How to Coexist? Ideas From Around the World

In about a week, the People's Choice Award voting process will conclude so that we can identify the team and the students who have the best strategy on how humans can achieve world peace while creating positive change in a society.

Today we would like to shine a spotlight on Ayush Sankaran, one of the Top Finishers in the Coexistence: Case Study on Peace & Change. Ayush is a 9th grader from Jamnabai Narsee International School, India, and here is an excerpt of Ayush's analysis:

"(In my opinion,) one effective strategy for promoting world peace and justice is to assist peace activists abroad. Raising awareness of their work and the causes they support is one efficient approach to accomplish this (Raising Awareness, 2021). Social media, blogging, and even planning events and campaigns can be used for this.

Contributions are also beneficial since they might give peace activists the vital money they need to carry out their mission (Wells, 2019). Furthermore, providing skill-based support, like technological help or legal support, can be quite helpful. We can strengthen worldwide solidarity, give voice to peace activists around the world, and begin a more peaceful world by lending our support to them.

But it's crucial to take into account the possible dangers and difficulties of aiding peace activists abroad. Donating funds or resources, for example, without conducting adequate screening, may unintentionally assist groups or persons with notorious goals or strategies (Sikkink & Keck, n.d.). Furthermore, raising public awareness of the work that peace activists do might occasionally expose them to threats of retaliation or persecution from their governments or other influential parties. Additionally, providing assistance has the potential to erode local autonomy and ownership or establish dependence (Local Ownership - Interpeace, 2024). Support must be provided with consideration, cooperation, and empowerment, taking into account the diversity of local peace activists' situations, their autonomy, and their knowledge.

(So I ask,) what are the benefits and challenges of supporting peace activists abroad, and how can we balance the need to amplify their work and provide resources with the risk of inadvertently causing harm or undermining local autonomy and ownership?"

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