International Day of Living Together in Peace

Enhancing the long-term legitimacy of peace processes - and of the actors involved in peacemaking - is a primary the objective for successful, sustainable and effective peace . Legitimacy is not static or given but emerges and is shaped simultaneously by how political settlements are arrived at, who was involved in designing the peace, what agenda for change it articulates, what it delivers to conflictaffected societies and communities, and what kinds of relationships it embodies. Peacemaking builds institutional legitimacy by transforming coercive capacity and personalised influence into formal and informal acceptance of transparent and agreed-upon laws, institutions and power holders. Peace processes and outcomes that support the effective participation of all social groups in public life, and in particular of women and other marginalised groups, are more legitimate. Ultimately, the goal is to generate sustainable political relationships and respect for the rule of law through tr...

 In December 11th, of the Year 2017, by Resolution 72/130 , the United Nations General Assembly  proclaimed May 16th as International Day of Living Together in Peace , to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding, and solidarity across the world . Each year on this day, we reaffirm our commitment to international cooperation as our approach to solving challenges of an economic, social,cultural or humanitarian character and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for alL

  Humility : International actors should adopt the role of midwives, not "architects" or "designers" of peace, proactively enabling peacemaking processes while ensuring the well-being and security of all. Peacemaking is open-ended, dynamic, adaptive and unpredictable and needs to be approached with humility. All peacemakers, both insiders and outsiders, must be empathetic, compassionate, open to alternative perspectives and respectful of the efforts of others, in their deeds as well as in their words . They must also be aware of the limitations of programmes and policies to achieve change in a complex environment.  - Implications and recommendations - National actors, including political, economic and social elites, power holders, and security actors should formally acknowledge the legitimate aspirations of the population, the limits to their power and influence, and their responsibility to act for the common good. International actors must be highly - and visibly ...

  Solidarity : Solidarity acknowledges the interconnected and interdependent nature of today's world, including "solidarity with" and support to those affected by conflict and violence, as well as "solidarity among" those involved in peacemaking. Solidarity is more than simply acting together and recognises the potential for mutual learning and influence and for sharing burdens, risks and resources. The success of peacemaking depends on the contributions of each set of actors. International, regional, national and local actors have common and differentiated responsibility to promote sustainable peace. - Implications and recommendations -  Solidarity has not only an individual, but also a social, political and gender dimension.  • A commitment to solidarity encourages practical support to shared learning across different divides and to enhancing North-South and South-South cooperation.  Solidarity requires support for all people affected by conflict , includi...

  - Implications and recommendations - A legitimate and just peace must be founded upon respect for the dignity of persons; with their interests, views and needs actively taken into consideration in decisions and actions.   The imperative of treating people and groups with dignity holds a prominent place in many faith traditions and international human rights instruments, drawing attention to our common humanity and to the imperative of promoting just and non-coercive relationships at all levels and between all individuals.  Mutual respect in individual and collective relationships must be founded on equality and social justice. The principle of dignity should guide the international community's engagements and interactions with conflict parties and local populations, including creating spaces for meaningful engagement with historically marginalised communities.  A legitimate and sustainable political order requires practical measures that create trust between go...