On 21st September 2021, for the 40th time, the world celebrated the International Day of Peace. It was an exceptional turn of the year when the entire world was battling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects.
The pandemic has cost global humanity tremendously. Notwithstanding the loss of human life worldwide, the pandemic continued to present unprecedented challenges to public health, food systems, unemployment, and economic and social disruption leading millions of people at risk of falling into extreme poverty. These are accompanied by surging social problems like stigma, discrimination, hatred and the like. COVID-19 is overwhelming to human dignity and a big threat to the culture of peace.
The interrelatedness of human dignity and culture of peace is incontestable, yet remains hypothetical due to growing inefficiencies of social, economic and political structures both at the global and national levels, which significantly continues to indent human dignity. The canons of human dignity- compassion, empathy, justice, solidarity, respect for diversity, dialogue and understanding among others are qualities and rights of life an individual deserves in society. It is a belief that all people hold a special value that’s tied solely to their humanity and has nothing to do with their class, race, gender, religion, abilities, or any other factor other than being human.
The Culture of peace has a set of values, attitudes, traditions and modes of behaviour and ways of life that reject violence, and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals, groups and nations. It is an integrated approach to preventing violence and violent conflicts, and an alternative to the culture of war and violence based on education for peace, the promotion of sustainable economic and social development, respect for human rights, equality between women and men, democratic participation, tolerance, free flow of information and disarmament.
The current world’s uproars – poverty, inequality, resource conflict and injustices, unemployment, environmental degradation, religious and cultural fundamentalism, unemployment, racism, nationalism, pandemics, sexism, ageism etc, continue to wear down intrinsic values of human dignity. Society can no longer provide love, sympathy, justice, solidarity, equality and respect, which a person deserves and needs from society.
Who is accountable?
Essentially, a society where doctrines of human dignity are not respected can sustain a culture of peace. As the analysis goes, embracing human dignity so as enduring the culture of peace is a collective obligation for individuals, communities, and governments.
According to Kant’s three elements, an individual person ought to proactively pursue behaviours which promote his or her dignity. Human dignity, for that matter, cannot be promoted unless an individual person in the community manifests the behavioural character of integrity, respect and goodwill to others and more importantly remains relevant and useful to others.
Equally important, social settings in the community – family, business, education, churches, health, sports, settlement etc, must be founded on principles of human dignity, that is building up social systems which promote, accept, recognize and respect human dignity. Lastly, human dignity is an obligation of the state to take lead in accepting, respecting and protecting the dignity of all human beings by putting in place institutions and policies that would deliver social and economic empowerment, safety and security that safeguard human dignity in the country. Failure of either part undermines human dignity and subsequently diminishes the culture of peace.