"“Freedom, Equality and Justice are the essential values for every human being, as well being the essential foundational values needed to build a peaceful society,” Dr Salai Lian Hmung Sakhong, Vice-Chair of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), declared at the opening of a DVB run panel discussion on values for peace to mark the International Day of Peace in Yangon. Giving the opening remarks at the DVB organized event, which was supported by the Joint Peace Fund, Dr Sakhong, said these values need to be protected legally and politically. That way ethnic communities including Bamar would be able to solve the issues that relate to diversity, multiculturalism, and difference of religion. “If we want to move ahead to a country based on democracy and a federal system, we have to recognize and respect different ethnicities and celebrate their diversity,” he said. He explained that this was necessary because it was an essential step towards building the values needed for lasting peace. He said: “If we do so, the values of mutual recognition and mutual respect will gradually become the core values for peace in this country, and we need to see these values as our strength. Moreover, that values can guarantee to reach peace.” The one-day event on 21 September 2019 constituted a series of three panel discussions led by female discussants on values for peace and two core issues on business and environment that would gain benefits from achieving peace in Myanmar. The final panel on “Values for Peace”, involved Lahpai Ja Ra from the Gender and Development Institute (GDI), Nan Say Hwa who is a Former Member of Parliament, Zar chi Oo, an independent researcher and Mon Mon Myat, a freelance writer..."