Pursuing the paths to peace

Finding ways out of global emergencies is the responsibility of each of us, not just our leaders. Along with many of the movements and associations to which we belong, we are obviously committed on various fronts to pursuing paths to peace. Orazio Parisotto, a scholar of human sciences and fundamental rights, particularly committed to social issues, has made two tools available to us free of charge: the first is the 450-page book entitled The Peaceful Global Revolution: For a New Humanism, which can be obtained by visiting www.unipax.org, under "activities," and then "together for peace." This is a guidebook for peacemakers, also known as "the book of hope for a world of peace." The value of this work is attested by the prestigious reviews that introduce its contributions, including those by Sassoli and Parolin.

The second tool that allows each of us (both individually and as associations) is unipax – World Union for Peace and Fundamental Rights of Man and Peoples, a nonpartisan and nondenominational volunteer organization with long and recognized experience in training Peacemakers. Always referring to the same website. Building a system to have a broader vision and shared awareness of what we, as individual associations and individuals, are trying and need to pursue to seek new paths to peace seems absolutely urgent to me. We take it for granted that our people, the communities to which we belong, want peace, but this does not necessarily coincide with the interests of the world's powerful and arms manufacturers. "Is it still possible to hope for peace?" The title, chosen by Marco Tarquinio, MEP and former editor of Avvenire, is emblematic and well represents the absolute necessity of committing ourselves to disarming the common conscience. As Franco Vaccari, founder of Rondine, says, "the 'inevitable' conflict is a false myth; we must rebel. War is not destiny, but a choice. A mad choice, built day after day, step by step, behavior after behavior. Let us not resign ourselves to this logic." This is precisely the logic that, as peacebuilders, we must persistently pursue: together, joining forces, day after day, step by step, behavior after behavior.

Gianfranco Cattai
NP February 2026