Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions 

Are these 3 core aspects part of your life now?

Do you wish to make them a part of you?

Are they even important, anyway?

“Peaceful, just and inclusive societies are necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”.

At the end of the day,

We need to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development

Provide access to justice for all and most of all,

Build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

You must be asking yourself why….

Well, here is why…

Peaceful, just and inclusive societies are necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

People everywhere need to be free of fear from all forms of violence and feel safe as they go about their lives whatever their ethnicity, faith or sexual orientation.

In order to advance the SDGs we need effective and inclusive public institutions that can deliver quality education and healthcare, fair economic policies and inclusive environmental protection.

So, how do we or better yet, you and I get to go about this?

 To achieve peace, justice and inclusion, it is important that governments, civil society and communities work together to carry out lasting solutions to reduce violence, deliver justice, combat corruption and ensure inclusive participation at all times!

Freedom to express views, in private and in public, must be guaranteed.

People must be able to contribute to decisions that affect their lives.

Laws and policies must be applied without any form of discrimination.

Disputes need to be resolved through functioning political and justice systems.

National and local institu­tions must be accountable and need to be in place to deliver basic services to families and commu­nities equitably and with­out the need for bribes.

Does this Sustainable Development Goal apply to me, regardless of where I live?

The answer to that is yes! How, though?

Crimes that threaten the foundation of peaceful soci­eties, including homicides, trafficking and other organized crimes, as well as discriminatory laws or practices, affect all countries.

Even the world’s greatest democracies face major challenges in addressing corruption, crime and human rights violations for everyone at home.

If we choose to sit down on our hands and buttocks, as imagined, armed violence and inse­curity have a destructive impact on a country’s devel­opment and definitely will, affecting economic growth and often resulting in long-standing grievances among communities.

Violence, in all its forms, has a pervasive impact on societies.

Violence affects children’s health, devel­opment and well-being, and their ability to thrive.

Violence causes trauma and weak­ens social inclusion.

Lack of access to justice means that conflicts remain unresolved and people cannot obtain protection and redress.

Institutions that do not function accord­ing to legitimate laws are prone to arbitrariness and abuse of power, and less capable of delivering pub­lic services to everyone.

To exclude and to dis­criminate not only vio­lates human rights, but also causes resentment and animosity, and could give rise to violence.

What can we do? There has to be something we can do, right?

True, there is…. Take a genuine interest in what your government is doing.

Raise awareness in your community about the realities of violence and the importance of peaceful and just societies, and identify how you can pursue the Sustainable Development Goals in your daily life.

Exercise your right to hold your elected officials to account.

Exercise your right to freedom of information and share your opinion with your elected representatives.

Be the change – promote inclusion and respect towards people of different backgrounds, ethnic origins, religions, gender, sexual orientations or different opinions.

Together, we can help to improve conditions for a life of dignity for all!!!!

That’s for sure!