Every September 21st, the world commemorates the Day of Peace—a date that calls upon us to reflect on the legacy of those who dedicated their lives to fighting for a world without war. In this act of remembrance, the figure of Fidel Castro Ruz stands out clearly.
In his 1962 speech upon receiving the Lenin Peace Prize, he stated with prophetic clarity: "The struggle for peace means fighting to save humanity from apocalyptic destruction, to save hundreds of millions of lives—men, women, youth, the elderly, and children." He spoke with the certainty that the global balance hung by a thread and that the survival of the species depended on the ability of peoples to halt the warmongers.
"Peace, détente, peaceful coexistence, and disarmament must be demanded, insisted upon, and won; they will not arise spontaneously, and in today's world, there is no other alternative if we wish to preserve the life of humanity." This idea challenges the logic of those who, speaking from a position of privilege, talk of "peace" contingent upon the submission of peoples.
Fidel’s thought inextricably linked peace to social justice. There can be no true peace where exploitation, colonial plunder, or structural inequality reign. "The struggle for peace also means the struggle for the independence of peoples; it means the struggle for the freedom of colonies; it means the struggle for the development of the poorest countries; it means the struggle to liberate peoples from exploitation and imperialist domination," he proclaimed in 1962. In his view, every people that wins its sovereignty, every nation that frees itself from the imperialist yoke, weakens the forces that unleash wars.
The Commander elevated the struggle for peace to the status of a universal ethical imperative. "Fighting for peace is the most sacred duty of all human beings, regardless of their religion or country of birth, the color of their skin, or whether they are young or old," he wrote in February 2016, just months before his passing.
Today, as the Day of Peace calls upon us to renew that commitment, Fidel’s lesson remains valid: peace is not begged for, but built through justice; it is not imposed from above, but won by the people. And in that struggle, as he himself said, "each person must fight for peace in their own way; each must fight for peace with whatever means and however they can."
That is, perhaps, the most valuable legacy we can uphold on a day like this: understanding that peace is a sacred right, but also an unfinished task demanding—as the Historic Leader of the Cuban Revolution suggested—awareness, steadfastness, and an unwavering will never to yield to the warmongers.
