Give Peace Another Chance

by Audrey Kim, CC ‘13

Norhan Basuni talks about her experiences in Cairo / Courtesy of UNAI

On September 14, the United Nations Academic Impact organized a symposium in observance of the annual International Day of Peace at the UN Headquarters. The theme of the symposium was “Give Peace Another Chance” and was organized with Kyung Hee University (KHU) in the Republic of Korea. 3,500 KHU students and faculty joined the symposium in New York via webcam.

This year is the thirtieth anniversary of the observance of the International Day of Peace, which was proposed by Dr. Young Seek Choeu, former President of KHU, in 1981. This day, endorsed by UN resolution 36/67, was established for “commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.”

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon introduced the event after a performance by Beth Nielson Chapman, who sang in Korean, and the group Kaleidhaphonic. In his speech, Ban Ki-moon stressed that the world is undeniably changing and that it was “no time for business as usual.” He encouraged people around the world to join the UN and make their voices heard, as democracy has to be nurtured and defended.

The main part of this symposium was a round table on “Higher Education and Human Dignity” led by Ambassador Eduardo Ulibarri of Costa Rica, the Chair of the United Nations Committee on Information. It also included Francis Deng, the Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide; Ambassador Aftab Seth; Kim Yersu, former Secretary General of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO and Professor Emeritus at KHU; and Norhan Basuni, a CUNY student who witnessed the Tahrir Square events during the Arab Spring.

Speakers stressed the importance of education in the pursuit of global peace. Ambassador Ulibarri said that citizens of the world need to take action and understand the importance of peace and tolerance to address diversified sources of conflict. Francis Deng addressed the issue of genocide and stated that his office tries to demystify genocide and understand it as an identity related issue. He added that while it is largely the role of the state to address genocide, our mission is to raise awareness of the cases and dynamics of genocide and mobilize responses against it. As Beth Chapman remarked, “We should use compassion, creativity, and education as our WMD.”

The speakers also addressed the important role of students in global affairs. Dr. Kim Yersu stressed that the importance of finding commonality is especially relevant today. Ambassador Seth cited the impact of the peace movements in universities during the Vietnam War as an example of how students can help influence policy. Norhan Basuni said she would never forget how the social media played a huge role in spreading the word, such as when Tunisian students cautioned via Twitter to put vinegar under their headscarves to prevent the effects of tear gas. She stated, “to them, democracy is a privilege, while we think it is a right.”

The round table was followed by a Q&A session with KHU students. Many students from KHU and New York asked questions regarding the importance of education and the role of students in maintaining world peace. Ambassador Ulibarri reminded them that even the worst dictators have been “educated,” and education should be used to foster tolerance and respect for order, reiterating that “peace is an everyday idea, a way of life, and it requires conviction but also requires action.”

After a performance by the KHU symphonic orchestra, Beth Chapman led the audience in both New York and the Republic of Korea in a moving rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” a fitting end to the observance of the International Day of Peace.

Published in RightsNews Volume 30, no. 1, November, 2011.
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