People-to-people Contributions to Building Lasting Peace

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People-to-people Contributions to Building Lasting Peace

Speech by An Yuejun

Secretary General of the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament

At the 2017 Commemoration of the International Day of Peace

4 September 2017

It gives me great pleasure to be with you in Warsaw and on behalf of CPAPD Secretariat, I would like to extend the warmest welcome to all the guests attending the 2017 Commemoration of the International Day of Peace. We would like to express sincere appreciation for the efforts that the Polish House has made in organizing the activity.

Peace and development are the themes of the times. Peoples across the world bear strong desires for a better livelihood. However, the world is not peaceful and regional conflicts are still occurring frequently. The International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September each year. The General Assembly of United Nations has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. The theme for the year 2017 is “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All.” Uncertainties and unstable elements are increasing; traditional and non-traditional security challenges confronting countries are increasing, mainly shown in the following three aspects:

The first is outdated security concepts. At present, the cold war mentality still exists and some people still believe in the zero-sum game. In recent years, a few countries are still unwilling to give up cold war mentality and power politics thinking, taking the attitude of “if you are not my friend, you are my enemy” and pursuing absolute security, thus having become one of major factors in endangering world peace and security. Those outdated and backward security concepts obstruct further development of international communication.

The second is deficient global governance. As traditional and non-traditional security challenges such as terrorism, financial crisis, transnational crimes, epidemic disease, climate change, etc. are complex and severe, and call for better global governance. However, more countries still single-handedly respond to non-traditional security challenges, thus lacking international and regional cooperation and coordination, and there are also much talk but little action on global governance, producing unsatisfied effects.

The third is frequent occurrence of security hotspot issues. The Middle East is still in turbulence, and the Syrian, Israeli-Palestinian and Korean peninsula hot issues are still too complex to settle. Millions of people in the Middle East become homeless refugees and pour into Europe, causing a series of social problems and several countries are attacked by terrorists. It is necessary to deepen international cooperation, so as to properly resolve security hotspot issues and safeguard international and regional peace.

Those traditional and non-traditional issues have posed serious threats to people’s safety of life and property and caused inequality. Meanwhile, people’s longing for lasting peace and common prosperity become stronger. As Chinese old saying goes, old methods cannot suit new situation nor resolve new challenges. Facing new problems and challenges, the Chinese Government has put forward the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, providing a new model of thinking for international security cooperation. Since we gather together as representatives from NGOs today, we can work together to promote international security and lasting peace. To this end, I would like to make the following three proposals.

First, NGOs should share a new concept of security and spread positive energy. The new concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security aims to respect and safeguard each country’s security and integrate traditional and non-traditional security, to promote international and regional security through dialogue and cooperation, and to focus both on security and development in order to realize lasting peace. Though put forward by government, it is based on public opinion to build a safe world. Awarded with “Peace Messenger” by the United Nations, the CPAPD as a national peace organization has held seven commemoration activities of the International Day of Peace since 2009 and introduced Chinese security concepts and Chinese people’s wishes for peace. The CPAPD works to promote mutual understanding and deepen cooperation between the Chinese people and peoples across the world, which has gained positive response from the United Nations and delegates and media from different countries. As a non-governmental peace association, we shall adhere to peace course and spread the idea of peace to work as a guardian, builder and promoter of world peace and new security concepts.

Second, NGOs should focus on development as the main theme and promote sustainable development. Development is fundamental to peace and stability, and is also the ultimate answer to all sorts of security problems. China has implemented the overall plan for promoting all-round economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress. The Chinese Belt and Road Initiative has won great recognition from countries along the routes. Recently, some Chinese NGOs have conducted activities of different types in these countries. For instance, they helped people with ocular diseases to take treatment and organized public welfare programs by constructing schools and hospitals. Those efforts have promoted sustainable development of local economy and society, received warm welcome from local people, and gained recognition from the United Nations. As representatives of NGOs, we shall focus on development and introduce strategic meaning of China-Poland cooperation to our two peoples, trying to win more understanding and support for China-Poland cooperation programs and platforms. Civil Association “The House of Poland” has been working to boost friendship between the Chinese and Polish peoples and is influential in your country. Earlier this year, the CPAPD is honored to invite you to join in Belt and Road NGOs Network. We hope to have more friends join this Network to promote development of the Belt and Road and boost sustainable development to bring benefits to our two peoples.

Third, NGOs should promote cultural exchanges and heart-to-heart communications. As CPAPD Vice President Ma Biao has just said, interactions and mutual learning among civilizations are important driving force for the progress of human civilization, world peace and development. Though we are far from each other geographically, we have developed traditionally close friendship. In the middle of 17thcentury, Polish missionary Michel Boym came to China and studied Chinese society, history, medical science and geography and written a lot of essays and books. He is the first European that had introduced Chinese ancient culture and science to Western countries and is known as “Polish Marco Polo”. Besides, Mazowsze is the first overseas troupe that had come to China. Many polish folk songs became well-known in China since then. The well-run China-Poland Ship Corporation was established in 1951 and is the first Sino-foreign joint venture. We will never forget those who have made great contributions to China-Poland friendship. One of the goals of holding Commemoration of the International Day of Peace is to boost people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding between the Chinese people and peoples of all countries. We have about 180 councilors from different walks of life in the CPAPD who have made great contributions to cultural exchanges. Today, we also have invited delegates from political, cultural and educational circles to joint us. We shall build more bridges for communication and roads for friendship, thus promoting cultural interactions through various dialogue mechanisms. Therefore, we can nurture the idea of peace based on friendship between two peoples and solidify the foundation for peaceful coexistence and common development.

It is the first time that the CPAPD holds Commemoration of the International Day of Peace overseas, which is a milestone event. Poland thus bears unique meaning toward people-to-people exchanges. Let us work together as NGOs to make the world a better place with lasting peace and shared prosperity.