Wishing one another a happy and peaceful day or a year is not necessarily what we wish to come true! This usually happens as just a norm of greeting or wishing one on a special occasion probably. However, do people seriously mean what they wish others?! Possibly not every time they really mean it! Occasionally, some might express such a wish for the sake of sharing a moment of birthday or a New Year commemoration with others. Others might honestly wish someone a peaceful and a happy day or year, especially best friends or loved ones.
Regardless, having a peaceful mind and life is a wish of all mankind, but people are not always willing to share similar wish things with others. Though, Mother Teresa advised that peace begins with a smile, as simple as that! Perhaps, some people have lost their sense of humour, trust and faith in humanity, so they missed peace in their life. Likewise, they would never be able to give peace back to others too. Those perhaps should believe in Mahatma Gandhi’s saying “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”
On the other hand, Gandhi guided that serving others could be another way of making peace. He addressed human beings, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”. The term serving others comes in different forms as it is not necessary to be through offering direct services. In a way or another, this public-spirited deed comes out of love and respect to humanity, nation or a certain segment of people within society or the world overall possibly. This might be reflected in different spheres of life; social and political for instance.
To bring a case in point, late Sultan Qaboos was an exemplary model of philanthropic deeds, reflecting the principle of serving others. Throughout his life, the late Sultan was not only serving his fellow Omani citizens, but people of other nations too. His noble peacemaking gestures and directive orders and conflict-solving initiatives have become a commendable talk of politicians, governments and individuals alike. To tell the truth, the late Sultan’s internationally acknowledged milestones for achieving peace in the world made him a one-of-the-kind peace ambassador.
Owing to the far-reaching international accomplishments of late Sultan as well as his wise and visionary leadership, Oman has been able to gain credibility and trust at the regional and international level. The country has become the epicentre of peace where conflicts and misunderstandings between nations can be solved. Thanks to the outstanding foreign policy of Oman, which is undoubtedly distinctive from other parts of the region. It served very well the international peace process and bridged political gaps and conflicts among nations.
As a token of appreciation and tribute to late Sultan Qaboos, he was recently awarded Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2019. This came as a recognition for his unparalleled vision and leadership in strengthening India-Oman relations and his efforts to promote peace and non-violence in the region. The late Sultan’s policy of moderation and mediation in addressing international issues won him praise and respect across the globe.
Late Sultan Qaboos was awarded the prize as an acknowledgement of his outstanding contributions for social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods. Further, he played a significant role in supporting peace efforts in different regional and international disputes and conflicts. The Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by government of India since 1995, the 125th birth anniversary commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi.
Humanity is undoubtedly very grateful to late Sultan Qaboos — a one of the kind leader.
Abdulaziz Al Jahdhami
aljahdhami22@gmail.com
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