Peace is often understood simply as the absence of war. Yet, in a world marked by prolonged conflicts, fragile ceasefires and deepening divisions, peace demands much more. It requires the difficult ability to keep talking when trust has broken down, to listen when differences seem irreconcilable and to choose dialogue before disagreement turns into destruction.
Today, September 21, the International Day of Peace, this question feels particularly relevant: Can the world still learn the art of peace?
Established by the United Nations in 1981, the International Day of Peace was initially created to strengthen the ideals of peace among nations and peoples. In 2001, September 21 was formally designated as a day of non-violence and ceasefire. This year, the UN observes the day under the theme “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.” The theme emphasises that peace is not created only in diplomatic conference rooms. It is also built in classrooms, neighbourhoods, communities and everyday human interactions.
The Russia-Ukraine war remains a stark reminder of how difficult the road to peace can be. Even after years of fighting, diplomatic efforts continue, but major disagreements remain over territory, security and the terms of any settlement. In recent days, Ukraine has continued engaging with the United States and European partners on possible pathways towards ending the war, while Russia has maintained its own positions on negotiations.
The lesson is uncomfortable but important: negotiation becomes most necessary precisely when agreement seems most difficult.
The situation in Gaza offers another painful reminder. Although a ceasefire halted large-scale fighting in 2025, violence and humanitarian difficulties have continued, while questions surrounding reconstruction, security and the future political arrangement remain unresolved. On September 21, hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza returned to in-person education in temporary or damaged facilities, illustrating both the continuing consequences of conflict and the importance of rebuilding ordinary life.
A ceasefire, therefore, is not the same as peace. It can create the space in which peace becomes possible, but lasting peace requires something deeper: reconciliation, institutions that people can trust, political participation and a willingness to address the grievances that sustain conflict.
History offers examples of how such processes can take shape. The Northern Ireland peace process, for instance, demonstrated the importance of sustained dialogue, political participation and compromise over time. Peace did not emerge from one dramatic agreement alone. It required years of negotiations and continued efforts to address differences.
The world must also reconsider who gets a seat at the peace table. Young people are not merely victims of conflict or future leaders waiting for their turn. They can be active participants in peacebuilding, community dialogue and rebuilding divided societies. The UN’s 2026 Peace Day campaign specifically highlights such “everyday architects of peace” and calls attention to people working at the local level to bridge divisions.
This makes peace education equally important.
Teaching children how to disagree without dehumanising the other side, question propaganda, understand different perspectives and resolve disputes peacefully may appear modest beside international diplomacy. Yet these are precisely the skills that can prevent disagreements from becoming hatred and violence.
Peace is also closely connected with dignity, opportunity and inclusion. The United Nations describes peace not merely as the absence of war, but as a condition in which people can live with safety, dignity, opportunity and cooperation.
Perhaps the greatest lesson for the present is simple: peace is not weakness, compromise is not surrender, and dialogue does not mean that differences have disappeared. Dialogue means choosing to address those differences without turning them into reasons for destruction.
On this International Day of Peace, the question is therefore not only whether world leaders can negotiate peace. It is whether societies can learn to practise it , in politics, schools, workplaces, communities and homes.
The art of peace begins wherever people choose conversation over hatred, understanding over prejudice and coexistence over confrontation.
In an increasingly divided world, learning to live with our differences without turning them into reasons for violence may be one of humanity’s most important skills to relearn.