Peace enforcement is a much more difficult kind of operation

Hear the words of Harri Holkeri, statesman and peacemaker, who declared: “Peace enforcement is a much more difficult kind of operation than peacekeeping.” In this distinction lies a deep wisdom born from the struggles of nations and the frailty of mankind. For peace is not a single thing but has many faces—sometimes gentle, sometimes stern, sometimes resting quietly, sometimes fought for with grit and resolve. To keep peace where it already exists is one kind of burden; to enforce peace where none yet lives is a trial of fire and steel.

The meaning is profound. Peacekeeping is the tending of a fragile garden already planted—the watching over of a ceasefire, the guarding of agreements signed by weary combatants who have at last lowered their weapons. Here, the task is vigilance, patience, and neutrality, ensuring that no small spark reignites the flame of war. But peace enforcement is another matter altogether: it is to enter into the chaos where no agreement holds, where violence rages, where hatred has not yet burned itself out. To enforce peace is to stand not between tired fighters, but against those who refuse to stop, and to compel them—sometimes by force—to cease their destruction.

The origin of Holkeri’s insight lies in his own labor as one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. He understood the delicate dance between words and weapons, between diplomacy and force. Peacekeeping was possible once the Irish and British sides, along with the communities, had committed to dialogue. But before that commitment was won, decades of bloodshed made even the thought of peace nearly impossible. Holkeri knew that to enforce peace in such an environment is to walk through fire, facing resistance not only from leaders but from entire peoples scarred by grievance.

History confirms this wisdom. Consider the Balkans in the 1990s, where peacekeeping forces could do little when faced with atrocities, for there was no peace to keep—only violence unchecked. It was only through peace enforcement, through the intervention of NATO, that the warring sides were finally compelled to lay down arms. Contrast this with Cyprus, where UN peacekeepers have maintained a tense but steady calm for decades. There, the task has been difficult but bearable, for both sides had already reached a stalemate and accepted an uneasy line of separation. Enforcement is the storm; keeping is the stillness after it.

O children of tomorrow, take this lesson to heart: peace enforcement is harder because it demands the courage to confront those who do not wish for peace, and the wisdom to know when and how force must be used not for conquest, but for the protection of life. It is easy to guard peace when both sides desire rest; it is far harder to impose peace when neither side is ready to yield. That is why peace enforcement requires more than soldiers—it requires visionaries, mediators, and the steady hand of justice guiding the blade.

Reflect upon your own life. There are times when you are called simply to keep peace—to preserve harmony already won, to guard friendships, to maintain trust. Yet there are also times when peace must be enforced—when destructive patterns must be broken, when harmful voices must be opposed, when justice must be upheld even at the cost of confrontation. Do not confuse the two. To keep peace where peace already breathes is mercy; but to enforce peace where chaos reigns is courage.

The lesson is clear: value both roles, but recognize the greater weight of enforcement. Seek to resolve conflict before it demands the harsher path. Build bridges early, so that peacekeeping may suffice, and enforcement may not be needed. But if the storm comes, and if life demands it, do not shrink from the harder task—for sometimes peace must be fought for before it can be kept.

So let Holkeri’s words echo like a solemn warning: “Peace enforcement is a much more difficult kind of operation than peacekeeping.” Guard peace when you can, enforce it when you must, and always remember that the highest calling of both is not power, but the protection of life, dignity, and the future of humanity.