Peace is a state of balance and understanding in yourself and between others, where respect is gained by the acceptance of differences, tolerance persists, conflicts are resolved through dialogue, people's rights are respected and their voices are heard, and everyone is at their highest point of serenity without social tension.
Several conditions must be met for peace to be reached and maintained:
• balance of political power among the various groups within a society, region, or, most ambitiously, the world
• legitimacy for decision-makers and implementers of decisions in the eyes of their respective group, as well as those of external parties, duly supported through transparency and accountability
• recognised and valued interdependent relationships among groups fostering long-term cooperation during periods of agreement, disagreement, normality, and crisis
• reliable and trusted institutions for resolving conflicts
• sense of equality and respect, in sentiment and in practice, within and without groups and in accordance with international standards
• mutual understanding of rights, interests, intents, and flexibility despite incompatibilities
Notoriously elusive, peace connotes more than a mere absence of war or hostilities; an absence of conflict is impossible. In addition, the state of peace should be distinguished from techniques that simply avoid conflicts or employ violent or coercive approaches to engage in, manage, or resolve them.
