A peaceful world free from wars

With the crisis in Gaza, the rise of Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria and the constant Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria, it can sometimes feel like the whole world is at war.

Of the 162 countries covered by the Institute for Economics and Peace’s (IEP’s) latest study, just 11 were not involved in conflict of one kind or another.

The study also showed that over the past decade Positive Peace has improved by 1.86 per cent globally. Positive Peace has plateaued since 2013 due to deteriorations in sound business environments, free flow of information, high levels of human capital and acceptance of the rights of others, offsetting gains in other pillars.

The three regions of Russia and Eurasia, Asia-Pacific and South Asia had the largest improvements at 4.7 per cent, 3.3 per cent and 3.2 per cent respectively.

The largest improvements in Positive Peace occurred in Cote d’Ivoire, Georgia, Rwanda, Kyrgyz Republic and Saudi Arabia. These countries, however, began from low levels of Positive Peace in 2005.

The largest deteriorations in Positive Peace occurred in Central African Republic, Yemen, Equatorial Guinea, Greece and Syria.

This report finds that when press freedoms deteriorate, combined with increases in corruption and group grievances, then the onset of violent organised conflict is more likely.

World peace, or peace on earth, is the concept of an ideal state of happiness, freedom and peace within and among all people and nations on earth.

World peace is an idea of a world without violence, where nations try to work with one another. World peace could mean equal human rights, technology, free education for everyone, engineering, availability of medicine, diplomats and/or an end to all forms of fighting.

Various religious and secular organisations have the stated aim of achieving world peace through addressing human rights, technology, education, engineering, medicine or diplomacy used as an end to all forms of fighting.

It is in this recognition that the decision to award the Founder of the Centre of Awareness (COA), Dr Samuel Ato Duncan, for his resolve and commitment to achieve peace in the world is appropriate. The centre is an organisation for human development.

Indeed, peace is a sine qua non to national development, and the vow by Dr Duncan to make global peace his sole aim to achieve in life is laudable.

It cannot be gainsaid that peace is not the absence of war but total freedom in all spheres of life where mankind can live freely and happily on earth without any hindrance whatsoever.

Ceremony

During a ceremony to be installed as the first President of the Global Peace Mission which gave him the award, Dr Duncan said: “I want a peaceful world which is free from wars, political and ethnic conflicts, political and social injustices, religious intolerance, immorality, diseases that have no cure, poverty and many other social vices.”

The brief but impressive ceremony, which was held at Batenyaa in the Central Region, attracted high echelon of society, including a representative of the President of the Republic of Ghana, traditional leaders, Christian leaders, Muslim leaders, political leaders and a section of the public.

“I see these as contributory factors affecting global peace and must, therefore be tackled locally, nationally and internationally,” he added.

Dr Duncan, who has won many awards for his contribution towards global peace and for his herbal medicine interventions, expressed gratitude for the support he had received “in my quest of making Ghana the country that provides a cure for the deadly HIV and AIDS disease”, adding that Ghanaians should keep supporting the quest till it was achieved.

Some of the awards Mr Duncan has received include: Discovery of the Millennium 2016, Humanitarian and Service Peace Award and Community Peace Award 2016 by Ghana Peace Awards, Health Research Personality of the Year Award by Health Legendary Awards 2016, Fellowship of CIDA Award 2017, Citation on Promotion of Human Development, Honorary Doctor of Bible Theology and Civic Education from the Global Gospel University and Distinguished Excellence in Service to Humanity Award by Business Reports Limited.

He has also received Golden Prize Awards from affiliate institutions such as Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Centre for Plant Medicine Research, National Malaria Control Programme, Ghana Coalition of NGOS in Malaria, Traditional and Alternative Medicine Directorate, Traditional Medicine Practice Council and Local Governance Network.

Work

Dr Duncan spent 29 years on vigorous independent research to find solutions to problems the world was struggling to have answers to, such as the cure for HIV/AIDS and other chronic diseases.

A report in May 2011 on the Global Peace Index, found that if the world had been 25 per cent more peaceful in the previous year, the global economy would have had an additional $2 trillion. This amount would have covered two per cent of the (Gross Domestic Product) GDP per year required to avoid the worst effects of global warming, cover all costs to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, cancel the public debt held by Greece, Ireland and Portugal, and cover the one-time rebuilding costs for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in a speech read on his behalf, commended the COA for its researched herbal medicine products to manage life-threatening and challenging health issues such as HIV/AIDS and other chronic diseases.

He, therefore, pledged the government’s commitment to support the centre in research and the development of its product to attain international standards for export and partnerships.

According to the President, such products were what the government of Ghana and the Ministry of Health sought to support to the full stage of clinical trials in the country.

Giving a background to the traditional medicine, President Akufo-Addo said before the introduction of scientific medical care by the Europeans, African nationals, including Ghanaians, relied on traditional medicines for the cure and treatment of tropical ailments such as malaria, headaches, abdominal pain and skin diseases.

He noted that there could not be peace without a healthy citizenry, stable economy and social well-being.