By Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate, on International Peace Day, Sept. 21, 2024
I would like to thank the youth of the world for all they do to reject violence, militarism, and war. I have been inspired wherever I have traveled by the imagination, courage, and resistance of so many young people. They give me great hope for the future of humanity.
The young are wise. They know that yet again in our world we, the people, are being propagandized for war. Government leaders, and mainstream media, are telling us we must have enemies (Russia, Iran, North Korea, China, etc.) and prepare for increased military budgets in spite of the fact a growing number of countries have food banks and charity shops to try to ease the high cost of living and allow increasing numbers of families to feed their children, and the elderly to heat their homes.
Young people are protesting such policies and are going to prison to say ‘no’ to killing other humans and destroying (or stealing) their resources and land. Government leaders are going one way to militarism and war, and young people are going another, asking for a humane way of living together, respecting the environment, and peacefully solving the huge problems we all face.
‘Be gentle,’ ‘Stay human’ appear on colorful placards in multiple peace movements from North Korea to North America, Beijing to Belfast, Tehran to Tokyo, and Moscow to Palestine. People, particularly the youth, are building an alternative to the cruelty of war — often doing so from inside prisons, from their own websites on alternative media, on the streets in civil disobedience to bad laws — an alternative way of human living, a gentle more humane humanity and being, in keeping with nature. There is a new consciousness, including science, and this will not be silenced or intimidated by those playing power politics with our children’s lives and future.
Young people know what it is to suffer. They know the cost of austerity cuts, pandemics, forever wars, and they all take a toll on their mental health and sense of despair and hopelessness. We, the elders owe it to them to join in their brave efforts to change the world, to make things better for all the children everywhere. Let us therefore join our youth as they work for disarmament and peace, and refuse to hurt or kill other people and hurt or kill children. We could join them by demanding an immediate end to the Russian/Ukraine war, an end to the Gaza genocide by Israel, and use of dialogue not death — and say ‘No’ to NATO’s preparation for a third world war
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