A Peace Code: From Action to Theory

By: Ravi Nitesh https://countercurrents.org/2025/09/a-peace-code-from-action-to-theory/ After the Pahalgam terror attack and thereafter Operation Sindoor which aimed for a focused and precise target to terror infrastructure, relations between India and Pakistan touched a new height of tension. From the suspension of Indus Water Treaty to closure of Kartarpur Peace Corridor and the already restricted cross border travels and transportation, steps to connect were curbed. These steps taken by the Indian nation were meant to express anger and dissent to the persistence of cross-border terrorism. However, the future, as we all know, exists only in peaceful relations. No two countries with their borders touching each other should stay in long conflict with each other. For India-Pakistan in particular, where people on both sides are part of one culture, any long sustaining tension or conflict would only affect them negatively. We must also remember that treaties and policies do not completely decide the future of peace. Rather, it is people of the region who decide and demand for peace. Thus, peace supporters are required to make efforts to create an enabling culture and environment for peace. This will also, in turn, make governments feel that they have the mandate to pursue peacebuilding measures. “Peace” – for many of us, the word itself feels like a complex, slow process that is negotiated by diplomats for reaching agreements. For ordinary peace workers, the word connotes hope for the future. We all believe in it, we all advocate for it, but we do not have a clear or actionable toolkit that can guide us to use it in our own lives, in our communities, and across the divides that define our world.

This inspired me to design a kind of thumb rule which peace workers can keep in mind. I have come up with a “Peace Code” which can be an action-oriented framework to guide any individual who yearns for a more peaceful world. It draws upon my years of cross-border peacebuilding experience primarily through Aaghaz-e-Dosti, an India-Pakistan friendship initiative that I have co-founded. I have seen first-hand how simple, personal connections can dismantle the most formidable of barriers. The PEACE Code is a summarised code of these experiences, breaking down the abstract notion of peace into five interconnected, actionable principles: Practical Ethical Action-oriented Critical Thinking Empathy The first principle, P for Practical, is a deliberate rejection of theory for the sake of theory. Our world is full of brilliant academic papers on conflict resolution, but genuine peace begins with tangible steps. It is not about waiting for a world leader to sign a treaty. It’s about a student in India picking up a pen to write a letter to a student in Pakistan, or two strangers from opposing sides of a conflict meeting on a video call. These are not just symbolic gestures; they are physical, practical acts that create real, human connections and challenge the dehumanizing narratives that fuel division. Being practical also entails the need to distinguish between pursuing peacebuilding out of emotion, fantasy or romanticism, and engaging in peacebuilding with objectivity, understanding the many risks and sensitivity that it may involve. It is not to argue that idealism has no place in peacebuilding. It does. It is what can drive passion. It is what can spark imaginations. However, it has its limits. Peacebuilding work should be seen as real work where serious and mature efforts are required to be made in line with what is required at that point of time. Next, E for Ethical reminds us that the means must be as pure as the end. In the complex world of peace-building, it’s easy to justify a quick fix or a compromise that might leave some people behind. But a peace that is built on an unethical foundation—one that lacks honesty, transparency, or a commitment to justice—is a fragile peace, destined to crumble. Our framework insists that peace practitioners, whether professional or citizen, must operate with unwavering integrity, ensuring that their actions are fair, just, and transparent. For peace practitioners everywhere and particularly in India and Pakistan, there is also a need to focus upon following rules and regulations framed by governments, applying common sense to fall in any trap that compromises national security. A for Action-oriented, a principle that recognizes peace as an active verb, not a static state. Good intentions are a starting point, but they are insufficient. We must move from believing in peace to actively working for it. This means consistently showing up, whether it’s to facilitate a difficult conversation, volunteer for a community project, or simply choose empathy over anger in a debate. Action-oriented peace is the engine that transforms our dreams into reality, one deliberate choice at a time. It is to remind us that affirmative action is to be prioritised over any reaction. C for Critical Thinking, a skill that is perhaps more vital now than ever before. To truly build peace, we must be willing to question the dominant narratives, challenge our own biases, and dig into the root causes of conflict. This critical thinking must guide us to see a fact in a 360 degree view where all available narratives should be understood. Any knowledge that is available to us is situated, due to our particular identity and location, be it nationality, region, religion, caste, gender etc. Hence, our knowledge is just one set of knowledge and thus needs to be completed through knowing the knowledge that others have. Finally, the foundation of the entire framework is E for Empathy. This is the most difficult but most transformative component of the PEACE Code. Empathy is the ability to see and feel the humanity of those on the other side of a divide. It’s what happens when a student in India reads a letter from a peer in Pakistan and realizes they share the same hopes, fears, and dreams. Empathy is the bridge that connects us when everything else seems to be pushing us apart. It’s the ultimate antidote to the dehumanization that enables conflict. The PEACE Code is not a theoretical model. Drawn from the experiences and learnings of individuals working to build bridges, it is a reminder that peace is not a distant ideal, but a tangible practice that begins with you and me. My hope is that peace practitioners and everyday citizens alike will embrace this code and use it as a simple, powerful tool to transform their own lives and the world around them – one practical, ethical, action-oriented, critically thought-out, and empathetic step at a time. Ravi Nitesh is an India-based peace practitioner and social activist with over 15 years of experience in social activism. He is founder of Mission Bhartiyam, a voluntary organisation for social change. He has also co-founded cross-border friendship initiative, Aaghaz-e-Dosti. He tweets at @ravinitesh