Ambassador Chowdhury, The Culture of Peace and Forgiveness
“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.” — UNESCO Charter
The seeds of peace exist in all of us. It must be nurtured and cared for to flourish. It cannot be imposed from the outside. It must be realized from within. However much the world around us changes, we cannot achieve peace without a change in our own minds, which can only then be reflected in the global consciousness. This connection between the individual and the global, and the global and the individual, impressed Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury, the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, and the pivotal figure in the development of the culture of peace. Just as the work of forgiveness helps us develop a different mindset based on understanding and compassion, the culture of peace originates from a place of peace within us. Both forgiveness and the culture of peace are daily practices that require each of us to consciously integrate peace and understanding into our daily lives. Both emphasize self-transformation, inclusiveness, and the oneness of humanity. Forgiveness is instrumental in this process, especially on a personal level, because it requires us to be more self-reflective and engage in our own inner processes.
Programme of Action for a Culture of Peace
The United Nations Charter emerged from the ashes of World War II, and the United Nations Declaration and the Programme of Action for a Culture of Peace were developed in the aftermath of the long, drawn-out Cold War. People knew what a world without peace looked like. More than 25 years have passed since the adoption of the Culture of Peace, and thanks to Ambassador Chowdhury, the culture of peace has been central to his leadership in initiatives at the United Nations and his ongoing advocacy efforts. In addition to the Charter of the United Nations, this declaration and program of action is the only UN document totally devoted to promoting peace with the future in mind. It was Ambassador Chowdhury’s life experience that taught him to value peace and equality as essential components of human existence, understanding that peace unleashes the positive forces of good that are so needed for human progress.
After his time at the UN, Ambassador Chowdhury founded the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace (GMCoP), establishing a civil society coalition to continue advancing the culture of peace. Through the GMCoP, he collaborates with various people, including civil society organizations, to promote the UN’s framework for peace. Everyone can contribute to the culture of peace as integral to our daily lives. We can learn to relate to one another without violence, without disrespect, without neglect.
Peace and Forgiveness as a Daily Practice
Ambassador Chowdhury continues to focus on the culture of peace because of his belief that we need a kind of spirituality in our hearts — spirituality is an essential and universal human experience. This transformational objective of the culture of peace is significant and remains largely unrealized. Therefore, we continue our efforts, a lifelong endeavor, working toward peace, solidarity, human oneness, and global citizenship. He believes that the culture of peace and global citizenship are two sides of the same coin: They promote a global vision for a peaceful world.
Just as the culture of peace can be seen as a kind of spirituality of the heart, forgiveness can be seen as the science of the heart. When people practice forgiveness in their daily lives, they become more aware of living a peaceful life and the ramifications that can result from it. Forgiveness is necessary because forgiveness lays the foundation for a peaceful existence. Through the lens of forgiveness, we begin to see the world with greater empathy and compassion, which are cornerstones of forgiveness. This is what can happen when we forgive, not only in our personal lives, but also in how we interact with people in our communities, ultimately affecting society as a whole. The culture of peace, like the practice of forgiveness, is a daily practice and can’t be separated from what we usually do or think. This foundation of personal forgiveness expands into political forgiveness — a process of repairing fractured relationships within a political context, such as between communities, nations, or groups within a society. The ultimate goal of political forgiveness is to rebuild communal relationships and restore social trust, thereby fostering peace and stability.
As António Guterres, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, has said, “Peace is the most courageous, the most practical, the most necessary pursuit of all.” In a world that can sometimes feel hopeless, we must cultivate peace. The culture of peace movement empowers us to develop a kind of consciousness that enables us to live in a better world.
To learn more about The Culture of Peace and the work of Ambassador Chowdhury, enjoy the Political Forgiveness episode, “Ambassador Chowdhury on Forgiveness” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
