The UN International Human Solidarity Day

Feature Article: The UN International Human Solidarity Day

The UN Emphasizes the Importance of Solidarity for the Fundamental Resolution of Worldwide Poverty
Peace Education Expands Through Affiliation of Educators in 12 Countries

Crime Rates That Threaten Peacebuilding

Last September, the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) selected South Africa (125th, 2.328 points) as one of the most dangerous countries in the world. This is based on the frequent instances of assault and violence, according to the Global Peace Index (GPI) evaluation of 163 countries around the world. The Democratic Republic of Congo, which produced the greatest number of casualties following World War II, is ranked at 126th on the GPI with 2.343 points, and Iceland is ranked number one with 1096 points. It was reported that in South Africa, China, and Russia, the economic impact of violence has increased due to greater spending for national security.

The GPI, which measures the economic value of peace, quantifies and ranks 23 indicators, including: national military budget, weapons exports, degree of violent crime, war casualties and relations with neighbouring countries. According to a report in 2018, over the past 70 years, countries with a higher peace figure have seen their growth triple per capita compared to the countries with low peace figures. Over the past decade, countries with a higher peace figure also experienced a growth rate that was seven times higher than countries with reduced GPI.

South Africa is dealing with violent crime, one of the indicators of the peace index. According to the South African police department’s white paper on criminal statistics, in South Africa there have been about 20,000 murders in the past year, from April 2017 to March 2018. This means 57 people were murdered daily. This figure is the highest since apartheid was officially abolished, and increased more than 7% in the last year. Gareth Newham, an expert in crime at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, said “the rise is a wake-up call” and pointed out, “we are not going to reduce property crime or violence if we do not get our economy growing.”

‘Solidarity’: the respect of diversity and the key to economic recovery

The United Nations International Human Solidarity Day is on the 20th December. It exists to celebrate unity and diversity, and to promote a joint discussion between citizens and states on the methods for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This includes the eradication of poverty and reduction of inequality.

The concept of solidarity has defined the work of the United Nations since the birth of the organization. The creation of the United Nations in 1945, drew the people and nations of the world together to promote peace, human rights, and social and economic development. In the United Nations Millennium Declarations, published in 2000, freedom, justice, tolerance, respect for nature, shared responsibility and solidarity were cited as the most fundamental principles of international relations in the 21st century.

From the 18th – 20th December 2017, ‘the International Human Solidarity Day’ posted the phrase ‘What does solidarity mean to you?’ on Facebook, which enabled citizens to recognize the importance of international solidarity to solve problems, and they also ran a participation campaign.

If "solidarity" pursues the values of a nation or a community, “individualism” prioritizes individual freedom and rights. Individualism originated from the basic view that it is necessary for a democratic and mature society. This is debated however, because there is also the argument that individualism goes against the interests of society and the community. Michael J. Sandel, a professor of political philosophy at Harvard University, criticized extreme individualism and liberalism, saying that “the hurricane in New Orleans exposed the weaknesses of American society with thin social solidarity.” “Opening to diverse cultures is an advantage for the United States but as a result, the spirit of solidarity (between the members of society) weakened as diversification and personalization progressed. This is the cause of weakening the social welfare system," he said. "In order to establish social solidarity in a large society, we must unite in a wide range of areas such as equality, health care and education, regardless of race or class."

The former Mbeki government, which held democratic elections after apartheid was abolished, popularized terms such as social cohesion, democracy, economic reconstruction and growth, and emphasized the role of the people and states in national change and development. In 2004, the former president Nelson Mandela said in a lecture at the University of Cape Town, "The values of human solidarity that once drove our quest for a humane society seem to have been replaced, or are being threatened, by crass materialism and pursuit of social goals of instant gratification. One of the challenges of our time, without being pietistic or moralistic, is to re-instill in the consciousness of our people that sense of human solidarity, of being in the world for one another and because of and through others.” He emphasized solving the problem (in South Africa at that time) through solidarity and integration.

Capacity for Inter-Religious Community Action (CIRCA) is one example of inter-country solidarity activity. It has been ongoing since 2013 in sub-Saharan Africa, where Christianity (62.9%) and Islam (30.2%) have become the core state religions. In the late 1990s, religious conflicts among African countries jumped rapidly and the security of terrorism became the major issue because of indiscriminate terrorism by the two notable organizations which were Boko Haram, centered in northern Nigeria, and Al-Shabaab, based in Somalia.

CIRCA aims to ensure the peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Niger, Nigeria and Egypt. This project provides training in knowledge, skills, and attitudes to enhance capabilities for active collaboration with various religious and social organizations; and educates on areas such as peace and cooperation for religious activities. It especially supports youth education and the important role this plays in the community. “I’m not afraid to work with other people anymore,” said a Nigerian believer who attended the programme. In addition to those six countries, more than nine organizations and parishes were involved in the project.

International Solidarity for the Peaceful Coexistence and Development of Global Villages

The international NGO, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), affiliated with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), held the 2018 HWPL World Peace Summit, in September. This was the 4th anniversary of the WARP Summit with the theme of “Collaboration for Peace Development: Building a Peace Community through the DPCW”, supporting the common goal of the two heads of state for realizing a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. Around 250,000 participants, including heads of state and religious leaders, from 21 countries attended the summit. The conference emphasized the need for a binding bill to fundamentally end war and support world peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

Participants of the event advocated for activities based on the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), cooperation among countries and all walks of life, and support for introduction of the DPCW into the UN. One of the participants, Hon. Emil Constantinescu, former President of Romania, said, “Avoiding wars, and the peace building process require a laborious effort to create a culture of solidarity, outlining a pragmatic style,” mentioning Romanian history which was full of war and death, and his experience of gaining freedom and peace after 50 years of communist dictatorship. And he also said in a press interview, “HWPL is an example of peace solidarity. Romania also showed some solidarity after the collapse of the communist regime, but all of them were separated according to their interests. It is often overlooked that the result depends on who participates in it. The history should be written again through commonalities, not differences.”

To create a sustainable peace society, HWPL is conducting a peace education project to help future generations realize the value of peace. This is the way to achieve the realization of Article 10, “Spreading a Culture of Peace”, of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW). Throughout the past year, the materials and textbooks were developed based on the core values of HWPL peace education: “Sanctity of Life”, “Loyalty and Filial Piety” and “Coexistence and Sustainability”. In addition, HWPL has been working to develop pilot education programmes. As a result, 164 schools in 12 countries have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with HWPL, including 11 schools in South Africa. HWPL has also signed MOAs with the Philippines’ Higher Education Committee and the Ministry of Education of four countries including Iraq, so that the state, government and educators can work together to promote peace education.

The DPCW is a declaration suggested by HWPL to execute the UN SDGs which aim for quality education, gender equality, peace, justice and reduced inequalities. It is based on the provisions of international documents such as the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The DPCW includes clauses such as “Prohibition of the threat or use of force”, “Development of friendly relations and prohibition of acts of aggression”, “Spreading a culture of peace”, and “Ethnic identity”.

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