The importance of International Peace Day

In recent times, world peace has come under different threats of natural disaster, war, poverty and hunger, inequality and climate change among others.

These threats have been the norm in some parts of the world. Other parts of the world have found different ways to co-exist despite these raging challenges.

To live above the global harsh realities faced by many, the United Nations (UN) in September 1981 declared that September 21 be set aside to celebrate International Peace Day annually.

The International Day of Peace aims at promoting global peace among countries and fight against hostility and all forms of threats to peace. It covers a broad range of issues including poverty, health, education, climate change, hunger, gender equality, water, sanitation, environment, and social justice.

This year’s International Day of Peace themed “Climate Action for Peace” intends to raise awareness on climate change to protect and promote peace globally. Climate Action features in the 17 Sustainable Goals of the UN.

The case is not different in Nigeria, which is also going through climate change like several other countries.

A 25 years of climate change disasters in the north-eastern part of the country has continued to affect the region. Lands are laid to waste by the raising temperature leading to the southward expansion of the Sahara Desert.

Farmlands and surrounding villages became barren and were swallowed up by advancing desertification, which led to massive migration of people in search of more fertile terrain from the northeast towards the greener plateau and middle belt regions, prompting security analysts to suggest that this one of the reasons the country is witnessing farmer-herder crisis.