The Codependency between ‘Peace’ and ‘Trust’


By Aliya S., grade 7, INDIA

The literal definition of peace would mean a state of calm, quiet and serenity. But the human race is far more complex, so we would refer to peace as a time of truce—no wars, no violence and no issues that need to be resolved, whereas trust is considered to be the belief of sincerity, either thought or expressed by a person. While the concepts of peace and trust are commonly misidentified as each other, in reality, they are interdependent in order to create a long-lasting, somewhat fantasized period of harmony. 

Obtaining peace is no easy feat, as it has to be mastered from within. Only a person at peace with themselves and their surroundings can achieve peace as society. There is only one path to peace, and that requires change. Change of thought, change of expression and changing actions to words, which believe it or not, has been proven (occasionally) to be more powerful than actions. Currently, peace is a fictional concept, because it requires something most of us lack-a sense of mutual trust. 

(Indian) Farmers have left their homes and have chosen to raise their voices even in the harsh circumstances they now face, because they do not trust the government and ITS corporate policies THAT they fear. Our deterministic chaos is but one pesky gnat that prevents us from living peacefully, whereas the lack of trust and therefore, communication, acts as a barrier instead. Farmers, the souls of our very nation, just wish to come to a mutual agreement with the government to ensure that they receive at least a minimum support price (MSP) for the crop they grow, harvest and sell. Instead, they sit out in the cold, protesting because they fear the new farm laws. The people who spoke up for them, who were supposed to be encouraged, were punished instead. This brings us back to the notion of change, and how the mere thought of change in our society can lead to drastic measures taken just to prevent it. 

The lack of communication has caused a rift between two sides, which can only be solved with the government delivering practical solutions through dialogue, which will reinforce trust-leading to peace.

By Aliya S., grade 7, INDIA.