Pope Francis, in his message for the 55th World Peace Day on January 1, said that ‘the path of peace… remains sadly distant from the real lives of many men and women.” Wars continue in many African countries, cases of Covid-19 keep increasing around the world, the adversities caused by climate change and environmental degradation have become more serious. Meanwhile advanced and wealthy countries only think of themselves without caring for the needy and weak around them—clearly proven by the unequal distribution of vaccines.
Peace is not only God’s gift, but also a task that requires every one of us to make an effort. To build a peaceful world, we should start with our own spirits, families, societies, our relationship with nature and other fundamental areas. Subsequently, peace can be promoted between peoples and nations.
Pope Francis proposes three dimensions for building lasting peace: dialogue between generations, education and work. Dialogue involves mutual listening and a sharing of different opinions. We can look at Hong Kong society today with this perspective. Faced with the ups and downs of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people feel lonely and insecure. Some shut themselves off from others.
In actual fact, many elderly people worry about the pandemic and go out less often. Some are forced to stay indoors and suffer deep loneliness. While people are definitely frustrated, the elderly and young people have been caring for each other. Parish youth groups spread warmth by distributing infection prevention materials. These actions help bridge the generation gap through the sharing of love and building up peace.
Young people and the elderly can be partners: the former need wisdom and experience of their elders; the latter need the support, compassion, creativity and vitality of the young. Different generations can complement each other, search for common and lasting prospects with love, and walk together on the same path.
The second way to achieve peace is through education, which is indispensable for enhancing the holistic development of humanity and to safeguard peace. The Education Bureau has formulated and implemented new subjects to respond to the changes in society.
However, it is equally important to advocate a culture of care, as the pope states. In light of the wounded relationship between the government and the people of the Hong Kong, society and its political circumstances, a culture of care can become a common language that breaks through all sorts of obstacles and barriers and facilitates dialogue.
Finally, employment and work are also ways to achieve peace, especially by protecting the labourer. Many industries remain stagnant due to the pandemic. Tourism, aviation, transportation, retail and so on are badly hit. People live unstable lives and their dignity is exploited, which leads to violence and crimes.
The government has offered short-term assistance and has distributed the consumption vouchers, but these measures are merely a drop in the bucket. Political and social leaders are inevitably responsible for urging enterprises to leave their own interests behind and respect the labourers’ basic human rights.
Let us all become the artisans of peace. Let me be an instrument of peace. SE
