Beforeword: The UN Charter, signed on 26 June 1945, was a response to the devastations of WWII. One of the key commitments of the Charter is maintaining global peace and security. In this poem, “In The Name of Peace,” I draw upon the Charter’s commitment to peace as a reminder of its enduring relevance in our world where over fifty armed conflicts still rage today. We need peace.

In the name of peace
we the peoples, united in hope
vowed to save generations from the scourge of war
to reaffirm faith in human dignity
in rights, in justice, in freedom

Yet, this is a world that has become unable to make peace

In lofty halls and inked parchments,
we set forth our purposes:
to maintain the fragile thread of peace
to quench the fires of aggression
to settle disputes by words, not weapons
to foster friendship where enmity grew

Yet, this is a world that has become unable to make peace

Nations large and small
bound by principles of respect
promised to refrain from force
to seek justice through dialogue
to build a tapestry of cooperation
woven with threads of empathy and understanding

Yet, this is a world that has become unable to make peace

In the quiet chambers of mediation
in the solemn court of justice
we pledged to resolve our conflicts
to arbitrate, to reconcile
to heal the wounds of discord
to harmonize our actions for common good

Yet, this is a world that has become unable to make peace

From the Syrian deserts to the Yemeni valleys
in Ukraine’s fields, in Myanmar’s streets
in Ethiopia’s shadows, in Libya’s ruins
in the cries of Gaza and Haiti, in the whispers of Kashmir
over fifty armed conflicts scar the globe
while the bodies of women and girls have become battlegrounds—
scarred by sexual violence
and the blood of innocents flows
testament to our broken promise

For, this is a world that has become unable to make peace

In the shadows of our promises
the echoes of ancient feuds resound
the specters of power and pride linger
the scars of betrayal and mistrust fester
and the dream of peace
ever so elusive, fades like mist at dawn
where the ink of our charter dries
where our words of unity falter
where the silence of despair grows

Yet, still

We the peoples
hold on to hope
that in the name of peace
we can mend our fractured world
to save succeeding generations
to finally fulfill our sacred vow

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Afterword: I echo the sentiments of my poem-matriarch, Maya Angelou, as laid out in her poem, “A Brave and Startling Truth”, written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.

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Photo credit: www.un.org

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In creative solidarity, Dee