Peace Justice · Because there is no peace without justice

We create peace, when we fight prejudice and stereotypes. We create peace, when we build bridges between each other. We create peace, when we liberate, emancipate ourselves from oppression.

by Piotr Działak, teacher at DNS · The Necessary Teacher Training College

What is peace? When I ask this question, I usually hear something about war: opposite of war, lack of war, no war or… a green vegetable.

War, war and war. It is like peace cannot exist without war. Is this the case? But, peace is more than just lack of war. And then comes justice.

What is justice? It is a right way of doing things. A fairness. Things are just when they are as they should be in a perfect world. And peace… Peace cannot do without justice.

Peace is more than lack of war

Is there peace where people of Bangladesh lose their houses every second year to a raising ocean and need to flee to the more and more crowded centre of the country, living on the streets of Dacca? There are no shots being fired, yet, is there peace?

Is there peace, where workers of a Serbian factory haven’t received their salary for half a year or so? Exploited, continue working as it is still better than a staggering unemployment. Nobody is beating, no bones are cracked, yet, is there peace?

Is there peace, where a child doesn’t have an adequate education, doesn’t have loving teachers, doesn’t succeed, and can only always be the last one in a rat race… alone on the margins of the society, with no space for him or her to ever thrive?

So, peace is more than just lack of war and peace cannot do without justice. That’s why DNS is arranging conferences about this topic.

Creating peace

We are going to gather at the annual Peace Justice Conference to create peace. Creating peace is not a vague slogan but broad.

We create peace, when we fight prejudice and stereotypes.

We create peace, when we build bridges between each other.

We create peace, when we liberate, emancipate ourselves from oppression.

We create peace, when we break into a barracks, spray a tank with pink paint, take a picture and spread it around Denmark.

We create peace, when we meet our neighbours, schoolmates and co-workers as fellow human beings…