BRASÍLIA, Brazil — When the absence of war can sometimes be mistaken for the presence of peace, a gathering of government officials, academics, and civil society leaders in Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies considered a question that has grown more pressing over four decades: What does it truly take to build lasting peace?
The commemorative gathering was recently convened by the Commission on Human Rights, Minorities and Racial Equality, at the request of Member of Congress Luiz Couto to mark the 40th anniversary of The Promise of World Peace, a statement addressed to the peoples of the world by the Universal House of Justice. The document, released in 1985 amid Cold War tensions, offered a vision of peace grounded in the fundamental recognition of humanity’s oneness.
The forum brought together representatives from government bodies, academic institutions, and civil society organizations, alongside some 150 participants, including a notable number of young people.
The forum emerged from an initiative of the Bahá’í Office of External Affairs in Brazil that explores the theme of “deconstructing a culture of violence.” Those involved in the initiative have found that the conversations that unfold in many social spaces become more candid when beginning with the concrete realities of violence than appeals to “peace” in the abstract.
Beyond the absence of war
In his opening remarks, Deputy Couto situated The Promise of World Peace in the Brazilian context, noting that the message was issued at a moment of global tension and during Brazil’s own transition toward democracy. Yet, he said, its central argument remains timely: peace cannot rest solely on political agreements or treaties; it demands a deep change in the relationships that shape society.
Deputy Couto set the tone for the discussions by drawing attention to a paradox at the heart of Brazilian society.
“Brazil, though not experiencing a war, faces alarming levels of violence that touch millions of lives each year, intensified by inequality, structural racism, gender discrimination, and the marginalization of Indigenous peoples and those living in peripheral urban communities,” he said. “We are, unfortunately, a nation living not in the presence of war, but in the absence of peace.”
Revisiting assumptions about human nature
Deputy Couto emphasized that The Promise of World Peace offers grounds for hope. “It is vital to remember that human nature is not condemned to violence,” he said. “On the contrary, the message offers a sublime vision, suggesting that every person carries within themselves an inherent nobility and the capacity for solidarity.”
This perspective, that human beings are not inherently violent but capable of altruism and cooperation, ran as a thread throughout the forum.
Pointing to forms of violence visible in contemporary Brazil, Marcos Alan Ferreira, a member of Brazil’s Bahá’í Office of External Affairs, said that one of the most stubborn obstacles to peace is an assumption that violence is simply a part of human nature.
Mr. Ferreira and other speakers explored how this insight might inform approaches to building peace as a practical endeavor rooted in communities, noting that overcoming violence requires more than addressing its symptoms.
“To nurture the spirit of care for others, we must dismantle the culture of violence that normalizes prejudice, exclusion, and inequality, and build in its place a culture of peace,” he said. “Such a culture can flourish when justice, equality, and care are cultivated in the home.”
Youth as protagonists
A recurring theme throughout the gathering was the central role of young people in fostering peaceful communities. The notable presence of youth in the audience, remarked upon by several speakers, gave the discussions a sense of urgency as well as hope.
Roberta Maschietto, of the University of São Paulo’s Center for Conflict and Peace Studies, described how polarization in Brazil can take on a deeper social character, touching questions of identity, recognition, and who is perceived as fully entitled to rights.
Dr. Maschietto emphasized that differences need not be seen as a threat. “Young people are more open to change. They are open to new ideas... That is why listening and engagement with youth are so important.”
Participants connected this insight to the experience of Bahá’í communities across Brazil. “In places such as Canoas, in Rio Grande do Sul; in São Sebastião and Santa Luzia, both here in the Federal District; and in localities across São Paulo,” said Mr. Ferreira, “we have seen youth gather in groups dedicated to community service, leading processes of change, organizing spaces for dialogue, and taking responsibility for moving from a culture of violence to a culture of peace.”
One human family
Throughout the hearing, speakers returned to the principle that lies at the heart of The Promise of World Peace: the recognition of humanity’s essential oneness.
“By recognizing that humanity is one, we begin to reject the logic of ‘us versus them,’ the boundaries of borders, and the exaggerated nationalisms that feed exclusion,” Mr. Ferreira said. “On the contrary, we foster a vision of global citizenship and shared belonging—one that transcends our differences.”
Paulo Ricardo Sampaio of the ISER (Institute for Religious Studies) closed the forum with a passage from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh’s addressed to the rulers of the earth: “Hearken unto the counsel given you by the Pen of the Most High, that haply both ye and the poor may attain unto tranquillity and peace.”
Mr. Sampaio stated: “As The Promise of World Peace statement reminds us, peace is not something we find; it is something we build, brick by brick, sometimes painfully. Peace is not a final destination or a finish line we cross, but a choice we must make again and again.”
The forum was part of an ongoing effort by the Bahá’í community of Brazil to contribute to societal conversations about overcoming violence and building peace.
