Peace indisputably requires heroism as war does

BY MENGESHA AMARE

The worth of calm atmosphere and livable scenery is well recognized and highly valued when a given setting has fallen on a tumultuous or anarchic mode and has swum in a state of mayhem. It is tantamount to recognizing the significance of health when some sorts of body parts are getting dreadful. Growth and change of body parts is maintained and function in full swing in the presence of health; likewise, a country can come up with the required change and development when its trekking is confidently bedecked with unwavering peace and stability, but how and by whom?

Peace does power to attract optimism and amicable gesture. Peace requires courageousness as war or severe battle does to be triumphant over foes as a great deal of patience, inclusive gut and rational mentality is badly needed all the time in this regard.

For instance, addressing the 6th tenure 11th regular assembly of the House of People’s Representatives, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) said, “Peace is like a war as it necessitates bravery, commitment and firm concern, and requires effort not less than what a war demands.”

From this, one can easily deduce that peace demands army as war does, but the question is what kind of army does peace and tranquility attract? Needless to state, peace process demands courage of entertaining idea diversification, developing coexistence, having a common goal to be attained for mutual benefit and avoiding the spirit of ‘my way or no way’; instead people have to be determined to enjoy appreciating others’ ides if a governing idea is born at any circumstance.

Full health for human beings to deal with whatever they like and complete peace for a country to get all sorts of plans attained are the same as there is growth, success, change and stability, be it physical or mental, in both cases.

Unquestionably, peace and development or growth are inseparable and mutually fixed. When we say ensuring peace highly demands courageousness as war does, the bravery is not equipped with modern artillery, but modern thinking that prioritizes the idea that is governing combined with rational justification instead of applying blind judgment.

Peace, progress and development are all weather interwoven and inseparable mainstays with which human beings are provided to lead a happy life. Yes, peace and growth and development, peace and change and progress are highly interlinked as thinking of one without the other is absolutely impossible and getting more and more complicated delusion. It is well recognized that peace and development are inseparable as well as intertwined aspects as thinking of one without the other is unequivocally a sham, too.

If this is so, is there anybody that is primarily responsible for creating a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere? is the principal question to be requested any time. The response is an outright ‘creating peace and tranquility knows no boundary since every creature on planet earth in general and in a defined territory or a given country has had ample opportunity to enjoy pacifying.

Without any doubt, peace is a clean air inhaled and a blood life of living things especially for human race across the universe. Besides, serenity absolutely knows no boundary, not only for entertaining but also in due process of creating it, as all walks of life are expected to drop their contribution to the effort geared towards nurturing peace, and the created peace is a loaf of bread that has to be fairly distributed to any soul so as to help them lead a happy life free of anxiety on the demarcated plots of land they reside. If this is so, those who have shared the blessings born to peaceful scenario are indebted to pay something in return for the durability of the peace in the making.

In clear terms, peace is not the agendum that is left only to individuals, some groups of people, organizations, political parties, you name it; instead peacemaking effort desperately requires the combined effort of all.

Hence, every citizen of a given nation is highly duty bound to create, nurture and make the peaceful atmosphere sustainable and lasting, too. This means that collusion has to prevail over collision, to say mounting peace loving spirit over developing resentment, retaliation and sense of jealousy needs to be well incorporated in the minds of citizens with a view to reinvigorating the development, growth and change across the nation for which the country has been aspiring if we cite Ethiopia as a plausible case, for instance.

In the era when selflessness has been degraded and selfishness has prevailed, there are of course elements who would like to amass undeserved profits at the expense of the peace and development of the innocent, and they would always like add fuel to fire in a bid to further exacerbate the chaos and turmoil in various areas to fatten personal gain in a country devoid of harmony, if situations allow them to do so.

If one asks ‘What do individuals and/or groups lack if peace is ensured and development has boomed? They would get the answer ‘Nothing’ unless it is a nostalgia from which they have been suffering born to an evil mindedness and devilish spirit.

Arguing against ideas and coming up with convincing justifications coupled with dependable evidences instead of blowing to the direction of gossip wind blows for no ground and/or taking corridor utterances for granted is a clear manifestation of being coward or devoid of courage.

That is why the Premier pinpointed the great difficulty of having peace comparing to the huge demand of war to defeat internal or external foes. Absolutely, peace demands courage; even greater than what war needs as merely demolishing everything is enough in the case of the latter, but the former necessitates a watchful step to stamp a tiptoes until the set target is hit with no noticeable black spot.

Not only is development born to peace but all sorts of activities undertaken for the pleasure and benefit of living things centering human beings are assertively originated from peace. Peace is clean air to breathe, peace is yummy dish to take, and peace is a healthy drink to quench thirst. It is not exaggeration to say that even peace wants further step more than courage as fulfilling what is required in life for human beings with no sign of abrasion is a wisdom and well-crafted systematic approach to garner harmony and amity.

Hence, the responsibility to well nurture this priceless human asset must fall on the shoulders of all citizenry. Taking the incomparable worth of peace and all elements attributable to it, Ethiopia has been working day in and day out to root lasting peace in all its plots, its citizens mental settings of course, with a view to making itself a well-to-do, competent and independent nation, which could never be twisted by others under the guise of ensuring peace, development, democracy or other tempting maneuvers.

True, ensuring peace has to be the principal concern of Ethiopia in the eyes of all parameters as the country badly demands the former for all its growth, prosperity, socio-economic transformation and meaningful political change.

Basically, civil societies, guerilla fighters, armed forces, factions gunning with the government or one another have to transform themselves from revolutionaries to peace makers and creators to help the nation enlist itself under the category of middle income and beyond. It is a short time memory that though it has been a rocky path with numerous lives loss and fraught with political tensions that threatened to degenerate into even greater violence, all Ethiopians stuck to the principles of unity, democracy and ultimately enabled to come up with ways that are instrumental in leading the country to choosing compromise over conflict and bloody war.

Obviously, the government, partners and concerned bodies were not the sole entities in the bumpy learning curve in the new Ethiopian democracy as all walks of life has played their respective role to bring about peace across the nation. However, even these days as citizens’ resentment over unfulfilled expectations is growing, the government and all concerned have to make the stability reaped well consolidated and ready to deal with public reservations using an instrument of peace.

The peace pact reached in Pretoria has covered many concepts including importance of social dialog as a genuine pillar of a democratic transition towards greater social justice and communal equality.

The peace trek the country has now taken continue keeping transition on track and helps it record remarkable political economy growth as peace and economic, social and political growth are two sides of a coin.

Generally, Ethiopia has remained committed to peaceful path toward the realization of independence with lasting peace and tranquility as well as viable development and growth amid the face of a range of hardships. It has to work hard collaboratively with diligent and patriotic citizens, non-government organizations, the private sector, development partners and all concerned to well reinvigorate the peace process, the political trajectory and the socio-economic transitions for the benefit of all citizens throughout the nation.

Yes, peace highly requires bravery and determination. Besides, ensuring lasting peace brings a message of hope, national integrity, unity, reinforcement and pride as this great nation—Ethiopia—has now moved beyond its political transition, and has underscored the central role of individuals, civil society organizations, political parties referring to contestant ones, religious leaders, public figures as well as development partners from within and abroad. The country thus acknowledged the untold contribution of these bodies as they are of paramount importance in responding to the original call for creating an independent and affluent nation with unwavering lasting peace.

 Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald

The Ethiopian Herald march 30/2023

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