On International Day of Living Together in Peace, Justice For All Warns Social Fabric Is Unraveling Amid Global Crises

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On International Day of Living Together in Peace, Justice For All Warns Social Fabric Is Unraveling Amid Global Crises

NEW YORK- May 16, 2026 – On the International Day of Living Together in Peace, Justice For All warns that interlocking crises, including climate displacement, authoritarianism, and majoritarian policies rooted in exclusion and othering, are eroding trust, dialogue and social cohesion, threatening the foundations of peaceful coexistence.

“We are witnessing a dangerous convergence of these issues,” says Imam Malik Mujahid, President of Justice For All. “A false narrative of scarcity is convincing people that coexistence is a zero-sum game. This is not only wrong, it is a lie.”

This year’s U.N. theme, “Living Together in Peace: Building Trust through Dialogue, Inclusion and Reconciliation,” is a welcome reminder, as wars and ethnic cleansing around the world reflect the opposite: toxic polarization and exclusion.

The organization points to what it describes as a global pattern of ethnic chauvinism and majoritarian politics that target minorities, weaken human rights protections, fracture societies and undermine coexistence: the persecution of Rohingya in Myanmar, abuses against Uyghurs by China, rising Hindu majoritarianism in India, the illegal removal of autonomy for Kashmir, and Israel’s devastation of Gaza and the West Bank.

Yet Justice For All emphasizes that peaceful coexistence is not a pipe dream. “History proves that living together is not impossible,” says Imam Saffet Catovic, Justice For All’s Director of U.N. Operations and a former Bosnian diplomat. “Across regions, ethnicities and faiths, different communities have shared traditions, livelihoods and public life for generations. When we build trust through dialogue and inclusion, societies can repair damaged relationships and reject the myth that dignity or security for one group must come at the expense of another.”

As upcoming U.N. observances focus on peacebuilding and countering hate speech, Justice For All calls on governments to reject exclusionary politics, protect minority rights, and invest in inter-community dialogue beginning at the family and local level.

“Living together in peace is not an abstract ideal,” Catovic says. “It is an urgent and practical task. The defenses of peace must be built in the minds of people everywhere, and rebuilt where they have been broken.”

Contact Information: Saffet Catovic, Director of U.N. Operations

Email: saffet@justiceforall.org.  Phone: 202-908-JUST

Website: https://www.justiceforall.org

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