Imagine All the People Living Life in Peace
Arthur Romano took the floor at the 30th observance of the United Nations International Day of Peace ceremony in New York City on September 21. “The International Day of Peace is the symbolic act of bringing people together. It is easy to feel isolated when trying to build peace on this planet,” Romano said, “but we are not alone.” With five hundred students from all over the world listening to his presentation, including the familiar faces of undergraduate Conflict Analysis and Resolution students, it was clear that there are communities dedicated to building and maintaining sustainable international peace.
Demonstrating their commitment to this issue, a group of mostly undergraduate students was selected to display their own projects promoting peace at the UN Headquarters during the International Day of Peace ceremony. The projects ranged from a campaign to reduce profanity on campus to starting a chapter of the veterans’ honor society to bridging cultural gaps in residence halls.
Kim Posthumus, a junior at S-CAR with a minor in theater, is planning to bring the International Day of Peace to Mason’s campus in 2013. Incorporating music and performance into the event, Posthumus wholeheartedly believes in theater’s ability to broaden our perspective. “In stepping into a role other than yourself, you are able to experience empathy that you were unable to experience before because you are literally putting yourself in someone else’s shoes,” she said.
Peter Cuppernull, another S-CAR student chosen to attend the event, wants to work with sustainable peace building in post-civil war Yugoslavia. He turned his words into practice last summer by accepting an offer interning with the Croatian government and intends to do the same next summer.
Hearing from dignitaries such as the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, author Ellie Wiesel, and actor Michael Douglas exposed the students to how conflict resolution is practiced outside of the classroom in a wide range of capacities. The experience also encouraged deep contemplation of the condition of our global society. Dr. Romano said, “Pause and remember the deep and irreversible impact violence has over multiple generations,” as the deep tone of the Peace Bell echoed in the hearts of the students and dignitaries. In the panel discussion following, Michael Douglas cautioned, “We haven’t found anything else in the universe. All we have is our vulnerable planet.”
Despite the violence that litters our planet, a positive and hopeful exuberance permeated the day, felt by everyone in attendance and embodied by the dedication of our generation. “Dramatic and transformative social change has young people in positions of leadership,” Romano exclaimed, challenging students to see peace as a way of thinking, a way of living. Posthumus reflected, “Peace is living in a state of happiness that encourages the happiness of other people.” Regardless of what sort of future we all envision, we must find it in ourselves to encourage this mindset, for it is our future that is at stake.