Global Governance for Peace

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Abstract

The issue of global governance in the service of peace is extremely important in today’s uncertain, complex and unstable times. It requires thorough changes starting from the reform of global governance structures, further to establishing ministries of peace, introducing peace education in all schools and fostering peace rhetoric. Also, the balance between men and women when it comes to leadership should be considered, as well as establishing new economic systems which would be more just and fair, but also based on merit. Finally, the media should be considered a partner in conducting the peace offensive fostering peace rhetoric, as well as the creative industry with proactive and creative peace activities in all fields and sectors of the society.

Although many discussions, papers and books have already been written on the topic of efficient global governance and achieving sustainable peace, the issue of global governance in the service of peace is extremely important in today’s uncertain, complex and unstable times. One of the most prominent advocates of establishing a reasonable and sustainable system of global governance in the service of peace is the philosopher Immanuel Kant, whose 300th birthday was marked in 2024. Kant proposed a community of ‘peace based on a reasonable plan’, or rather a ‘peace league’ that would extend to all states, develop into a peaceful world order and a perfect civic society of humanity. It is also important to remember Kant’s recommendations in his work ‘Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch’, but also to figure out how to achieve sustainable and resilient peace in the current circumstances with a new comprehensive and holistic approach, but with the same humanistic and noble ideals of the ancient and modern philosophers.

1. Reform of Global Governance

The first and key step would be to reform the global governance structure in the form of establishing a World Parliament and a World Government. The initiative to establish a World Parliament in the form of a UN Parliamentary Assembly is already ongoing, supported by many non-governmental organizations, members of parliament, politicians and scientists, as well as other initiatives such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Constitution of the Federation of Earth. These new institutions could be established upon the model of the European Commission and the European Parliament, and could represent humanity as a whole to tackle global issues and find common ground for peace and justice in the social and economic sense. They could act as representatives of humanity, citizens of the world, not particular nation states. World citizenship is, as Kant points out as Third Definitive Article in ‘Perpetual Peace’, a prerequisite for achieving world peace.

2. Ministry of Peace

Furthermore, the establishment of a Ministry of Peace in every country in the world would be a useful and important milestone. A ministry or institution that would be responsible for the drafting and implementing peace strategies and action plans, but also communicate and coordinate activities with other bodies in terms of common goals, objectives and benchmarks. Some countries already have a Ministry of Peace in their government structures, but it serves more as a ministry of defense or national security institution. On the other hand, some countries introduced a Ministry of War, which often happens during great conflicts, but should be reconsidered. The goal should be that every world state has an institution that is entirely dedicated to peace, both in war as well as in peacetime.

3. Peace Education

World citizenship is closely related to the introduction of peace education in all schools and educational institutions, and in lifelong learning. Peace education or education for peace would incorporate deep education that teaches practical psychology, the study of human nature, development of emotional and social intelligence, virtues, ethical principles, tolerance, empathy, conflict resolution, facing and understanding differences, understanding the fear of the unknown and rejection, managing emotions, instincts and unconscious nature. Individuals in modern society have a highly developed rational part of their nature, which is fostered by today’s education and upbringing. On the other hand, we as humans still have an underdeveloped and unstable emotional and psychological body causing continuous conflicts and confrontations, which means that in this context we need balance.

The balance of reason and emotions means a balanced personality, a balanced personality means a more balanced life, better interaction and better quality of action in society. As the famous saying states: ‘educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all’. Peace education would be focused on the emotional and social aspects of the individual, a healthy relationship with oneself, and a peaceful and harmonious coexistence in the community.

4. Balance of Men and Women

Balance is also needed in the context of equality between women and men on the global political scene. Today we are witnessing a global political sphere dominated by men. Not only today—in recent decades and centuries we have witnessed global politics dominated mostly by men. The aspiration that leads to harmony would certainly be a greater number of women in politics, diplomacy, business, management, leading positions in different institutions, in decision-making structures, but also a greater number of female global leaders. Men and women should be socially equal when it comes to governance opportunities, because they share the same strengths and weaknesses, but have a different energy, different sense for different issues and needs in the society, and a balance in this context could show more cooperative than competitive progress.

5. Peace Rhetoric

Equally important for achieving a more peaceful world is introducing the need for a peace rhetoric in the public sphere, meaning language in the service of peace, constructive and nonviolent communication. This means that we need to cultivate a culture of dialogue and take language seriously as a tool for building peace. The way we speak, how we express ourselves and how we address people, the very choice of words we use, speaks volumes about us as individuals, but also demonstrates the potential for creating an environment in which we feel safe or unsafe. This applies to rhetoric in our everyday lives, from our relationships with friends, colleagues and family members, to addressing larger groups, wider audiences and the public itself. Our words should reflect noble emotions and noble thoughts, and not inner conflicts and negative emotions. Our choice of words should be constructive, peace-making, and encouraging. It is known that hate speech is a form of psychological violence and only one step away from physical violence. Words are energy, and a wise choice of words helps us co-create our reality and environment. The power of words and speech should be recognized widely and through education, and introduced in school systems as peace rhetoric.

6. New Economic System

The world also needs new variations of a more just economic system that will be fairer and more inclusive than the current ones existing in many countries in the world. The academic community, scientific institutes, universities, think tanks, experts and business leaders, can engage in discussing these new economic forms within events, working groups, conferences and fora in order to jointly find better solutions to existing systems. Whether an upgrade or a completely new system, it should be focused on the benefit of people, human security and equal chances for all regardless of their socio-economic status, and viewing profit as a tool, not a goal. Some concepts were already suggested like the universal basic income or basic services concept, but none was implemented or further developed. Humanity needs a type of system based on the principle of meritocracy, but also on fairness and empathy.

7. Responsibility of the Media

The media are essential partners in the peace offensive and an important stakeholder in creating public opinions. Messages from peace activities, conferences and fora often remain within the academic environment, and should definitely reach the wider public. Peace rhetoric should also be communicated to editors-in-chief, editors and journalists, when creating media policies and coordinating online communities. Herewith we also address the social media owners and facilitators. The media and social media today often contribute to anxiety, violent and unsupervised content strongly affecting the younger generation. The media should be treated as partners in the dissemination of peace ideas and initiatives, and can significantly help in creating peace-building content, content that is constructive and informative, but above all educational.

8. Creative Peace Activism

Finally, creative peace activism should be fostered in all its forms—peace campaigns, art, literature, poetry, music, exhibitions, spirituality, environmental activism, student and youth creativity. Peace is a transversal topic that involves all sectors and fields of the society, and it should be treated and promoted as such. Art is always a good tool to send important messages, aiming at emotions and our shared humanity.

Peace should be constantly nurtured and maintained and never be considered fully achieved. As Kant stated in ‘Perpetual Peace’, it is a process that should encompass all countries of the world and all of humanity. Sustainable peace is a continuous process that involves justice, safety, progress and balance, our full mental and emotional attention, good coordination, clear communication, profound dedication, and a transdisciplinary approach. The path towards sustainable and just peace requires the engagement of us all, now.