Media Statement
By the Chairperson of Zimbabwe Peacebuilding Initiative (ZimPI) Senator Sekai Holland marking United Nations International Day of Peace, September 21, 2023.
HARARE, September 21, 2023: - On this UN International Day for Peace 2023 we, Zimbabweans at home and abroad, together celebrate our achieving the long-standing Africa Union Call to Africa every May 25th: Make Peace Happen! For this year we achieved exemplary peaceful elections, a feat that has surprised, and continues to surprise all around the world. Collectively as one people, we now have the duty and responsibility to uphold this prevailing peace, the key ingredient to our development and prosperity. For, without peace, there can be no development!
In a statement to mark the United Nations International Day of Peace, Zimbabwe Peacebuilding Initiative (ZimPI) chairperson Senator Sekai Holland stated that this year’s 2023 UN General Assembly theme is: Rebuilding Trust and reigniting global solidarity ... Accelerating actions on the 2030 agenda and its sustainable development goals, towards peace, prosperity, progress and the sustainability for all. This message resonates with the UN International Day of Peace every September 21 - Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals.
ZimPI salutes Zimbabweans at home and abroad for achieving this 2023 exemplary peaceful election and our President for his campaign theme the UN sustainability goals above. ZimPI now calls us all to go forward together, finding peacebuilding ways to consolidate this peace, within our homes, communities and nationally, with a new focus: identifying that common ground that Zimbabweans share, as the basis to unite ourselves as a society. This unity opens us to recognize that unity of purpose is essential in society; it is a key ingredient for our sustainable development: for without development we cannot achieve equality.
“ZimPI reminds us all to work together, united as Zimbabweans, at home and abroad, mapping our way forward, in solution-based community conversations, flowing from our households, communities and into our Government National Plan. Our traditional values of uBuntu/Hunhu wedu, embody our societal values: Justice and fairness for all. We could think about adopting these two values in our personal approach to those around us, to maintain this environment of hard-won peace, still enveloping our country, empowering us to, as one, develop our beautiful Zimbabwe together,” said Senator Holland.
In conclusion ZimPI salutes our President, for his Vision 2030 campaign strategy: Nyika inovakwa navene vayo. Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo. A country is built by its own people. The message opened our eyes and minds, to move ourselves away from the current prevailing, damaging, donor dependency syndrome.
The President’s calls connected us to, reminds us, those of us, now seniors, of our leaders’ messages to us all, at different periods of our history:
- Rev Ndabaningi Sithole as he launched the Liberation Clarion Call: Liberation is not ours unless we fight for it. We are our own liberators.
- This was followed in 1971/2 by Bishop Abel Muzorewa, as leader of the united political parties during the Pearce Commission, declared: United we stand, divided we fall.
- Father Joshua Nkomo who throughout his life, reminded us, all Zimbabweans, that whatever the difficult situation we find ourselves facing, at any given time, we Zimbabweans are one.
- Vice President Landa John Nkomo, Organ for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration (ONHRI) chairperson taught us as a people during the GNU (2009-13), the call to all of us to unite: Peace begins with me, Peace begins with you, Peace begins with us all.
Our ZimPI focus is on mainstreaming the Peacebuilding instrument, our foundation in all policies and programs designed with/by disadvantaged households, in communities and at national level, ensuring sustainability. The marginalised, living in rural, peri-urban and urban areas are ZimPI development priorities.
