The United Nations stands for the freedom and equality of all peoples, irrespective of race, religion, or ideology.
Peace is no mere matter of men fighting or not fighting. Peace, to have meaning for many who have known only suffering in both peace and war, must be translated into bread or rice, shelter, health, and education, as well as freedom and human dignity - a steadily better life. If peace is to be secure, long-suffering and long-starved, forgotten peoples of the world, the underprivileged and the undernourished, must begin to realize without delay the promise of a new day and a new life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True peace encompasses more than the absence of conflict; it includes basic human needs and dignity.
In this quote, Ralph Bunche emphasizes that peace should not only be defined as the absence of war or conflict between men, but also as the fulfillment of essential human needs such as food, shelter, health, education, freedom, and dignity. He argues that for peace to be truly meaningful, it must address the challenges faced by the underprivileged and marginalized, ensuring a better life for all and recognizing that without addressing these basic needs, peace remains superficial and unattainable for those who suffer.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is powerful for discussing the need for social justice during a community meeting.
More from Ralph Bunche
All quotes →We can never have too much preparation and training. We must be a strong competitor. We must adhere staunchly to the basic principle that anything less than full equality is not enough. If we compromise on that principle our soul is dead.
You can surmount the obstacles in your path if you are determined, courageous and hard-working. Never be faint-hearted. Be resolute, but never bitter.
The well-being and the hopes of the peoples of the world can never be served until peace - as well as freedom, honor and self-respect - is secure.
If you want to get an idea across, wrap it up in a person.
There is no problem of human nature which is insoluble.
Similar quotes
When it becomes a bloody reality, we have to come together and look at what can be done to return to the order of peace, ... There is no alternative to it.
If development is the new name for peace, war and preparations for war are the major enemy of the healthy development of peoples. If we take the common good of all humanity as our norm, instead of individual greed, peace would be possible.
The basis of world peace is the teaching which runs through almost all the great religions of the world. Love thy neighbor as thyself.
We may think of peace as the absence of war, that if the great powers would reduce their weapons arsenals, we could have peace. But if we look deeply into the weapons, we will see our own minds - our own prejudices, fears, and ignorance.
Peace with the Palestinians will open ports of peace all around the Mediterranean. The duty of leaders is to pursue freedom ceaselessly, even in the face of hostility, in the face of doubt and disappointment. Just imagine what could be.
But wherever we are, we must all, in our daily lives, live up to the age-old faith that peace and freedom walk together. In too many of our cities today, the peace is not secure because freedom is incomplete." (John F. Kennedy, June 10, 1963, American University speech)