Promoting peaceful co-existence for an inclusive and just society
Peace: What is peace? Is it the mere absence of conflicts and tensions? Violence and war??
Peace must be more than that. It is right up there among the highest virtues of life, which are
truth, love, beauty, happiness, and last but not the least “peace”. All these virtues are mutually
inclusive. Peace is beautiful and peace means happiness. Peace develops from truth and love and
begets truth and love. A society is a peaceful society when there is not only the absence of
conflicts and strife but also a strong presence of positive forces like love, cooperation, justice,
equality, and fairness. These are the real fundamental forces on which society is built.
Peaceful co-existence: Peaceful coexistence is the essential prerequisite for human existence. In
fact, for that matter, any life requires a state of peace for its existence and growth. If we look
beyond our society and gaze into the existence of living and non-living beings, we see a pattern
of order, sequence, co-living, and growing. For example, in a forest, we see a variety of plants
growing side by side without occupying others’ space or disturbing others’ existence. They can
be interdependent and mutually inclusive, and similar is the experience in the animal world.
Extending the same understanding to human society, if we look through human history, we see
that human societies have always had multiple ethnic groups and sub-groups, who have lived
together peacefully for ages. So long as they give space to each other and cooperate they have
peace and prosperity and it has resulted in the growth of rich civilizations around the world.
However, when the groups have taken an exclusivist stand, refused to cooperate, and coexist,
there is always tension, conflict of interest leading to violent outbursts culminating into wars,
ethnic cleansing of the weak, and dominance of the powerful in the society.
We perceive children as pure human souls, who are devoid of any societal influence and are
unattached to strings and conditionality in their initial years. Look at them on the streets when
they are playing and you will observe, they are attracted towards each other without inhibitions
and start mingling, chatting, playing, and befriending each other irrespective of caste, ethnicity,
religion, and gender differences. All these divisive forces do not come in their way. This is, in
essence, are the real innate nature of human beings which we all have, and we all experience
most of the time in our day–to–day life. Our in-born spirit guides us to be with fellow human
beings whoever are around and start living alongside them without being hostile, rather help and
seek help leading to develop a relationship of cooperation, collaboration and in most cases a
deeper neighborly bond. This is how societies are developed and positive histories are made in
human civilizations. Someone famously said we can choose anything in life but we cannot
choose our neighbor. In our living surroundings, we have to accept whoever is around and start
living together in a spirit of "live and let live", which we know as “peaceful co-existence”.
Requirement for peaceful co-existence: Today the idea of peaceful co-existence has gained
paramount importance in a multi-ethnic, caste, language, and religion-based society like ours. It
has become the doctrine for an ideal society. This principle presupposes that there are socio-
economic and political relations among the communities in the society, which is based on
equality, mutuality, and inclusiveness. It benefits all and drives the communities to foster and
sustain this relationship. Members of the groups involved seeing the wisdom in investing their
time, energy, and resources to protect this valued relationship bringing lasting peace in the
communities and the society at large.
There are some fundamental principles for maintaining peace and harmony among the
communities and in the society:
Recognizing the diversity of existence: Political ideologies and caste, religious, linguistic, and
regional differences, and ethnic identities will have to be accepted as realities of human
existence. They have co-existed throughout human history.
Mutual respect: Genuine respect for all the communities around us and treating them as equals
and as “like us/one of us.”It means that we accommodate the neighbors, their socio-cultural
practices and appreciate the good and positive in them. Going further, we will have to participate
in each other’s community events and life situations.
Accept Your neighbor’s rights: Wholeheartedly accept that each community’s identity is
unique, and each community has a right to its ways of life and a space to live, and a place in
history.
Tolerance and non-violence: No community around us deserves interference, denial,
displacement, aggression, and violence. Peace is the birthright of each and all and social peace is
a right each community has.
Timely conflict resolution: Disputes and conflicts which arise from disagreements or
conflicting interests have to be solved mostly through “nipping in the bud” approaches, which
means through “ there and then” solutions like inter-community discussions, give and take
agreements or in extreme cases taking to legal recourse. Former president of the USA famously
said “peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means”.
Positive Engagement: Proactively develop and foster inter-community friendships, matrimonial
relationships, and social alliances as our ancestors set examples within our living experience. We
must give others the best that we have and give space for others to give their best; for that is how
can create a society that supports everyone.
Practice peace here and now: Once we start living in peace with ourselves and with our
immediate neighbors, others around us will follow making for a peaceful surrounding and a
peaceful neighborhood.
Love others and you shall be loved: Love for others is the ultimate value we all have to strive
for. Let us not do anything to others, which we do not do to ourselves or do not want others to do
to us. The power of our love will overpower the love for power and domination, and we shall
bring enduring peace in the society.
Some strategies for Communal harmony:
1. Be the first one to “Break barriers” and approach others around you, and to do that you need to
break our stone walls and come out of our little ghettos.
2. Do connect with your neighbors through whatever positive steps and ways possible and keep
our communication channels alive and active.
3. Develop work relationships with neighbors and make them into a friendship and foster it for
the present and the next generation.
4. Participate in the community events of your neighbors, share with them their festivity and joy.
Show that you care for and appreciate their cultural practices.
5. Bring the youth of the neighborhood for a greater common good; involve them in a non-
controversial collective action that would be beneficial to all the communities around.
6. Hang out with your neighbor and local friends from other communities regularly and invite
them to your family and community festivals. Exchange gifts with them.
7. In the time of conflicts and tension, whether it is communal or individual, be the first one to
mediate if required and be a connector or a bridge between the parties.
8.Like youth women are the real force who strongly stand for peace and communal harmony.
Involve women in spreading love and peace in the neighborhood.
9. Promote common festivals, special day celebrations, sports, and socio-cultural events to bring
a sense of unity in diversity.
10. Be a peace advocate and activist yourself and breed a group of the same kind.
Dr. Kumar Prasant,Director-VICALP,
Gopalpur-( Ganjam ) ODISHA.
Mobile: 9437578487 & 7008299011
Email: vicalp@yahoo.co.in & k.prasant5@gmail.com
