International Peace Day: Resistance, hope and action

 
“Peace is where the sound of guns is replaced with the sound of children playing in the backyard”. 
 
This International Peace Day feels decidedly sombre. We are in the second year of a genocide in Gaza with new horrors inflicted by the Israeli government every day; in Sudan the brutal war continues, with civilians deliberately targeted and starved and more than 14 million people displaced; in Myanmar millions of people are suffering amid aerial bombardments, the destruction of property and detentions; and in Yemen, violence continues, as does widespread hunger – 17 million people are already struggling to eat – and activists, peacebuilders and humanitarian workers are constantly targeted. We are seeing an increase in far-right policies and rhetoric at all levels across many countries, which are embracing dehumanising racist and anti-immigrant narratives. There are more conflicts globally than any year since World War II, and a collective failure to act to sustain peace and protect the most vulnerable people.   
 
While writing this piece I also learnt the devastating news that in the heart of Taiz in Yemen, Iftehan Al-Mashahri, director of the governorate’s Cleaning and Improvement Fund, was brutally assassinated – 30 bullets tore through her car, her life, and the dreams she carried for her city. She was an activist and a member of the Whage Women's Hub, which Saferworld has been working with, and she had an unwavering commitment to support change in the lives of the women in her city.  
 
How can we sustain hope when every day we see how people’s lives are not worth the same? When women’s bodies have become battle grounds? When people are losing their homes as they flee wars – wars that are often compounded by climate injustice? When people working to achieve peace and justice, like Iftehan, are constantly risking their lives until a bullet takes it? 
 
However, we are not without hope. As one of our partners told me when I asked them what their reflections are for Peace Day this year, “Peace is life. Peace is the only chance to survive.” 

Hope is in people’s power. Hope is in those resisting oppression and injustice. Hope is in those who are building peace in the most horrific circumstances. Hope is in those who, with or without funding, work for a different future for their communities and their children. Their commitment is personal, and the personal is political. 

The United Nations theme for 2025’s International Peace Day is ‘act now for a peaceful world’ – and people are doing just that. There are powerful forces and states pushing against the organising, solidarity and collective action that is trying to address the inequalities and injustice that undermine sustainable peace. The basic tenets and principles of international law are being flouted by those states that have always seen themselves as champions; for example, by continuing to supply arms for use in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. But this failure of action and failure to stand up for people’s rights is not going unchallenged, despite the best efforts of governments to repress and criminalise those who are standing up for what is right – and this work needs to be supported. We can see communities, social movements, women’s rights activists and youth activists continuing to work towards peace and social justice – and global solidarity plays a clear role in supporting their voice, visibility and message.  
 
Getting resources to and political backing for local responders, activists, groups and communities working to prevent a further slide into armed conflict and to build peace needs to be a priority. Considering the daily risks taken, ensuring that their safety and security is prioritised, at both the resourcing and political level, is crucial. We are at a crisis point. Direct, flexible support goes a long way – giving peacebuilders, activists and responders the space to work together and decide what is most needed to hold the tide against growing violence and injustice. Political space and backing are also crucial – progressive states have a huge role to play in amplifying the voices and concerns of civil society, and pushing back on ‘transactional’ politics that undermine the needs and priorities of people affected by conflict and insecurity. All states have a responsibility to comply with international human rights frameworks and to protect civic space and free speech.  
 
When talking recently to a colleague in South Sudan, he mentioned that sometimes all the years of dreams and of working with communities to strengthen inclusion and build peace feels wasted, with conflict escalating yet again. But he stressed that he continues to believe in his country and the possibilities of a different future and that keeps him going. We know that building peace is a long, complicated and often heartbreaking journey, with many unjust and unexpected turns. However, building peace is also a decision on hope. And hope is the basis of action. Hope is the mutual aid groups, the solidarity networks, the people who find families under the rubble in Gaza, those documenting human rights violations for future accountability, the women providing care to other women who have faced sexual violence, the people who bring communities together to collectively dream of a an inclusive future, and those who are resisting and connecting with others despite brutal crackdowns and daily risks.  

This is a moment in which an old world is collapsing and a new world is coming, and what is leading this is people’s power. People’s dreams, people’s resistance, people’s activism, people’s solidarity, people building peace. That is what we honour today.  

