Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

By Mollie Semple

Goal 16 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is to promote peace, justice and strong institutions for all. What does this mean? On the UN’s website they list several, incredibly wide-reaching targets that would fall under this goal. These include significantly reducing violence and related death rates, ending the abuse and exploitation of children, reducing corruption and bribery in all forms, and significantly reducing illicit financial and arms flows as well as combatting all forms of organised crime. They also include developing effective, transparent and accountable institutions at all levels, ensuring public access to information and protecting fundamental freedoms, broadening and strengthening the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance, and promoting and enforcing non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.

These targets are not only fundamentally enormous in themselves, but they also seem to reach several different levels of human corruption, violence and injustice. I find myself, sadly, questioning the possibility of the human race ever achieving all of those targets. The second lot of targets that I mentioned seem a bit more achievable. Already we have come so far in terms of non-discriminatory laws, developing better and more accountable institutions, creating fairer and more compassionate societies. Do not get me wrong, we have a long way to go all over the planet. There are still countries where homosexuality is illegal, still rampant systematic racism, still misogynistic laws that deny women their fundamental being. In my own country, I feel despair at the apparent unaccountability of a seemingly self-serving and incompetent government at the same time as being fully aware of my own privileges within the system. But, whilst I recognise how far we have to go I can acknowledge the progress that has already been made which allows me to see that it is entirely possible to progress further.

Where I falter, and where I wonder if true progress will ever be made, is when it comes to the targets about reducing violence and general human evil. I wonder this because on some level I believe that violence is probably a deeply inherent human trait that is hard to eradicate. This does not mean that I ever condone it, that it is ever excusable, that it is ever really ‘right’. I feel the same way about the organised crime, and the corruption. Will humans not always be swayed? Will there not always be a dark underbelly to our existence?

Of course, it is important to note here that the UN do not say that they aim to eradicate violence and corruption and their human fallout, only significantly reduce it. I can understand this. I can see it happening already, or at least its possibility. For example, in areas that are impoverished, undereducated, neglected by the state and by society, violence and organised crime seems to rise up. Psychologically it is easy to see why. Why does human life matter if no one cares about one’s own? If you are deemed apparently valueless, as scum? When efforts are made, particularly at the start of a person’s life, to ensure that they know they are loved and valued by society their inclination towards violence diminishes.

I think that any ability we have to reduce violence lies in the resources we give people to thrive and live well and in our attention to people’s mental health. When someone acts in any anti-social way I always think this: “no happy person would behave like this”. What would happen if we provided greater access to therapy or to resources that improved mental health? What if the state and society recognised that looking after the mental well-being of people was the key to running a healthier, more effective country, community, planet?

When people feel cared for, loved and supported they are less inclined to sway to any sort of violence or corruption. There is simply no need. Surely, most criminal acts are a subliminal cry for help or attention?

I think it is very important to point out the fact that I have absolutely no authority on this. These are just musings that I have surrounding the human race and its capacity for violence and injustice. Violence, corruption and injustice are such wide-reaching issues that it is impossible to find one solution. Enabling greater compassion is just something I think would take us in the right direction.

So, I take it back. I do think it is possible to reduce violence. I do think it is possible to enable peace and justice around the world. I just don’t think it can ever be a perfect job. But maybe that’s not the point, maybe in simply trying we are able to make the world a safer, better place.