International Day of Peace: Will War ever End?
World peace is not a naïve dream, not a vague or pious hope, not even an option. World peace is inevitable.
World peace — a cherished vision promised by many cultures throughout history — is at last within our reach. For the first time, we can see the Earth as a single whole, with all its peoples interconnected. This new awareness makes peace not only possible, but also unavoidable. It is, in fact, the next natural step in our evolution — the planetization of humankind.
Since its inception in 1844, the Bahá’í Dispensation has not only called for the complete and unconditional abolition of warfare, but has also established a set of principles aimed at achieving world peace and, ultimately, disarmament. It has long advocated for the creation of a unified world federation of nations, designed to bring a permanent end to war, hostility, and violence. Physical conflict is to be replaced by the search for truth through dialogue and consultation. No longer swords — but ideas. Can one imagine a nobler and higher goal?
Try to envision a planet without war. Picture it in your mind: the vast military apparatus, the enormous armies, navies, and air forces of every nation no longer needed; disputes between countries resolved within a world parliament rather than through belligerence, armed conflict, or the use of force; the vast sums once spent on bombs, missiles, and weapons systems redirected toward education, healthcare, science, and technology; the standard of living of all people elevated; hunger, homelessness, and state-sponsored hostility eliminated; prosperity, security, and safety for all; the end of death and destruction inflicted by one group of human beings upon another — no more grieving families, no more endless cemeteries, no more devastated regions and nations.
The world recognizes this promise of global peace each year on September 21, when we celebrate the International Day of Peace proclaimed by the United Nations. Today, on this International Day of Peace, we celebrate all those who strive to end war. In every village and hamlet, in every city and town, in every region and country, people inspired by the ideal of peace are working toward its realization. We owe each of these peace-builders a profound debt of gratitude. Whenever each of us chooses to replace a thought of war with a stronger thought of peace, to counteract a thought of hatred with a more powerful thought of love, or to strive for justice that frees us from prejudice, we contribute — according to the Bahá’í teachings — to the awakening of the inherent nobility within every human being. In doing so, we also help lay the foundation for the eventual establishment of world peace.
As communities, when we work together toward a common purpose, we develop a sense of shared responsibility and a vision of peace as a process of learning and collective action. Whether through social, economic, or moral development initiatives, these efforts aim to improve the living conditions of all. Among the principles revealed in the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, the most vital of all is the unity of the human race, which may be regarded as the distinguishing feature of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation and the pivot of His Teachings. This principle of unity, of cardinal importance, is explicitly mentioned in the Book of His Covenant, and Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, proclaims it unequivocally as the central purpose of His Faith: “We, verily, have come to unite and weld together all who dwell on earth.” “So powerful is the light of unity,” He adds, “that it can illuminate the whole earth.”
Bahá’u’lláh laments the defects of the prevailing order, exposes the inadequacy of patriotism as the guiding and controlling force in human society, and elevates love for humanity and service to its well-being as the most noble and praiseworthy aims of human life. “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” He further affirms that the unification of humankind, the final stage in humanity’s collective evolution toward maturity, is inevitable — that “Soon will the present order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead.” Violence and hatred raise a veil between humankind and the light of God, and “Every aggressor is deprived of the grace of God.”
The Office of External Affairs of the Bahá’ís of Mauritius
