By Vanessa Cort

DURING this week, two very important, but little-known International Days will be observed. On Wednesday, the world will celebrate International Day of Families and on Thursday, International Day of Living Together in Peace.

No one can miss the significance of these two days, given the current state of crisis around the world, where both the family and world peace are constantly under threat.
Indeed, there is an interconnectedness between these two as wars and global conflict can devastate and separate families. The two major wars taking place right now – on the Gaza Strip and in the Ukraine – are prime examples of how guns and bombs decimate families.

However, this year the ‘Day of Families’ theme, “Families and Climate Change” is intended to increase awareness of the adverse effects of climate change on families.
In a ripple effect, weather conditions exacerbated by climate change can displace families, negatively impact industries like agriculture and Fisheries, which in turn can lead to food shortages and hunger. Families become vulnerable as their health and well-being are challenged.

And as the UN says, “Families pass values across generations, so instilling sustainable habits and climate awareness in families from an early age is important”,
Families can be encouraged, through education, to change consumption habits, reduce pollution and minimise waste. We can all play our part through simple steps like choosing organic wrappings and bags and particularly in this country, disposing of our waste in bins and receptacles instead of littering our streets and sidewalks.

On a national level, governments need to implement effective strategies to limit climate change. So far there has been more talk than action and several countries have fallen short of their targets for pollution control.

The UN warns, “Without drastic action, adaptation to, and mitigation of, the impacts of climate change will become increasingly difficult and costly”.
Every day on the news we hear about thousands dying in the recent war between Israel and Hamas on the Gaza Strip. We see the horrific images on our television screens. Sadly, this has now overshadowed the Ukraine-Russia war, which began two years ago and is showing no signs of stopping.

These are not the only instances of global unrest. Yemen, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Syria are among the many other countries listed as being involved in major conflicts.
Statistics tell us that there are more than 45 armed conflicts taking place in the Middle East and Africa, 21 armed conflicts in Asia and seven armed conflicts in Europe.
The International Day of Living Together in Peace should, therefore, be top priority in our war-torn world. On this Day the UN invites countries to “…further promote reconciliation to help ensure peace and sustainable development”.

It is ironic that this Day was initiated by the United Nations which was itself established following the devastation of the Second World War and intended “to save the succeeding generations from the scourge of war”.

Yet here we are, decades later, with the ‘succeeding generations’ embroiled in wars and conflict to an even greater degree than in the last century, with loss of life continuing to escalate.
It seems, therefore, that countries and governments of the world need to pay greater heed to the purpose of this Day, designed to “uphold the desire to live and act together, united in differences and diversity, in order to build a sustainable world of peace, solidarity and harmony”.

The Dalai Lama XIV puts it this way, “World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.”