News of a potential ceasefire in Gaza has us all praying that an end to hostilities might be on the horizon after more than a year of intense conflict in the region. Just what shape that end might take remains to be seen. Even if the barriers to the ceasefire are overcome, and the conflict was to come to an end, there remains a significant task in taking toll of the human and material damage and building a future for those who remain.
How much hope is there for peace in 2025? It feels like there’s no coincidence in the fact that this potential ceasefire is due to come into play the day before the inauguration of Donald Trump as US President. In his speeches, at least, Trump has promised to significantly harden the US’s approach to international affairs – championing Israel’s interests, tying more conditions on US defence partnerships, and placing more tariffs on international trade. His bullying approach may have helped pushed the ceasefire deal forward, but it’s unclear what effect it might have in achieving a more lasting peace in Gaza or more widely.
But as important as these international conflicts are, when we talk about our hopes for peace we’re also talking about something more fundamental than relations between countries. In his message for World Day of Peace on January 1 this year, Pope Francis noted that each of us must take responsibility for bringing peace to our world.
‘Each of us must feel in some way responsible for the devastation to which the earth, our common home, has been subjected, beginning with those actions that, albeit only indirectly, fuel the conflicts that presently plague our human family’, he said.
‘I think, in particular, of all manner of disparities, the inhuman treatment meted out to migrants, environmental decay, the confusion wilfully created by disinformation, the refusal to engage in any form of dialogue and the immense resources spent on the industry of war… Cultural and structural changes are necessary, so that enduring change may come about.’
How much opportunity do we have to bring about this cultural and structural change, such that we might build peace in our world? Certainly there are things we can do at the grassroots level to promote dialogue between different sectors in our community, to share and support media (such as Eureka Street) dedicated to human dignity and truth, and to consider how our consumption and investment supports the sort of world we want to live in.
We also have an election this year, and as well as deciding who we vote for, we can also help shape the agenda of that election in small ways. Local members will be much more likely to listen to the voices of the community, and more available on the campaign trail (I’m in the electorate of former Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, and spoke to him at our local railway station on the way to work during the last election campaign). Those who find a local candidate worth supporting might volunteer their time to help share their messages more widely. Even if we feel disaffected by the major parties, how we talk about issues with those we disagree with is important in changing our culture, even if it sometimes feels futile. Our work for peace will be all the more effective if we enter into it with open hearts – to lower our own barricades and disarm our defences - such that we’re willing to more deeply listen to those we encounter.
‘Disarming hearts is a job for everyone, great and small, rich and poor alike’, writes Pope Francis. ‘We will arrive all the more quickly if, in the course of journeying alongside our brothers and sisters, we discover that we have changed from the time we first set out. Peace does not only come with the end of wars but with the dawn of a new world, a world in which we realise that we are different, closer and more fraternal than we ever thought possible.’
This might feel like a small way to end a reflection that began with a much bigger picture. But while we might only be able to hope and pray for peace in Gaza, we’re not completely without agency when it comes to building a more peaceful world. Hope for peace in 2025 starts with us.
This article by Jesuit Communications head of publishing and digital content Michael McVeigh first appeared in Eureka Street Plus, a paid subscription available through the free Eureka Street online magaine. As part of the Eureka Street Plus subscription, each week there is a short reflection, titled 'Stray thought', from the editorial team in response to ethical and social challenges. This article was the 'Stray thought' from Friday, 17 January 2025. If you wish to support deeper conversations about faith and justice, subscribe to Eureka Street Plus.
Image: Ceasefire begins in Israel-Hamas War. Israeli soldiers stand near a tank inside the Gaza Strip as seen from a position on the Israeli side of the border after the first phase of a ceasefire agreement began between Israel and Hamas on 19 January 2025 in Southern Israel, Israel. A total of 33 Israeli hostages, taken captive by Hamas and allied groups on 7 October 2023, were to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire, in exchange for 1890 Palestinian prisoners. Of the 251 hostages taken on 7 October, 94 are still held in Gaza, with 60 assumed to be living and 34 dead. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)