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Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) statement on International Day
of Peace
Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition
September 25, 2013
Theme: “Education
for peace”
The Crisis in
Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) belatedly joins the rest of the world
in commemorating the International Day of Peace, which fell on Saturday,
September 21. This year’s commemorative day comes at a time
when Zimbabwe has held
peaceful but disputed elections and made great strides in ridding
itself of politically motivated overt violence which had become
one of the greatest threats to peace in the country.
The Coalition
remains cognizant of the fact that the absence of violence in itself
does not suffice to guarantee the goal of peace and we would emphasize
that peace only becomes meaningful when it encapsulates the basic
freedom of citizens to conduct themselves without fear, intimidation,
or other forms of harassment which disturb their emotional and psychological
peace.
As this year’s
theme, “Education for Peace” implies, the establishment
of peace in our communities requires deeper commitment in inculcating
the values of tolerance and democracy and it is the Coalition’s
considered view that intolerance, exclusion and unfair governance
practices have significantly contributed to the breaches of peace
that Zimbabwe and the world at large have witnessed over the years.
The Coalition
bears in mind and hopes the relevant State authorities are equally
appreciative of the fact that peace is a goal attained through collective
efforts including the lawful contribution of civil society organisations
in the country while the preservation of that peace depends as much
on the government’s willingness to accept the role of such
civic groups in educating and campaigning in the communities about
tolerance and non-violence.
It is our categorical
averment that impunity by those who have been involved in breaches
to public peace and absence of true reconciliation in the country
will not aid the goal of constructing a peaceful society, but sabotage
it in the long run.
We take this
opportunity to remind the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) and the African Union (AU) that sustainable peace in the
sub-region and on the continent will depend on the bloc’s
commitment to engendering democratic governance in line with the
SADC Principles
and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections and the African
Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance rather than an unsustainable
and narrow determination to foster stability even in undemocratic
and autocratic states.
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in Zimbabwe fact
sheet
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