Peace is greater than power

In most parts of the word "Ethiopia" connotes famine, conflict and poverty. The image of a small, backward country with an undernourished population constantly at war and conflict cross border is how most people recall this country. All that was true in the past but not at all true presently. Ethiopia, that once was quoted and searched for an impoverished disaster management nation is now a case study of development in Africa. It is the largest growing economy in the region at 8.5% growth rate and has is being termed as the China of Africa in terms of reforms, manufacturing and foreign direct investment.

To affirm these achievements its current prime minister Abiy Ahmad has won the Nobel Peace Prize for his remarkable achievement in making peace with its neighbour Eriteria. He is the youngest PM at 43 who took office in April 2018 after the resignation of his predecessor following three years of street unrest. He kept peace with neighbours as his top priority and immediately took initiative to restore relations with Eritrea that had been frozen since a 1998-2000 border war. He succeeded in ending the conflict. He also played a key role in peacemaking in Sudan, convincing the country's military rulers and opposition to restart talks, and persuading Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to back his mediation. The talks led to a power-sharing accord in August 2019.

Peace is a pre-requisite for development. Peace is a pre-requisite for prosperity. Peace is a pre -requisite for rule of law. Peace is a pre-requisite for social harmony. With so many benefits of peace why do we find the most advanced of countries indulging in conflicts and wars? The philosophy still remains of win-lose, i.e., if we win the war we control and dominate. However the impact of this control is always harmful for the majority as human history is a witness to the most catastrophic results of prolonged battles be it Vietnam or Afghanistan in recent history.

Prime Minister Imran Khan's endeavours to contribute to peace of the region, Islamic world and to the world in general are thus laudable regardless of the enormity of the task. There has been a lot of criticism on his attempts at peace given his failure to draw the Indian Prime minister Modi into peace talks and Modi's subsequent aggression in Kashmir. However no movement and no leader has achieved peace and resolutions by the stroke of a pen or by the issuance of a statement. It is the consistent insistence on a principled stand that slowly but surely draws the world towards it. Politicians by nature have short terms and thus are not interested to risk big initiatives which may not bear fruit till the next election.

While attempts at peace with India may look futile it has had an overall perception building impact. For example, during the Indian attack on Balakot in February 2019 and the subsequent capture of the Indian pilot, the prime minister took some courageous steps. Despite opposition he freed the pilot to defuse the tension which was widely appreciated by the world community and created a perception of him being a peace ambassador and Pakistan not being a terror sponsor. This changing of image has been instrumental in building up the grounds for the Prime Minister to act as a peace facilitator of chronic conflicts between Taliban and the US, and Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Peace is great mission journey with few shortcut paths. If we look at some recent history events we find that countries like South Africa due to a great peace ambassador like Nelson Mandela became a shining example of what all can be achieved if persistence and perseverance outstrip short-termism and an instant gratification mentality. When Mandela became the first black President the apartheid system was still prevalent in South Africa. White and Black Africans were bitter enemies. Rugby, a very popular game was almost an all-white game. All matches were played and watched by whites while blacks would only go to stadiums to boo the national team and chant in favour of opposing teams. It was the amazing gesture of Mandela on the day of the Rugby World Cup final which changed the bitter conflict into peace and acceptance. The Springbok T-shirt was a hate sign for black Americans. On the day of the final in 1995 Mandela wore the T-shirt and went to the pitch to wish the captain. A full stadium of White people was stunned but chanted "Nelson" as they realized his bold and magnanimous gesture. South Africa which literally had no chance of winning against New Zealand won the match miraculously as the crowd chanted "One Team One Country".

Other difficult but recent history peace agreements include when on Dec. 14, 1995, the leaders of Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia signed the Dayton Accords, ending the worst conflict in Europe since World War II, with around 100,000 casualties and over 2 million displaced. Serbian leader Slobodan Miloševi? was tried for genocide in Bosnia and war crimes in Kosovo by a special UN tribunal in 1999, although he died before the conclusion of the trial. Ireland after decades of conflict finally attained peace. On April 10, 1998, seemingly intractable enemies in Northern Ireland agreed to a peace deal called the Good Friday Agreement, helping to bring an end to decades of sectarian and political strife.

Dismissing peace efforts as futile is a favourite pastime for analysts and cynics. Even if peace endeavours do not bear fruits they are sowing seeds that will nourish the soil to become fertile in future. Pakistan must continue its peace movement as:

1. Without peace in the region, there will be no peace in the country - With porous borders on all sides unrest in any neighbouring country will have a vulnerable effect on our country. The economy is poised to take off in 2020-2021 and any war or conflict will hurt the economic recovery.

2. The opportunity to rebrand Pakistan as a peace rather than terror sponsor - This perhaps is the biggest opportunity. Pakistan labelled as mischief country has started making people admit it is serious in peace development and peace facilitation. This itself will help in socio-cultural rebranding that will improve Pakistan's standing in the world community.

3. To develop harmony across political, religious and economic divides - Prime Minister Imran Khan after his UNGA address is seen as a representative of the true spirit of Islam and interfaith harmony. This role can carve a special niche for Pakistan in international forums like the UN and OIC.

The world cannot afford wars whether financially, socially, humanly or intellectually. Peace is the trigger for prosperity. As they say "there is no greater wealth than peace of mind."

(The writer can be reached at [email protected])