Youth leaders were urged to continue their fight for world peace through compassion, as Guyana joined the rest of the world in celebrating International Peace Day on Saturday. These were the sentiments expressed by First Lady Deolatchmie Ramotar speaking at the Global Shapers Community’s (Georgetown Hub) International Peace Day awareness event held at the Theatre Guild, Kingston, Georgetown.
“Guyanese must be concerned about what happens around us and we cannot consider ourselves humanitarians, if we turn a blind eye to what is happening in the world,” said Ramotar.
Diverse culture
Alluding to the diverse culture of Guyana, she continued, “We cannot speak of peace without being sensitive to multi-ethnicity and providing equal opportunities for all despite religion, race, gender… providing equal opportunities is eradicating poverty and bringing education… peace is also vital to child protection.”
The event was planned to advance Guyana’s role in the promotion of peace education.
During the session, the audience was treated to emotive speeches and short films on struggles towards achieving peace and establishing a ceasefire strategy through the United Nations resolution on establishing September 21 as International Peace Day.
The branch made a one-minute video asking Guyanese how they could contribute to peace and peace education.
The “I Am Peace” video will be viewed along with the 2008 Documentary “A Day After Peace”, which chronicles Director Jeremy Gilley’s 10-year process to make the film and establish the day of peace observed globally.
Panacea
Also present at the session, delivering a heartwarming speech was United Nations Association of Guyana Chairman, Justice Donald Trotman, who emphasised that peace is the panacea for all forms of violence while human rights is fundamental to peace.
“All forms of violence need to be eliminated if peace is to come and put in practice what we teach and preach,” he said, adding: “We need to come to terms with racial injustice and inequalities of justice, gender, social and economic status,” he said.
Meanwhile, member of the Global Shapers Georgetown Hub Imarah Radix said, “the day is to promote peace locally and globally, we are encouraging people to become local ambassadors for peace”.
Radix said women’s issues could be the larger Guyanese focus, noting that domestic violence in Guyana make headlines on a daily basis.
Raising awareness
Radix noted that raising awareness had to be the first goal, but the follow-through was also important and that the panel would address how to keep the momentum going.
The gathering consisted of various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), Youth Media Guyana, Food For The Poor, Peace Corps Guyana and Sisterhood, along with representatives from the United Nations Association of Guyana, Habitat for Humanity and the Justice Institute of Guyana, who participated in the panel discussion and provided feedback on how to create opportunities for youths to become more involved in ending domestic violence.
Ideals of peace
The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981 for “commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace within and among all nations and people”.
Twenty years later, the General Assembly set September 21 as the date to observe the occasion annually as a “day of global ceasefire and non-violence… through education and public awareness, and to cooperate in the establishment of a global ceasefire”.
This year commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the 60th anniversary of UN peacekeeping.
