Defending peace is the duty of all.

Hear, O children of struggle and hope, the words of Fidel Castro, spoken like a commandment carved into stone: “Defending peace is the duty of all.” This saying carries the weight of an eternal law, for it declares that peace is not the burden of rulers alone, nor the work of diplomats in their chambers, but the responsibility of every man, woman, and child who walks beneath the sun. Peace is not a gift preserved by the few; it is a treasure that requires the vigilance of all.

The origin of these words lies in the fires of the twentieth century, an age when the world was scorched by two world wars and shaken by the Cold War. Castro, standing in the midst of global conflict and surrounded by powers far greater than his island nation, proclaimed that the preservation of peace could not rest on treaties written on fragile parchment, but must be guarded by the living strength of people who refused to bow to destruction. He knew that peace, left undefended, would be devoured by ambition, greed, and aggression.

The ancients also spoke this truth. The philosophers of Greece declared that the price of liberty is vigilance, and the prophets of Israel cried that the work of justice belongs to all, not only to kings. In Rome, too, the Senate taught that peace within the Republic depended upon the discipline and loyalty of its citizens. Thus Castro’s words, though born of his time, echo a universal wisdom: that defending peace requires both the courage of nations and the conscience of individuals.

Consider the story of the United Nations’ peacekeepers, drawn from many lands. They are not conquerors but guardians, ordinary soldiers from distant nations who serve not for empire, but to protect fragile communities from collapse. In Cambodia, in Sierra Leone, in countless places torn by civil strife, they stood as living testimony that peace requires defenders. Their example reveals the meaning of Castro’s teaching: all must labor for peace, not just the powerful, but every nation and every citizen who dares to resist violence.

Yet beware, O listener, for there is a temptation to think that peace defends itself, that once achieved it will endure without effort. History warns otherwise. After the First World War, men believed they had ended all wars, yet their negligence and division gave birth to an even greater conflict. Peace is like a garden—if not tended daily, weeds of hatred and suspicion will rise to choke it. Thus, Castro’s words are a clarion call: to neglect the duty of peace is to invite the certainty of war.

The lesson is clear: every human being is enlisted in the great army of peace. To defend peace is not always to wield the sword, but often to wield patience, dialogue, and justice. It is the duty of parents teaching children not to hate, of neighbors resolving disputes without violence, of citizens demanding fairness from their leaders. When each person takes up this sacred duty, the world becomes stronger than armies, for the will of the people becomes a fortress that no tyrant can breach.

Practical wisdom flows from this. In your own life, become a defender of peace by choosing reconciliation over retaliation, by speaking words that heal rather than divide, by standing beside those who are weak or oppressed. In your community, work to resolve conflicts before they ignite. In your nation, demand that leaders seek diplomacy over destruction. And in the world, remember that your voice, your choice, your action—however small—contributes to the vast defense of peace.

So remember the words of Fidel Castro: “Defending peace is the duty of all.” Let them echo in your heart as both command and promise. For if all take up this duty, peace can endure, stronger than war, brighter than hatred, more lasting than the weapons of destruction. And when future generations look back, they will see that peace was preserved not by the mighty few, but by the faithful many, who understood their duty and fulfilled it with courage.