The International Day of Living Together in Peace has been established by resolution of the General Assembly in 2017. The resolution declares the need to mobilize the efforts of the international community to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity, as well as the desire to live and act together, united in differences and diversity. This proves the high relevance of the problem of peaceful coexistence.
Thus, as a result of a coup d’état in 2014 in Ukraine, supported by far-right radicals, a regime came to power that not only declares, but in fact demonstrates extreme intolerance of dissent, infringes upon the rights and freedoms of citizens in sensitive issues of language, religion, historical memory and national cultural values. Moreover, armed aggression was unleashed with the participation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other state power structures, as well as nationalist formations, against residents of Donbass, who expressed disagreement with the new socio-political realities.
Continued shelling and local clashes, the economic and financial blockade, and the failure to fulfil other commitments enshrined in the Minsk Agreements are factors that lead to further disintegration and aggravation of the conflict. The insistent attempts of the official Kiev to exclude representatives of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics from the Minsk negotiating process do not contribute to the peaceful settlement of the conflict.
A representative in the Humanitarian Subgroup of the Contact Group on peaceful settlement in Donbass, the Human Rights Ombudsman in the Donetsk People’s Republic Daria Morozova have repeatedly urged the Ukrainian side not to ignore the negotiations as the main way of finding a consensus and making important decisions to improve the humanitarian situation.
As specified in the UN resolution, peaceful coexistence is only possible through acceptance of differences and having the ability to listen to, recognize, respect and appreciate others. The only way to de-escalation and settlement of the conflict is peaceful dialogue.
