Fight for Peace
Fight for Peace We live today in a society where we live each day with a sense of caution. We live in a society where violence is conspicuous on almost every street you turn onto. Despite the fact that we must constantly worry about how our lives will be affected by everything that is going on in the world, we have leaders who have risen against injustice and fought for what is truly right. These leaders have put their fight for good in front of their own lives just to see a better world for all.
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in 1989, 1993, and 2001 to The 14th Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, and Kofi Anan for their humanitarian efforts in creating the Five Point Peace Plan, fighting against the apartheid in South Africa, and fighting for individual rights that all deserve. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is noted as one of the most influential beings in the entire world. He is known as a renowned spiritual leader admired by millions all over the world. His large list of accomplishments that has accumulated throughout his life does not fall short of his reputation.
One of his greatest feats comes from a battle that he has been fighting since being named the 14th Dalai Lama. Fighting for a free, democratic Tibet was and still is one of his greatest goals. In doing so he created the Five Point Peace Plan in 1987 to ensure the culture, religion, and integrity of his home nation. The Five Point Peace Plan constitutes the designation of Tibet as a peace zone, stopping the massive immigration of Chinese into Tibet, giving Tibet human rights, banning the Chinese from using Tibet as a nuclear dumping ground, and creating a self-governing Tibet.
Mr. Gyatso spends his life stressing the idea that peace can be found anywhere as long as one is willing to look within. Despite peace being a simple concept of the mind, the Dalai Lama argues that “when we have peace, we can be at peace with those around us” (643). One of the first steps to creating peace is acting with compassion. More importantly, inner peace must be found within oneself. Similar to the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela was also caught in a struggle to fight for democratic peace in his respective home nation.
Through Mandela’s never ending efforts, he has found a way to eliminate the apartheid in South Africa against all odds and brought about a sense of peace that has been missing in the country for years. However, despite conquering one of his greatest goals in life, Mandela still continues to put effort into creating a more peaceful world. Mandela understands that a victory in one nation does not alleviate the pain and struggles in another.
Rather than being pessimistic in his fight, he remains optimistic and confident as he suggests “this must be a world of democracy and respect for human rights, a world freed from the horrors of poverty, hunger, deprivation and ignorance” (632). Mandela knows that there is much more work to be done before he is satisfied with how the world represents itself. Following the footsteps of these great leaders and soon paving his own is Kofi Anan. Kofi Anan is a man that stands by the idea of self rights and government.
He is a man that stands by the idea of mutual respect and compassion for all. Joining the United Nations in 1997, an organization where countries around the world are able to join forces with peace as an ultimatum, Anan soon became the seventh secretary general. Throughout his time as secretary general, he fought to secure peace not only with people of one country but peace for all. The lack of compassion and understanding in this world has compelled Anan to point out that “peace belongs not only to states or peoples, but to each and every member of those communities” (627).
Ultimately Anan is trying to get the idea across that we are all born as equals no matter the frivolous differences one may point out. We are all born with certain rights that no one may ever take away. As one who has live in a nation that builds its pride on its promise of freedom and opportunities, I can attest to this country’s greatness and humbleness that it bestows upon its citizens. However, playing devil’s advocate I feel that it is safe to say that this country is not perfect in terms of tranquility and peace, no country is.
Despite the problems we face today, just as these leaders, we must let peace act as a catalyst that will help propel us into creating a more hamonious world for all. Peace is not only a possibility, but a responsibility in each and every single one of us that must be taken seriously if we wish to live in a more tranquil environment. We are all capable of change whether we stand as a crowd of millions or alone. Bibliography Anan, Kofi. “The United Nations in the 21st Century. ” The Essay Connection. Lynn Z. Bloom. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. 526-528. Print.
