Muzi Dlamini Receives 3rd Place (17 to 24) in the UN Resident Coordinator's Essay Competition

A peaceful society is a prosperous society. The world as one entity largely requires a sustained peace in order to achieve a sustainable development. Global instabilities in the past centuries, brought it into the world’s attention the necessity of an establishment of a well and strong founded global institute to enhance peace promote development which led to the instituting of the United Nations in 1945. Its aim was to primarily form and maintain world peace and security, develop friendly relations among countries and since its establishment and it has worked diligently and to bear outstanding outcomes in achieving its ambitions. The establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 agenda in 2015 is one recent strategy adopted by the organisation to enhance a peaceful world and promote development. However, due to the world’s diversity there are obstacles in the process of implementing strategies to achieve peace and prosperity across the world hence there is need for a role to be played not only by the UN but everyone in the world ought to take an initiative in meeting the international necessities. This essay therefore discusses the challenges towards achieving a peaceful and prosperous world and further bring forth suggestions on how to achieve peace and world prosperity.

Stereotypical collaboration and unity among countries is one challenge posing a threat to the world’s development and peace. This is so because collaboration of countries and the relationship they possess is mostly held by the head of states and the governments without reaching the low structures of the hierarchy. This entails that collaboration and unity hold by countries should also be inculcated, well vested and further practised by the fellow citizens not only being hold by the head of governments. Advent of issues such as xenophobia and racial intolerance originates from such gaps as they are practical among the fellow citizens themselves rather than the leaders. For instance, South Africa in 2019 in Johannesburg experienced xenophobic riots targeting nationals from the rest of Africa which lead to at least seven deaths whereas South Africa is known to be keeping good relationship with other African countries. This result to both political and economic alteration thus depriving peace and prosperity in the society.

Armed violence also hinders achievement of a peaceful world as it brings political instability. It has been found that in 2017 68.5 million people were forcible displaced due to persecution, conflict, violence and violation of human rights. The disruption of peace due to the aforementioned factors is brought by an unequal share of available resources due to emerged growth of population which lead to violent protesting and civil wars. For instance the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2016 in the Kasai region a great political instability emerged due to the country having vast amounts natural resources such as oil whereas a majority of the population (64% ) is considered extremely poor and about 2.1 million people were displaced due to the instability. Economic development is therefore disrupted due to such occurrences thus hindering prosperity and development in our society.

Gender inequality and high crime rate especially in developing countries are other peace troubling factors. This lead to violence and perpetuating the violation of human rights thus bringing about difficulties to keep a peaceful society. Unemployment still remains a major problem in some countries which bears cases of crime and establishment of gangs thus disrupting peace in most communities. For example, South Africa is one leading country in Africa with a crime rate of about 77.49% which enhances a vast elementary of instability to the country. Domestic abuse where women and children are most victims due to gender inequalities poses more damage in achieving a peaceful society as both and children are most defenceless groups hence they are abused and brutally killed due to the lack of inculcation of the notion of gender quality  and all gender matters. Apart from peace, development and world prosperity also become at stake as useful resource people are deprived their rights to live peacefully and bring innovation.

Eradicating peace and development threatening factors world countries join more hands and form a non-dismantled entity. This could be achieved through ensuring that all countries endorses and adhere to the set Sustainable Development Goals to ensure all countries move towards achieving a peaceful and prosperous world. This include promoting and enforcing peace keeping laws such as discriminatory and abuse laws, enhancing civil education through the quality and equitable education.

In a nutshell, peace and development are two complementary world necessities that goes hand in hand to achieve a stable and a prosperous world. Violation of human rights, armed violence and inequality are found to be obstacles towards world peace and prosperity. Adhering to UN set Sustainable Development Goals stipulations can greatly contribute towards achieving a peaceful and a prosperous world.