In some cultures, inner peace is considered a state of consciousness or enlightenment that may be cultivated by various forms of training, such as prayer, meditation or yoga. Many spiritual practices refer to this peace as an experience of knowing oneself.
Peace through Activism:
A peace movement is a social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war (or all wars), or minimizing inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of achieving world peace. Means to achieve these ends usually include advocacy of pacifism, non-violent resistance, diplomacy, boycotts, moral purchasing, supporting anti-war political candidates, demonstrations, and lobbying to create legislation.
Another form of Peace Movement is Pacifism. It is the categorical opposition to any forms of war or violence as a means of settling disputes or gaining advantage. Pacifism covers a spectrum of views ranging from the belief that international disputes can and should be peacefully resolved; to calls for the abolition of the institutions of the military and war; to opposition to any organization of society through governmental force (anarchist or libertarian pacifism); to rejection of the use of physical violence to obtain political, economic or social goals; to opposition to violence under any circumstance, including defence of self and others.
Also the first Day of Silence for Peace took place on October 23, 2007 also known as the Peace Movement; the Day of Silence for Peace follows the tradition of rallies that use silence to be noticed. Participants wear a piece of white cloth across their mouths with Peace written on it to symbolize their unity and readiness to change their world. It means they are tired of the status quo, and are willing to challenge it. It hopes to achieve unity and a sense of empowerment for its participants—including the knowledge that they can have an impact without travelling to the far reaches of the earth.
As Such peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict and the freedom from fear of violence. Thus every goal, every action, every thought, every feeling one experiences, whether it be consciously or unconsciously known, is an attempt to increase one’s level of peace of mind.