Peace refers to the state when there was no personal, political, and societal conflict that happens in a place or community. Hence, there is no disturbances and chaos. Social justice, moreover, pertains to the justice of resource, chance, and privilege distribution in a place. These two are connected to one another, and are important aspects of people’s lives.
There is lot of work to do to promote peace and advance social justice in the world. Here are seven ways to start:
Make a personal, active commitment to peace and social justice
To be able to live a peaceful and non-violent life, we must fight against all forms of social injustice, such as hunger, poverty, gender inequality, persecution, and racism. We must refuse to stay quiet or neutral in the face of injustice and inequality. Our commitment to nonviolence entails action. We must actively promote change and protest against injustices through non-violent means. We must speak out against social injustice when we see it.
Fight for workers’ rights
We must demand fair treatment for all workers across all sectors, as well as decent wages, paid leaves, healthcare, a safe workplace, and other employment benefits for them, regardless of their position or gender. We must promote and protect all workers’ right to work and employment, especially for people with disabilities.
Support diversity
In the developing world, human rights violations are still rampant. Many people are being oppressed for their race, cultural heritage, socioeconomic status, gender identity, political views, and faith. We must stand in solidarity with the oppressed and persecuted and call out the perpetrators of violence in our society.
Volunteer
By donating a few hours of your time, you can make a difference in people’s lives and help thwart the systematic, root causes of injustice and inequality in your community. Volunteering can teach you a lot about yourself, your community, and the people you are trying to help. By volunteering, you endear yourself to the cause and struggle of marginalized peoples. Before you get involved in any movement, charity, or NGO, make sure you understand what their cause/mission is and what and how they are trying to achieve. It is a great idea to build connections with like-minded individuals. Local organizers and groups often hold open meetings or campaign drives and are excited to have new people involved. They need all the help they could get.
Fight through the arts
There are many ways to protest nonviolently, such as marches, vigils, economic boycotts or sanctions, civil disobedience, community education, and the arts. Yes, the arts! You can fight injustice and inequality, spread the message across, and raise awareness through music, poetry, cinema, mural painting, and books. Educator Carl E. Moyler wrote a book On Freedom and Revolt: A Comparative Investigation (2019). Written in the form of a Ph.D. dissertation, the book deals with a comparison between Albert Camus and Martin Luther King, Jr., both Nobel Prize winners who, despite their differences in terms of racial and cultural background and having lived in different times, were willing to stand in the face of tyranny, social injustice, and war.
Be kind to vulnerable people
This is a major prerequisite to joining the fight against social injustice and inequality: being kind, compassionate, loving, and caring toward the vulnerable.The vulnerable in your community may include the poor, the homeless, the jobless, older people, and people with disabilities, as well as those displaced by war or disasters and victims of trafficking and exploitation. Don’t mock their pain and misery. Don’t belittle them. Should they approach you for help, give as much help as you can, or direct or lead them to the proper authorities or organizations that you believe could help them. Support an organization or cause that is geared toward helping and uplifting the not-so-fortunate.
Lead by example
Don’t just discuss the topic of social in/justice and in/equality with people. Stand, act and fight. Don’t just read the books. Become them. We have the responsibility to act and put into fruition what we have read and heard and are commanded to do. The change will not occur unless you act. Peace and social justice are never without the commitment to act.
Alex Writes 