Maintaining peace becomes everyone’s individual responsibility in this highly volatile, dangerous world we live in today. The youth of the world could play a major role in securing enduring peace, which is a prerequisite for growth and development. To facilitate this, Humanitarian Affairs Asia had hosted the inaugural ‘Peace Summit of Emerging Leaders’ at the United Nations in Bangkok, Thailand, in November 2018. Raakheshsubhash Arumuga Rajan, a student from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore campus, participated in the peace summit of emerging leaders. Built around a central theme ‘Together for Peace’, it became a great learning experience for all the participants. 

Peace is not only equated with the absence of conflict. The emerging global consensus defines it as the synergetic presence of diverse vectors that prevent and transform conflict in a diplomatic and constructive manner. Therefore, nurturing peace in today’s interconnected world requires a wider perspective with a focus on human rights, education for peace, global citizenship, cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. Talking about the multi-faceted process, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, UNESCO, observed that the walk may be long, but walking it together is vital for building stable, thriving societies.

By the culmination of the summit, 347 delegates emerged successfully and became United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Peace Ambassadors to lead initiatives of their own and encourage other youngsters to play an active role in building inclusive and harmonious societies. 

“Having been invited to attend the Peace Summit at the United Nations was a true honor for me as I was given an opportunity to interact with peace activists from across the world. The experience was truly extraordinary with ample opportunities to get a feel of diplomatic negotiations in real-world situations, like the issue where multiple nations claimed right over an island in the south China sea,” Raakesh shared. 

”During the last day of the summit, I remembered the famous words of Winston Churchill: ‘Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.’ Yes, it is just the end of the beginning, the journey has just begun. As a UN Humanitarian Affairs Peace Ambassador for 2019, I look forward to be an agent of change that will positively impact lives for the better,” he further added.

“Non-violence is the first article of my faith. It is the last article of my faith and it is everything in between.” – Mahatma Gandhi