A new project to promote global peacebuilding has been launched by UNITWIN’s Chair in Transnational Studies, Interreligious Dialogue, and Peace.
On a prominent wall across from the United Nations building in New York City, there are words from the Hebrew prophet Isaiah that read: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.” Violence and war continue to be an issue today due to the many armed conflicts that destroy countless lives and harm the earth.
This proposal suggests a way forward: the idea is that nations would be asked to participate in a global peacebuilding effort through the UN. Each participating nation would initially reduce their military spending by one percent and place those funds into a Swords into Plowshares Fund administered by the UN.
The Swords into Plowshares Fund could be used for various projects such as developing water resource systems in drought-prone areas, reforestation programs, and planting trees to help combat climate change. This proposal offers practical ways to transform our military economies into peacebuilding economies.