“Democracy and development are contingent upon
peace. Investment in development will crumble and aspirations for democracy
will evaporate in the absence of peace,” the Prime Minister said while
addressing a ceremony organised at the University of Peace
The Prime Minister said that the
promulgation of Constitution three years back marked the conclusion of the uniquely
successful peace process in Nepal
“Our experience is a testimony of the
fact that with requisite political will and sense of accommodation, negotiations
and dialogue can resolve conflicts,” he said.
The university conferred an Honorary Doctorate on
Prime Minister Oli for his contributions towards establishing peace and
resolving conflict.
“Poverty,
inequality and backwardness often provide a breeding ground for conflicts. So
do intolerance, intimidation and bigotry. Self-centered parochialism and lack
of far-sightedness further aggravate the situation. A myopic and selective approach
does more harm than good,” he said.
Environmental distress, discrimination,
societal discord, deficit of trust and denial of sovereign rights of nations
over natural resources also contribute to fueling conflicts, he added.
According to him, peace is not a mere
absence of war. Nor should it be understood as suppressed calmness, forced
silence and circumscribed tolerance.
Prime Minister Oli said that it was a
state of mind, way of living and has much broader dimensions –individual,
political, economic, social, and cultural- which are interdependent and
mutually reinforcing.
“At individual level, freedom with
responsibility towards greater good of society is the foundation of peace. At the
political level, meaningful participation in political process and logical
power sharing contributes to sustaining peace. A perfect mix of rights and
duties fosters an environment conducive to peace,” he said.
Likewise, in economic realm, for
ensuring peace, the disparities between haves and haves-not and the condition
of extractive economic exploitation should be abolished. Joblessness must be ended.
Physical and biological human needs that are basic and justifiable must be met,
he said.
He maintained that at socio-cultural
level, tolerance and compassion in society and interfaith and civilisational
harmony and unity in diversity are the catalyst for peace.
He recalled the United Nations General
Assembly deliberations last week and said that no matter where the leaders came
from; no matter which countries they represented, they were united in their
call for a peaceful planet, shared progress and prosperity of humanity.
According to him, education that
inculcates tolerance and compassion, respects diversity and accommodates
differences while unleashing the infinite potential of human mind is the answer
to the problems the humanity faces today.
Prime Minister Oli said that the small
nations like Nepal
He said that the ecological balance had
been disrupted, and with the temperature rising, glaciers retreating, snow
melting and sea level rising, the climate change had accelerated.
“Unfortunately, it is the countries
with negligible emissions that are bearing the heavy price of climate change. This
is unfair and thus unacceptable. We together have the responsibility to hand
over a habitable planet to our future generations,” he said.
He also said that the problems are more
interconnected today than ever. They are not confined to the borders of
countries and continents. They are not confined to particular race and nation.
He pointed towards the need to resurrect
and reinvent the rule-based international order, which is inclusive and
accommodative of the voices of all countries, no matter how small or big, rich
or poor, developed or developing.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 3 October 2018.
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