Attack on peace in Paris

The World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates shocked by yesterday tragical events. The time has come to reflect about what «peace» really means.

It came as a wet blanket.

Tragical words run fast in the news on TV, radio, and internet.

While the 15th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates is going on in Barcelona, with hundreds of students, activists, NGOs members and prestigious Nobel winners, a tragical event took place in Paris last night. Since then, a state of emergency has been declared across France, after at least 120 people are feared killed in terrorist attacks around Paris. A further 200 people are injured, 80 of them seriously. Eight assailants involved have been killed, seven of them in suicide bombings, a French prosecutor has said. But police are still hunting accomplices.

The WSNPL organization expresses its solidarity, especially to the French students attending the Summit.

The 3rd session has just started. The topic, «women in democracy», sounds super interesting but everybody’s mind is somewhere else now, in Paris.

Speaking out about peace is very difficult when violence reveals its scornful face so clearly, but women peace laureates can try. But before this, silence deserves its space.

So it’s up to Tawakkol Karman, the 1st Arab woman to receive the peace prize in 2011, to call for a minute of silence in the room.

“I am so sad about what happened. In the stade of Muslim nations, we are against what happened in Paris. It’s a terrible crime and it only represents the people behind it. Ask yourself who are the victims: the youth peaceful movement, the dream of peace, justice and equality.”

Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1997 for her work toward the banning and clearing of anti-personnel mines states: «What happened in Paris cannot be used as an excuse to spread fear and xenofobia. We have to remember the critical role of women in peace-building process.The foundamental need to have women in power.”

No doubt everyone in this room firmly disapproves Paris attack and «reject the use of violence in any form», as Nobel Laureate Betty Williams asserts. And yet, it is clear today that international community has failed in the repression of violence, not only in relation to Paris attacks but in a wider perspective. With regards to this, Mairead Corrigan-Maguire recalls other contemporary international crisis: “What about Gaza? What about all the other things happening in the world right now? We must deal with these hard issues through peace and non-violence.”

We have to go to the roots of militarism, as what has happened in the Middle East is the result of decades of oppression from many countries.

It’s not only about terrorism.

It’s not only about Muslim world.

It’s not only about religious clash.

It’s about you.

It’s about me.

It’s about us.

It’s about the Middle East.

It’s about the West, and its pretention to bomb, to invade, to prevent Middle East people to decide.

Not a new story.

We students attending the Summit feel deeply sad about what has happened. Yesterday, we all died a little. Yesterday, peace died a little. Our dreams of peace died a little. Our ideals died a little.

But just a little.

You know, our enthusiasm is still alive. Our hope is still breathing. Our energy is not over.

Peace has not given up. Until we do not give it up.