The ideas of peace and solidarity are deeply intertwined. Solidarity reaffirms the idea that humans are called to live in community with each other, coming together for the common good, upholding the dignity of every human. Solidarity is an expression of our interconnectedness. We are all brothers and sisters. Being in solidarity is not just, for example, feeling sorry for others but feeling their pain ourselves and acting for the good of others.
Solidarity requires peace. When there is a lack of peace, there is no solidarity. We cannot pretend to live in solidarity with one another when there is conflict, action must be taken to reaffirm solidarity and resolve issues to create peace. In ‘The Joy of the Gospel’, Pope Francis outlines his belief that the term solidarity is “little worn and at times poorly understood, but it refers to something more than a few sporadic acts of generosity. It presumes the creation of a new mindset which thinks in terms of community and the priority of the life of all over the appropriation of goods by a few.”
Peace is a combination of nonviolence and justice. The unity of these two ideas come together in the Hebrew word ‘Shalom’. There cannot be peace if there is no justice, instead that becomes an oppressive, forced regime where people’s rights are ignored for the sake of pacification. Similarly, where there is violence there can be no peace, as from violence injustice occurs. Wars are often a result of people’s rights being cast aside, exploitation of individuals or greed creating poverty. Solidarity with one another enables peace to flow.
Each person, animal and plant has been created by God, meaning we are all connected together, living with one another in solidarity. This bond allows us to feel a responsibility to care for each other, but it goes much deeper than this. We are connected through God’s love and the mission of Christ, called to use our own gifts to ensure this solidarity is maintained and everyone is treated with dignity. The pursuit of peace is jeopardised when a person’s right to human dignity is taken away. Pope Paul VI said, ‘if you want peace, work for justice’. It is the job of every single person to work for peace, standing in solidarity with those whose dignity has been taken away. Governments have a duty to work for peace, they can do this by defending the rights of people both in their own country and across the world. We are a global community, connected more than we ever have been with media and the internet. Because of this, we have a responsibility to participate in our communities and a responsibility to help our brothers and sisters across the world. We cannot be oblivious to the sufferings of others.
Examples:
Apartheid is a system where people are separated according to their race. They are treated differently, given unequal opportunities, and often are restricted in who they are allowed to associate with and marry. In South Africa, the official apartheid regime lasted from 1948 to the early 1990’s, although there had been much racial segregation and discrimination before then. Treating people negatively because of their race is dismissing their human dignity and failing to recognise that everyone is created and loved by God equally. This violation of human rights, and break down of solidarity, jeopardised peace in South Africa. Acts of violence against the oppressors and those who were oppressed occurred, however most of the casualties were felt by the black community. Two years after apartheid ended in South Africa the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established. The aim was to help the country move on peacefully, whilst still bringing justice to those who had been wronged. Victims of human rights violations were called forward to give statements, and those who perpetrated the crimes were also heard from in exchange for amnesty or lighter sentences for their crimes. This allowed for more information to be gleamed about the events that had occurred than normal justice systems, as those on trial don’t always fully disclose their crimes, in order to receive a lighter sentence. Being able to fully disclose crimes without fear of harsher sentences meant that people were able to find out truthfully what happened to their friends and relatives, helping to build a more peaceful community in the country moving forward.
2018 saw a record number of people displaced from their homes. 70.8 million people were forced to flee from their home because of conflict and persecution, 30 million of which crossed a border to another country in order to find safety. Those who enter into other countries to escape danger are referred to as refugees. Half of all refugees are children. People have been crossing borders for centuries. There is often a negative stigma against refugees, with countries believing them to be a drain on resources, and a danger to their people. The value of each human person is forgotten, and no sense of solidarity is felt towards those who are displaced from their own countries.
The cold war was a tension between the world’s superpowers of the time the United States of America and the Soviet Union, that lasted between 1947 and 1991. It is often referred to as the time of ‘long peace’ because it is the longest time since the rule of the Roman Empire that the world’s most influential countries have not been at war. However, there are some questions over weather this can really be described as peace because of the presence of nuclear weapons. If one country launched its nuclear weapons, then there would have been Mutually Assured Destruction. It was this threat of MAD that kept the worlds superpowers at ‘peace’ during this time, not solidarity, a pledge for nonviolence, or the pursuit of justice. Many countries today still have nuclear weapons and use the threat of Mutually Assured Destruction as leverage, and a deterrent against warfare. Many faith groups see these threats as non-just and non-peaceful and many individuals and organisations continue to campaign for nuclear disarmament today.
What can you do?
- Choose to forgive those who you feel have done you wrong, harbour feelings of peace instead of vengeance.
- Stand in solidarity with refugees. Educate others and yourself on the plight that refugees often face when fleeing their country.
-Organise your own mini vigil on peace and disarmament. Take time to reflect.
-Contact For Jimmy to arrange a talk in your school or parish around peace http://forjimmy.org/
-Get some ideas for action from our CST page on building solidarity and peace, being sure you pledge your action here.
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