Peace and Justice in Society (Essay Sample)

Peace and Justice
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Peace refers to a status of calmness without any form of violence. It is a state of agreement or harmony between people, communities and countries. Justice constitutes the legal administration of fairness. It calls for equitableness through the push for moral rightness. Peace and justice are critical factors that contribute to sustainable development because, in their absence, the environment becomes unfavourable. It is through peace and justice that we find stable societies in the world. Achieving both puts the community in a pole position to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). They create the necessary environment for enactment or pursuit of the SDG.
One of the peace and justice goals is to reduce all forms of violence and related deaths globally significantly. Across the globe, many people lose lives daily from violence and associated causes. It could arise from political instability or terrorist attacks. Any form of violence could lead to death depending on the aims of the perpetrators. A society where people die through wars and political wrangles may fail to develop. It is because the people form the labour needed in building the country. The environment may be unfavourable for other people to contribute to the development because they fear the consequences that could arise if they don't support the leadership in position or accept specific group demands.
Conflicts, political instability, injustices and insecurity form barriers to sustainable development. According to a United Nations Economic and Social Council report in July 2020, millions of people globally suffer from injustice, insecurity, and violation of human rights. The report shows over 70M people fled their residences, the highest figure recorded in recent times (UNDP, 2020). The huge numbers imply many societies lag or experience stagnate development because of violence. What raises eyebrows is that it is happening in this era when calls for unity are in every global forum to keep all societies growing.
Subversion of justice remains a crucial challenge in promoting peace. If perpetrators face the full force of the law, they may act as examples to others who plan to execute ill-motives to disturb peace. Numbers show that many countries display laxity in serving justice to citizens. Justice calls for the prosecution of arrested people to determine their fate. If innocent, they should enjoy their freedom or serve a sentence if guilty. Data from 2016-2018 shows 31% of prisoners in detention await their sentences, implying judicial systems contribute to the violation of human right (UNDP, 2020). Instant justice will help innocent citizens to get back to society soonest and contribute to development. On the other hand, it also violates innocent people's rights by denying them freedom of movement, whereby they suffer similar consequences as the guilty.
My main interest is to bring the numbers of deaths and injuries resulting from violations of human rights. The numbers can only reduce if we bolster the justice system. It is the platform that will separate the innocent from the offenders. Another critical issue I'll address is the freedom of stakeholders who push for justice. They include journalists, lawyers and activists. In 2019, 357 people, including human rights activists, media people and trade unionists, lost their lives in unclear circumstances (UNDP, 2020). My main aim is to bring the numbers down. The three groups belong to a sensitive lot of people who help push for respect for human rights and inform the society in case of violations. Providing security to the groups is critical to keeping the community informed without fears of kidnapping and related intimidation issues.
Most countries in the sub-Sahara plunge into political instability because of election and succession wrangles. Leaders want to cling to power subverting democratic processes. I'll form or call for prosecution of leaders who fail to accept defeat in free elections and want to hold on to power. There exists a current legal framework in many constitutions guiding polls, but most are ineffective or lack the strength to pursue perpetrators. In the current setup, the International Criminal Court deals with such cases in events that lead to chaos and deaths in countries. I'll improve the prosecution process by ensuring people party to post-election violence face the law. In most countries, the leaders use force to manipulate election results to swing their way. Perhaps using international agents who act as watchdogs could instil some form of credibility and fairness in polls. If we reduce poll-related and leadership violence, cases of deaths arising from them will decline.
The process of controlling or oversight of elections is complex, primarily since different countries use distinct constitutions. They also hold polls after various intervals. It means each year; there could be two or more elections. They can be costly. I can push a suggestion where each country donates a certain amount of funds to aid in polls oversight. It also applies to monitoring the treatment of agents and other players who help to set things straight in society. The creation of a pool of funds will ensure activities run smoothly. It also pushes the international community to act responsibly since each country donates funds. A third party in the polls will ensure the process runs smoothly and minimize fraud chances, the main factor plunging countries into wars.
The strategy also incorporates justice for non-governmental parties crucial in pushing for equality and respect for human rights. It includes the activists, journalists, investigators and legal personnel. There are widespread cases of the stakeholders above suffering injustice when they push governments to set records straight. Some cases lead to death through kidnappings or reckless shootings. By 2019, 40% of countries are party to the Paris Principles regarding national human rights institutions. It is an initiative that receives, investigates and ensures justice for complaints regarding violation of human rights. The strategy can convince more members to join the agreement since it'll ensure full compliance with human rights. It will also tame rogue leaders and institutions that violate human rights.
Calling for countries to join global agreements that advocate respect for human rights and credibility in elections is a Herculean task. The leaders and other critical stakeholders may object to the moves. Some may ground it on the donations they'll be channelling to assist run affairs of the agreement. Other countries may decline to join because their leaders feel uncomfortable with the global screening process (Oette, 2010, p.359). In many countries where leaders want to cling to power for long, the press and human right activists hardly thrive or perform their duties. It is why leaders and rogue governments