War & Peace Quote by Kamisese Mara

A multi-racial society doesn’t run on vibes; it runs on deliberate maintenance. Kamisese Mara’s line reads like a calm civic mantra, but its intent is harder-edged: peace and order aren’t natural outcomes of diversity, they’re political achievements that can fail without constant reinforcement. By naming trust, understanding, and tolerance as “cornerstones,” he frames social harmony as infrastructure, not sentiment. Cornerstones hold a structure in place; remove them and the building doesn’t get moody, it collapses.

The subtext is a warning disguised as reassurance. “Peace and order” is the language of a statesman who knows the state’s legitimacy depends on preventing communal fear from becoming a political weapon. Trust isn’t just interpersonal warmth; it’s confidence that institutions won’t play favorites. Understanding implies more than polite curiosity; it suggests an obligation to recognize histories, grievances, and power imbalances that can otherwise be exploited. Tolerance is the most revealing term: it’s modest, even grudging, implying that coexistence may be imperfect, but it must be defended anyway.

Context matters. Mara governed in a postcolonial Pacific where ethnic identity, land, and political representation were flashpoints - Fiji’s communal politics and later coups show how quickly “order” can be claimed by those who feel entitled to it. The quote works because it’s both idealistic and managerial: a leader offering a moral vocabulary while quietly outlining the minimum conditions for a country to avoid becoming an argument fought with laws, and then with force.