Peace requires understanding, not just information – Edghill – World Peace & Understanding Day

…as NA Rotary Club marks day with call for empathy

Understanding, not merely knowledge or access to information, is what is missing in today’s divided world, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill declared on Friday evening, urging citizens to “change positions” and see issues through the eyes of others if lasting peace is to be achieved.
He delivered the message while addressing the Rotary Club of New Amsterdam’s World Peace & Understanding Dinner at the Central Corentyne Chamber Building, where Rotarians, civic leaders, and guests gathered to reflect on peace-building and purposeful service.

“Our world is not lacking in knowledge… the challenge of our world is understanding,” Edghill told the audience, stressing that access to information has never been greater, yet conflicts continue to surface in homes, communities, and across nations. The real deficit, he argued, lies in the failure to genuinely listen and grasp what others are experiencing before forming judgements or taking positions.
He expanded on that point by urging citizens to momentarily shift their vantage point when confronted with disagreement.
“You can only have understanding if you are willing to leave your position and view life from another person’s position,” he said.
According to Edghill, many disputes persist simply because individuals are unwilling to see beyond their own perspective. By changing positions, even briefly, he noted, people can often discover that what appears contradictory may simply be a matter of angle and experience rather than outright opposition.
Drawing on his experience in mediation, Edghill said prolonged disputes often reveal a deeper problem – not irreconcilable differences, but an unwillingness to truly hear each other. In some instances, he added, conflict is even sustained because it benefits certain actors.

“Some people’s relevance only exists when there’s conflict,” he remarked.
However, he cautioned that divisions can be deliberately amplified for influence or attention. For that reason, he urged communities to resist manipulation and instead pursue dialogue grounded in sincerity and respect.
Linking his reflections to national development, Edghill reminded the gathering that stability is a prerequisite for progress. “Peace and development are inseparable twins,” he said.
Edghill explained that societies cannot expect economic growth, improved services, or expanded opportunities in an atmosphere of persistent division.
Without peace, he pointed out, development efforts stall; with peace, even limited resources can be maximised for the collective good.
He told attendees that sustainable harmony begins with a deliberate effort to understand. “Whenever there is understanding, there will be peace,” Edghill said.
He also urged citizens, leaders, and organisations alike to cultivate empathy in their daily interactions as the foundation for a more stable and prosperous society.
Rotary leaders echoed the Minister’s call for empathy and purposeful engagement, noting that peace-building remains central to the organisation’s global and local mission. District Governor Soraya Warner-Gustave said Rotary’s programmes are intentionally structured to strengthen institutions, engage communities, and promote leadership grounded in integrity and transparency. Service, she noted, drives community development, and in turn, development strengthens nations.
Tangible peace initiatives
Assistant District Governor Rafeek Kassim highlighted tangible peace initiatives undertaken across Guyana, including the installation of peace poles in communities such as New Amsterdam and at the roundabout in the county. These symbols, he explained, serve as daily reminders of citizens’ responsibility to live in peace and to foster unity within their respective communities.
Rotary Club of New Amsterdam President Hemraj also underscored that peace must extend beyond speeches and ceremonial observances. He reminded attendees that peace does not exist merely in the absence of conflict but in the presence of justice, opportunity, compassion, and respect. Peace, he said, begins in homes, schools, and communities and must be carried into daily interactions, boardrooms, and neighbourhoods if it is to be meaningful.
The evening also highlighted Rotary’s district reach, with representatives noting that District 73 comprises 17 countries and dozens of Rotary and Interact clubs working collaboratively on service initiatives. Leaders stressed that while global programmes such as the Rotary Peace Centres train peace-builders internationally, the foundation of sustainable peace remains rooted in local action – one project, one partnership, and one community at a time.