An "echo" happens when you make a noise and the noise, a moment later, bounces back to you. The echo happens *afterwards*. A "reflection" happens when light bounces back. Unlike an echo, it comes back to you instantaneously because it moves at the speed of light. There is no delay. So, as Lorena explained, "echoing" conveys the feeling that we are hearing the past. suggestion: Make it a habit to put quoted sentences within quotation marks. You should have written The provided sentence is "Peace and development, echoing the themes of the times, are the......."

Hi Shana, What a lovely introductory sentence! Lexically-speaking I’d say both sound natural in that sentence, it just depends largely on what exactly you wish to express. When I hear ‘Peace and development, ECHOING the themes of the times..’ I understand that it’s an ongoing situation and extends further than the moment we’re speaking of, perhaps continuing into the future. When I hear ‘Peace and development, REFLECTING the themes of the times’, I understand it to mean that it’s a moment presenting ideas from the past which might not continue into the future. Personally as a reader, I feel ‘echoing’ sounds better to my ears. However that’s the beauty of writing, you get poetic licence and get to express your ideas freely regardless of what might be considered more accurate to others. Happy writing :)

'Echoing' sounds more natural and slightly more poetic, but 'reflecting' could work as well. 'Echoing' implies that it's happening all around whereas 'reflecting' is more of a linear phenomenon. We would more likely use 'reflecting' for personal traits or with people whereas 'echoing' is better for things in the environment, zeitgeist, etc.