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This September 21st marks the 36th annual International Day of Peace.  Around the world, members of different cultures and communities will rise above their differences to contribute to building a culture of peace.

The International Day of Peace was first established on September 21, 1981 by multiple UN resolutions.  This year’s theme is “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All.”  The UN’s TOGETHER campaign, a coalition of states, private sector, civil societies, and individuals will focus on gathering support for refugees and migrants struggling across the world.  Their mission is to promote respect, safety, and dignity for refugees and migrants for the purpose of combating rising xenophobia and discrimination.

TOGETHER seeks to accomplish this by sharing narratives on migrations.  For example, TOGETHER launched two animated videos, sharing the stories of Yusra – a Syrian refugee who competed in the 2016 Olympics – and Ishak – a Rohingyarefugee from Myanmar who is pursuing an education.  These inspiring stories give insight into the struggles of refugees all over the world and humanize them to people who feel separated by cultural barriers.

As Armenians in both the homeland and Diaspora are aware, Armenians and Azerbaijanis have been engaged in an ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh which has claimed the lives of as many as 30,000 to 40,000 soldiers and civilians on both sides. The recent fighting in April of last year increased the death toll by several thousand and created even more refugees.  

Despite the great number of wounded and killed people from the conflict, an even greater number of people were forced to flee their homes under the threat or fear of violence.  As many as 700,000-750,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis and 250,000-300,000 ethnic Armenians were forced to leave their homes during the conflict.  Although the majority of these refugees and IDPs have been resettled, a significant number have remain officially homeless or stateless and have not been either integrated in Armenia or Azerbaijan or have returned home to Nagorno-Karabakh.  

Although progress has been made to give these people their lives back, the painful memories of the refugees, their families, and friends are still one of many factors preventing a peaceful resolution to the conflict.  This psychological roadblock must be overcome in order for any lasting peace to be made between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Therefore, it is imperative on this International Day of Peace that Armenians and Azerbaijanis embrace TOGETHER’s message of respect, safety, and dignity for all refugees.  The former and current refugees serve not only as living examples of the horrors of violent conflict, but also a source of commonality and understanding.  By sharing the trauma and loss that they have endured, both sides can create a respectful dialogue and empathize through their mutual suffering.  

In the end, Armenians and Azerbaijanis must follow the example of TOGETHER and learn to respect each other’s refugees and see the humanity of their struggle.  Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to fight, creating more casualties and more refugees.  Now is the time to learn from those victims – and victims all over the world – and put peace above conflict.  

Peter Sahagian

Peter Sahagian is a volunteer with HCA Vanadzor.  He is an American-Armenian from Boston, Massachusetts volunteering through Birthright Armenia.  He has recently graduated from Tufts University with a BA in International Relations.