Let’s Wage Peace: A Vision for a Better World

Andrew Obara, a Peace Fellow at Makerere University Rotary Peace Center, calls for a global commitment to peace through his thought-provoking poem Let’s Wage Peace.
With compelling language, Obara underscores the importance of unity, collaboration, and the rejection of conflict as a means to transform our world. The poem resonates with Rotary’s mission to tackle hatred, disease, poverty, and war.
The Poem’s Powerful Message
Peace speaks soft and firm
Bearing weapons for health and calm.
These opening lines highlight peace as a gentle yet powerful force. Obara imagines a future where children from diverse backgrounds—whether from the rural dust of Uganda, the slums of Ethiopia, or cities in Canada—unite to make the world a better place.
He further challenges us to envision this reality:
We shall defeat the cannibalism of hate,
Quench the fires of conflict,
Stop the hurricanes of disease,
And drain the floods of poverty.
This vivid imagery reinforces Rotary’s commitment to fostering global harmony, urging us to replace destruction with cooperation.
A Call to Action
Obara’s work is not just poetic but also deeply motivational. By urging humanity to “wage peace, not war,” he calls for individual and collective action.
Peace, he asserts, is not passive; it is an active effort requiring resolve, empathy, and collaboration.
As Rotary continues to champion initiatives for conflict resolution, disease prevention, and poverty alleviation, Obara’s words remind us of the power of hope and determination in realising peace.
His poem inspires a world where dreams of unity and harmony come alive.
Let us heed this call and join in waging peace.