International Day of Peace

Peace – One word, five letters, millions of different definitions, and even more ways for YOU to bring a little bit more peace into our world. According to former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Peace “must be nurtured through the (…) capacities of every man and woman”. You don’t have to build a boat and save hundreds of refugees in the mediterranean sea. You don’t have to open a school in Africa. You don’t have to donate your entire wardrobe to kids in Romania.

Small acts of kindness can make a huge impact in someone elses life.

Hold open the door for the old lady at the grocery store who has to carry five bags. Tell the people at the bakery how much you love to start the day with their amazing bread. Treat your colleague who is new in town to a visit in your favorite restaurant during lunch. Peace is about the way we treat our fellow men. That is one definition. But as said before there are millions of ways to define “peace”.

More important than ever before peace also means living sustainable and paying attention to the environment. “Climate Action for Peace” is the motto at this years “Youth Climate Summit” in New York City. Each year natural disasters displace three times as many people as conflicts. People are forced to leave their homes and seek help and safety somewhere in the unknown. Grandmothers don’t get to see their grandchildren again. Fathers are separated from their daughters. Babys are taken away from their mothers.

Natural disasters are partially caused by disastrous human behaviour. We have been driving diesel vehicles for too long. We have been attending domestic flights for too long. We have been using our sprinklers for too long. It is time for a change. WE have to make the change. WE have to learn from our mistakes. WE have to work on ourselves.

It is as easy as taking the bike to school, using reusables bags or taking shorter showers.

I want to end my message with a small request. Each day find just five ways to do something good. One for each letter in the word “Peace”