Written by: Anele Nduzulwana

Media reports about wars or people killing one another surface almost every day. If it is not political conflicts in the Middle East, it is protests for service delivery or violence in the townships.

Non-profit organisations and political movements have been striving to implement peace around the globe for decades, yet violence does not seem to cease.

The protests in the City of Tshwane, for instance, serve as an example of how people in the world are not at peace.

Siva Dhlamini, team leader for International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) in Durban, said that the world is facing a threat against peace and well thought strategies are needed to fight this threat.

She added that IPYG is a group of young people whose mission is to restore global peace by uniting youths of all nations and trying to make peace a reality.

“We know that there are many peace organisations that are trying to do this work, so we are trying to arrange with those organisations to meet with each other,” said Dhlamini.

Dhlamini stated that if young people can unite and strive for a common goal of bringing peace and unity in the world, it can be done.

Sinovuyo Ndabankulu of International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) defined peace as an absence of mental stress and anxiety.

She said that peace can be attainable only if people can learn to understand one another and solve issues in a way that will not be harmful, either physically or mentally.

Ndabankulu said IWPG is non-profit organisation based in Korea and has a branch in Durban. This organisation allows it’s members to work with the passion and mission of achieving absolute peace.

She said the organisation seeks methods of working together with female leaders of various professions in both governments and non-government fields.

“We have to implement projects in the areas of social welfare and volunteerism, academic research, and in arts and culture to establish networks so we may talk about peace,” Ndabankulu said.

Analytical Chemistry student at the Durban University of Technology, Mira Kasang praises these peace organisations.

She said that young people have the power to make the world a better place and non-profit organisations are a necessity to bring people together and discuss ways on how people can solve their issues without resorting to violence.

“I have learnt how to deal with people in different situations and challenges through peace organisations. I have learnt the importance of respecting one another’s different beliefs and how to talk without having to hate one another,” Kasang said.

*Caption: IPYG members creating a South African flag by painting and pasting people’s hands on the big white cloth, symbolising peace and unity.