Each year, the International Day of Peace is celebrated around the world on September 21. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day dedicated to strengthening the ideals of peace through the observance of 24 hours of non-violence and ceasefire.
On the International Day of Peace tod@s we all have a very important role to play for a society free of discrimination and reduce the differences that limit us, to build the peace that our country, city and mayoralty need. #PeaceDay #DíaDeLaPaz pic.twitter.com/opKdGNwjV6
- Alcaldía Miguel Hidalgo (@AlcaldiaMHmx) September 21, 2022
However, in the current scenario, that goal seems further away than ever.
International Day of Peace: How much does war cost?
Through fiscal year 2022, the U.S . federal government has spent and committed $8 trillion to the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and elsewhere.
This figure includes: direct war appropriations from Congress; war-related increases to the Pentagon base budget; veterans' care and disability; increases in the homeland security budget; interest payments on direct war loans; foreign assistance spending; and estimated future obligations for veterans' care.
This total omits many other expenses, such as macroeconomic costs to the U.S. economy; opportunity costs of not investing war dollars in alternative sectors; future interest on war loans; and private and local government war costs.
Russia VS Ukraine; the cost of a never-ending war
On the other hand, there is no official information regarding the current cost of the war that Russia unleashed in Ukraine, and experts' estimates vary widely.
- According to U.S. military expert Robert Farley (who, by the way, is often quoted in official Russian publications), one day of war with Ukraine costs Russia no less than $500 million.
- Surprisingly, Russian state media quotes even more than one day's cost of the "special operation". The publication Ukraina.ru (part of the holding Russia Today) reports the figure of $20 billion, noting, however, that these are not official figures, but their own calculations.
- Other sources also cite the figure of $20 billion. It appears, for example, in the publication of the Turkish news agency Anadolu, which cites a study conducted by the Center for Economic Recovery and EasyBusiness, and Civitta.
What we can all do for peace
In this sense, apart from war, the International Day of Peace is not only about ending international conflicts. It is also about changing our behavior towards others and our environment. For example, we can try to bring peace into our personal lives by asking for forgiveness and making peace with someone we know.
Individual actions add up to great things when multiplied by millions of people around the globe, and we can all contribute to making the world a more peaceful place.
