‍The imperatives of heritage protection embedded in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide diverse pedagogical pathways to connect humanity, ecology, and planetary well-being in a mutually enriching way — fully aligned with the UNESCO mandate. Academia, particularly through UNESCO Chairs, holds a unique opportunity to advance a composite model of positive peace — one that integrates ecosystem preservation, the safeguarding of tangible and intangible heritage, and the eradication of both direct and structural forms of violence.
Numerous UN and allied global initiatives continue to explore the intersections of peace and sustainability through the nurturing of cultural and natural heritage.In the preamble to its Constitution, UNESCO underscores the centrality of cultural diversity and mutual understanding:“The ignorance of each other’s ways and lives has been a common cause, throughout the history of mankind, of that suspicion and mistrust between the peoples of the world through which their differences have all too often broken into war.”Indeed, ignorance of our shared traditions and multicultural practices has too often led to conflict and violence. As Amartya Sen insightfully observes, sectarian violence often occurs when both sides are led by an illusion of what constitutes the ‘other’.Sustainable peace, therefore, is about weaving relationships among individuals, communities, and institutions that value diversity and nurture the full development of human potential. Human rights and development initiatives must be understood as mutually reinforcing elements of peace. To this end, all three pillars of the United Nations — peace and security, development, and human rights — must be pursued in an integrated manner.
As former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon aptly noted:“We must break out of our silos and work together on all three areas simultaneously.”In essence, sustainable peace is not merely the absence of conflict but the expansion of human potential in harmony with others and with nature. One of the most celebrated peace invocations from the Atharvaveda beautifully captures this spirit:“Peace be to the earth and to airy spaces!
Peace be to heaven, peace to the waters,
Peace to the plants and peace to the trees!”The Indian ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — “the world is one family” — embodies this vision of global citizenship and ecological coexistence.

‍Varanasi: A City of Living Heritage

‍The living connection between heritage, peace, and sustainability finds eloquent expression in one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities — Varanasi. As Mark Twain famously remarked:“Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.”Varanasi’s tangible and intangible heritage — its rituals, festivals, and community celebrations — embodies interfaith harmony and reverence for nature.
The Ganga Aarti, for instance, traces its origins to ancient nature worship and today draws thousands to the ghats each evening. Similarly, Dev Deepawali, celebrated on the Ekadashi following Diwali, transforms the riverfront into a radiant landscape of earthen lamps, paying homage to the sacred river.Other observances such as Lolark Chhath and Kartik Chhath venerate the Sun God and the fertility of nature, reflecting ecological gratitude deeply woven into the cultural fabric. The city’s rhythm of life — with its theatre, music, and festivals — transcends communal boundaries. A saying captures this spirit perfectly: “Banaras has thirteen festivals in a week.” Muslim artisans craft masks for Ram Lila, while Hindu residents participate in Muharram processions. Musicians from both communities perform in temples and shrines alike, reflecting a shared aesthetic and spiritual heritage.This interwoven cultural life demonstrates how living traditions sustain peace and coexistence. Shared patronage and participation — such as the Laut shrine festivities coinciding with those of Ghazi Miyan — symbolize enduring unity. Even the city’s architecture bears witness to this synthesis: the Alamgir Mosque, known to Hindus as Beni Madhav ka Dera, features temple-like structures and welcomes worshippers from both faiths.Such Indo-Islamic confluence resonates across India — from Ajmer Sharif to Nagore — where shrines and dargahs draw devotees of all religions. Varanasi, with its thousands of temples, mosques, churches, monasteries, and shrines, stands as a living testament to India’s pluralistic and syncretic heritage.

‍In summing up:

‍Varanasi’s living traditions illuminate how heritage can nurture peace and sustainability in plural societies. The city’s deep connection to its past, combined with its continuing practices of interfaith celebration, demonstrates that peace is not an abstraction — it is lived, performed, and continually renewed through culture.
By embracing this inclusive and ecological worldview, higher education and heritage institutions can together foster the consciousness required to build a peaceful, just, and sustainable future.In this spirit, the integration of peace, sustainability, and heritage represents not merely an academic aspiration but a moral imperative — a call to align the human quest for knowledge with the deeper rhythms of coexistence and compassion.