23 September 2013 - The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Guinea-Bissau, José Ramos-Horta, stressed, on Saturday 21 September, the importance of a commitment to peace at all levels - in the family, in schools, in communities and within the State.

"For peace to be lasting and real, it has to come from our hearts", from the heart "of every citizen in every community and society," Ramos Horta said in Bissau at a cultural event organised by the UN Integrated Peace-Building Support Office, UNIOGBIS, and the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport in Bissau in celebration of the International Day of Peace.

"Peace begins in the family [...] It means the end of child abuse, the end of domestic violence [...] of violations," Ramos-Horta added. He also stressed that peace involved the responsibility of the State to give everyone equal access to education, health, economic privileges.

Saturday's event, attended by the Minister of Territorial Administration, the Secretaries of State of various ministries, and representatives of sports and cultural groups and associations, marked the start of four days of activities, including song, dance, drama, sports, organised by UNIOGBIS and the Ministry in commemoration of the International Day in Bissau, Mansoa, Bafatá and São Domingos.

The activities, culminating on National Independence Day, 24 September, also included a radio debate on the importance of peace, organised by UNIOGBIS and aired by state, private and community broadcasters in the capital and other towns.

The Secretary of State for Youth, Culture and Sport, Helena Barbosa, urged Guinea-Bissauans, in an address at the commemoration ceremony, "to understand each other, unite and strive to build the true peace that we all desire". She stressed that peace required love, forgiveness and tolerance, and also highlighted the importance of solidarity and unity.

"I hope that peace reaches all corners of the world and that Guineans understand it and work together for lasting peace," Barbosa said.

Saturday's ceremony was also an opportunity for Ramos-Horta to highlight the link between peace and respect for the rule of law. "There can be no peace in a country where people fear the security forces [...], in which the armed forces [...] interfere, intervene constantly, frequently in country's political life, in which they disrupt democracy," he noted.

"Democracy is not perfect, governance is not perfect anywhere in the world. But it is not for the military to intervene to stop any democratic process even if it is imperfect. It is up to society and the democratic system itself through elections to change situations in which the people are not happy and satisfied with governance," Ramos Horta added.

"Only under these conditions will there be peace in the world, will there be lasting peace in Guinea-Bissau," he stated, stressing the commitment of the UN system to support all efforts in Guinea-Bissau to achieve real, lasting peace.