Peace is a state of tranquility and implies the absence of violence and conflicts between people, such as war. Peace means that everyone lives in safety, without fear, and has equal rights under the law. In the absence of peace, all children’s rights are under threat of being violated. In order to have peace, you must first have tolerance and understanding towards all the people around you. Gender equality is also very important for peace; studies have shown a connection between the two. The United Nations is the main international organization in charge with bringing peace around the world.
What is the problem with peace?Circumstances of war and violence can lead to situations where children are being killed, kidnapped, orphaned, tortured, sexually abused or recruited as soldiers or slaves. Children can also be left without their homes and remain mentally traumatized. Globally, an estimated 230 million children live in areas affected by armed conflict. According to the Global Peace Index Report 2016, 81 countries in the world became more peaceful as shown by their improving peace indices, but this positive impact was nullified by 79 countries that became less peaceful or were struck by war, terrorism or conflict in 2015.
Why is peace important for children? Violence and war mostly affect children since children are particularly vulnerable to disasters or changes in their natural or social environment. They are constantly developing and therefore any situation can influence their evolvement in a good or bad manner. For these reasons they have special protection rights under the law since living in a state of peace is essential for a child’s wellbeing in every moment of his life. States are obliged to ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and (normal) development of the child, including in cases where peace is absent. More than this, your state is obliged to protect you from all types of physical and mental violence, injury or abuse (which might occur in situations of war and violence).
What can you do?