IFAD's experience shows that responsible and targeted investments in agriculture and rural development can make an important contribution to reducing conflict and achieving peace and stability in NENA

INVESTING IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT IS AN INVESTMENT IN SECURITY Investing in food security and agricultural and rural development can help reduce the risk of conflict,2 especially when investments are community-led and owned.

Building poor people's capacity, empowering them through community organizations, and promoting participation, social inclusion and gender equality, are at the heart of IFAD's work

The Government of Egypt set about to reclaim arid land for agriculture, which had the dual benefit of providing settlers, including unemployed graduates from urban areas, with livelihood opportunities, while also increasing the country's agricultural base.

Insufficient coping mechanisms as well as social and political conflict are combining to increase the vulnerability of rural farmers.

Local communities-particularly elders and leaders-helped to create effective, grassroots links between people and local authorities. This helped fill the void created by the absence of the state, thereby creating a more peaceful environment fur project implementation, and more effective targeting of the population's needs.

, a spectrum of interventions can be designed that have mutually reinforcing benefits fur economic development, food security and social stability-even when fragility is persistent and institutions are weak or non-existent.

State-level dialogues facilitated by local leaders are being used to settle land disputes and identify new arrangements and satisfactory agreements

s. Resilience-building strategies, engagement with national Governments and strengthening the role of local communities are crucial, as are investments in water supplies, irrigation, pasture resource management and early warning systems for herders.

Experience suggests that community-based programmes can build the basis for enhanced food security and resilience to conflict.

Armed conflict destroys infrastructure,

Rural areas, where the majority of people derive their livelihoods from agriculture, account for around three quarters of the world's poorest and most undernourished. Eliminating hunger and poverty is inextricably tied to increasing attention to rural development.

The connection between peace and food security is one of the reasons why investing in rural people is of absolute global relevance today.

Active conflicts, stalled transition processes, and long-term development challenges have severely disrupted people's lives and livelihoods

. Conflicts displace people, increase pressure on scarce natural resources and disrupt food production. W

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have an intrinsic relationship to peace and stability.

the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), we have long been aware of the obstacles to development that are posed by conflict and fragility.

s secondary data base research, elucidates the concept of peace and ways to attain peace in a violence based world. Keywords: Peace, Social Justice, Human Rights, Mediations, Peace Ecology

state of tranquility or quiet: such

the meaning of peace is simple and clear, when there is no clash but harmony between the people it's pea

the sun hits my face and I breathe in the fresh air,

The organ starts playing and everyone begins to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” While singing the song, putting my arms around friends and family with me, I watch all the players taking the field. It is wonderful to see the overwhelming amount of players on one team from around the world: Japan, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Canada, and Venezuela. I cannot help but feel a bit of national pride at this realization. Seeing the international representation on the field reminds me of the ways that Americans, though from many different backgrounds and places, still come together under common ideals. For these reasons and for the whole experience in general, going to a Major League Baseball game is the perfect way to glimpse a slice of Americana.

As I continue the balancing act between the loaded hot dog and pop back to my seat, a cheering fan bumps into my pop hand. The pop splashes out of the cup and all over my shirt, leaving me drenched. I make direct eye contact with the man who bumped into me and he looks me in the eye, looks at my shirt, tells me how sorry he is, and then I just shake my head and keep walking. “It’s all just part of the experience,” I tell myself. Before I am able to get back to my seat, I hear the crack of a bat, followed by an uproar from the crowd. Everyone is standing, clapping, and cheering. I missed a home run.

Few tastes are as American as hot dogs and soda pop, and they cannot be missed at a ball game. The smell of hot dogs carries through the park, down every aisle, and inside every concourse. They are always as unhealthy as possible, dripping in grease, while the buns are soft and always too small for the dog. The best way to wash down the Ball Park Frank is with a large soda pop, so I order both. Doing my best to balance the cold pop in one hand and the wrapped-up dog in the other, I find the nearest condiments stand to load up my hot dog. A dollop of bright green relish and chopped onions, along with two squirts of the ketchup and mustard complete the dog. As I continue the balancing act between the loaded hot dog and pop back to my seat,

His deep voice echoes around each angle of the park, and every word is heard again and again. The crowd sings and hums “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and I feel a surprising amount of national pride through the voices.

First, the entrance turnstiles click and clank, and then a hallway of noise bombards me. All the fans voices coalesce in a chorus of sound, rising to a humming clamor

the national anthem to the international players on the field, all the sights and sounds of a baseball game come together like a slice of Americana pie