Another date for peace?

Tomorrow, September 21st, it will be the the 30th. time world thinks of peace. At least, that is the idea.

However, in a very fast pacing world, this is hardly news. After all, it is just a date, right?

For many years, I myself have been living with the war. Although it is not declared officially, the confluence of some guerrilla groups, paramilitarism and the Military has made Colombians live in a constant fear or at least apprehension in relation to the war. For me, the consequences of a war are very clear: economic problems and psychological problems are too normal to be comfortable.

But I have also learnt that peace is not the mere absence of war, and here I have had some proof of that. Even though the situation is like that for decades, still Colombia is one of the countries that grows more, people are quite nice and the quality of life is so good that I was surprise to hear about a Brazilian manager who feels safer in Bogota than in Brazil.

Perhaps it will be good if people think of peace not only in terms of absence of war, which is happening worldwide in numbers and facts - it is decreasing, slowly but firmly. Peace is more than that, it is that wonderful feeling in your heart that all is OK and there is nothing to worry about.

If that is done, peace won't be remembered one day a year by a few, but it will be lived by many the whole year.

Is it a dream? Yes. I hope you can also dream with me.