It is those people – our partners, communities, activists, our staff – who are weaving the tapestry of a different future. Because, as the indigenous Zapatista movement says, “another world is possible”. 
 
At the end of this post, I want to share some quotes from our partners and staff on what it means peace for them.

"For us, peace is not just the silence of guns or the end of war. Real peace is when women have equal voice in decisions that shape their lives, when girls can learn without barriers, and when all children can grow up without fear of abuse or persecution."

"Peace is when we can return home and live free from oppression, fear, and atrocities—where dignity and equality prevail."  

"Peace is a time when survivors find justice, perpetrators are held accountable, and no one is silenced for speaking the truth." 

"Peace means absence of war, but it also means total and credible service delivery for the people, where they are able to access health services, education services, agricultural services, participate in the market, and create employment opportunities for young people and women, including people with disabilities."

"Peace means the presence of smiling faces, where women give birth in safe hospitals and the umbilical cord of the child is cut with a razor, not a broken stone. Peace is where the sound of guns is replaced with the sound of children playing in the backyard."

"Peace for me is the freedom to dream, think and strive in any sphere, be it in art, activism or the simplest private matters. it is the chance to seek success and happiness wherever your heart leads. Peace is the foundation of human fulfilment.  Without it, when fear for yourself and your loved ones prevails and safety is at risk, it is almost impossible to aspire to something greater."

"Ending war and achieving peace is not limited to silencing the sound of guns and ending armed conflicts between warring parties. Above all, it means laying new foundations for coexistence and stability."  

"True peace goes beyond the mere absence of violence; it encompasses building bridges of trust, promoting values of mutual respect, and prioritising dialogue and understanding over the language of force and exclusion."

"It includes reaching fair agreements, rebuilding what war has destroyed, implementing effective programs for reconciliation and redress."

"Sustainable peace also means investing in people and development, providing a safe environment that allows people to live in dignity, and giving future generations the opportunity for a better future free from the cycle of wars and conflicts."

"Peace is life."

"Peace is what we’re all craving right now. What we learnt in our country after over 50 years of authoritarian rule is that we can live in stability and security for decades, but never feel the peace. All it takes is one strong shake for it all to blow up into conflict war. We learnt that big parts of the society can be living their life in what they think is “peace”, while many others suffer. But there cannot be disparity in peace, peace cannot be divided; it’s either we all live in peace, or there’s no real peace for anyone. It cannot be achieved for some and not for others. If parts of the society are living in fear and injustice, true peace will never be there for anyone. There can be no peace under oppression. Peace cannot exist without dignity, freedom and justice. These are critical pillars for peace, where they don’t exist, there can be no peace. Thus peace is hard fought for and the result of a long struggle."

"Peace is what I felt being with family at home in safety and dignity after so many years of not seeing them. It’s a feeling I almost forgot and very much longed for!"

"At this stage of the ongoing war, we view peace as the only chance to survive, and we recommend the need to identify and prevent the causes of violence, address the root causes of conflict, build trust and develop relationships."

"Peace begins with the psychological rehabilitation of the human being before starting the steps of peacebuilding, because of what people, especially women, have witnessed including gender-base violence and conflict-related sexual violence."

"Peace begins with bridging communication between local and rural communities and supporting and strengthening social cohesion to prevent the outbreak of tribal wars in light of the ongoing war in the country."

"Peace here does not only mean non-violence, peace is food security is education, it is services."

"Peace means enhancing the chances of transitional justice."

"I would like to bring in an answer to a similar question of a young boy whom I asked. He said and I quoted 'Peace to me means sleeping'."

"The establishment of peace, which fosters stability, will deliver sustainable solutions to urgent humanitarian crises and address the root causes of the challenges that have beset our country since its independence. They can be redirected toward developmental initiatives and enhancing productive capacities. Furthermore, by addressing the underlying causes of crises, peace will bolster nation-building efforts and assist in resolving the persistent conflicts over power and resources."

In today’s world, where conflicts are escalating and global aid budgets are shrinking, the people working for peace are being left with fewer resources and greater risks.

Direct, flexible support makes a profound difference. Please donate today.

Donate here

Photo: Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images