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There are two people fighting. If you stand between them, you make it more difficult for the two to hurt each other. If you don't take sides, you can 'keep the peace' between them in this way. This is how most people imagine peacekeeping is done by the UN: just put soldiers between the fighting groups. |
In reality, a lot of other work is involved in peacekeeping, much of it done by people who are not soldiers. For example, peacekeepers help people who ran away from the fighting. |
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Building peace means helping the two sides trust each other again. It means finding ways for people to be treated with fairness and justice.
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Cyprus
On the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have been
divided for many years now. There is little trust and a lot of hostility between the two
groups. Yet, the younger people on the island know very little about each other.
So
one day two pop singers—one who performs in Greek and another who sings Turkish music— got
together for a concert. Thousands of young people came to hear Burak Kut and Sakis Rouvas
sing. As one young person said, "There is a great thirst on both sides for coming together
again and for a new beginning, away from the hostility and mistakes of the past."
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Liberia
The African nation of Liberia suffered for many years from a terrible civil war. A group of African countries and the UN helped the fighting groups reach a peace agreement. When the fighting stopped, an election was held so Liberians could pick the government they wanted.
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Before the elections, most Liberians didn't trust that the vote would be free and fair. Many people didn’t even know about the elections. The first job was to make sure everyone had the correct information and encourage people to vote.
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So a cartoon strip called 'Peaceman' was created. Peaceman is a clever villager who finds out information and passes it on. Peaceman became popular. Plays about his stories were performed on the radio by actors, as well. Thanks to Peaceman, many Liberians learned why it's important to vote and how to vote.
Programs like these, sponsored by UN peacekeeping missions, play an important role in building trust and keeping the peace.
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Actvities
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- Why was the concert by Burak Kut and Sakis Rouvas unusual? Why do you think it could help build the peace?
- Why were the elections in Liberia important? How did the UN's 'Peaceman' help with the elections?
- Create your own 'Peaceman' cartoon. Pick a conflict you experienced or choose one of the international conflicts in which the United Nations is involved. Draw a cartoon showing how 'Peaceman' helps to resolve the conflict.
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