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This article participates on the following special index pages:
New Constitution-making process - Index of articles
International Peace Day: CCDZ urges peace and political tolerance
ahead of elections
Centre
for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ)
September 25, 2012
As Zimbabwe
joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day
of Peace on September 21, 2012, the Centre for Community Development
in Zimbabwe (CCDZ) urges the nation to keep in perspective the global
theme for the Day of Peace. This year's theme, "Sustainable
Peace for a Sustainable Future" makes the link between peace
and the future and how our actions for peace now will spell out
a better future for the nation. CCDZ urges Zimbabweans to play their
role in making, keeping and building peace in their community and
shunning political violence and call upon the coalition
government in Zimbabwe to turn political rhetoric into action
and put in place mechanisms that protect citizens to live in peace.
At this crucial
time when Zimbabweans are entering the final participatory stages
of the Constitution-Making
process and the elections where they will be expected to cast
their votes in the Referendum and elections, CCDZ urges all Zimbabweans
to exercise political tolerance towards each other and shun violence.
As the 2012 theme of "Sustainable Peace for A Sustainable
Future" speaks clearly to the relationship between the practice
of peace in the present affecting the quality and sustainability
of the future, CCDZ takes this opportunity to remind Zimbabwe that
peace is personal and individual responsibility. One act towards
maintaining or building peace in your community goes far in ensuring
that development happens in our country.
CCDZ also takes
this opportunity to welcome the proposed National Peace and Reconciliation
Commission as outlined in the COPAC Draft Constitution. This Commission
presents a welcome departure from the Organ on National Healing
and Reconciliation which has failed to engage ordinary Zimbabweans
in a genuine process of national healing. Sustainable peace will
not be achieved without a genuine process of national healing which
is contextual and community driven by Zimbabweans themselves. Similarly,
sustainable peace will not be achieved without the necessary legal
and institutional reforms. This Commission presents an opportunity
for Zimbabweans to contribute to "Sustainable Peace for a
Sustainable Future" for Zimbabwe. CCDZ does not make the burden
of peace in Zimbabwe the sole responsibility of ordinary citizens
but calls upon political society to publicly take a stand for peace
and a stand against political violence and bickering amongst themselves.
The 2012 theme
of the International Day of Peace should also serve as a warning
to political parties that Zimbabweans will not mortgage the sustainable
future to never ending, alienating, non-inclusive political processes
that hold the peaceful existence of Zimbabweans at ransom to the
whims of political parties. The very relevance of political parties
is measured by the peace ordinary people enjoy and the electorate
is gearing up to express that ideal in the coming elections.
Sustainable
Peace for a Sustainable Future: The equation is clear!
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for Community Development fact
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