Global peacebuilders call on governments to invest in peace
Amid pandemic and climate crisis, more than 200 peacebuilding organisations have issued a joint statement calling on governments to work for peace. Quakers in Britain have signed alongside Quaker United Nations Office and American Friends Service Committee. The statement asserts that peace is not an add-on: peace is the way.
The statement, released at the opening of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, calls on governments and the international community to:
- refocus on peace, justice and inclusion, in development, in crisis response, and in addressing the climate emergency;
- mainstream and step up investment in peace;
- prioritise inclusion and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms;
- and step away from securitised responses.
Released on International Day of Peace, the statement reads, in part. “As we face the stark human-made realities of a warming planet, we must redouble our peace efforts, to help mediate and navigate the immense shifts in power and resources that will be needed to forestall further avoidable temperature rise, to prevent and resolve the conflicts that may be exacerbated or precipitated by environmental destruction; and to prepare the path to a more sustainable, peaceful, and equitable future."
Read the statement and signatories