The International Day of Peace is celebrated annually on September 21. It was established in 1981 by a unanimous resolution of the United Nations General Assembly. According to its website, the International Day of Peace is a “shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.” In 2001, the General Assembly voted to have this day designated as 24-hours of nonviolence and ceasefire throughout the world. It is important for children to learn about peace initiatives, as I wrote in a previous blog titled Teaching Our Children About Peace.
The theme this year is “Recovering Better for a Sustainable and Equitable World”. The website sets forth why this theme was selected:
The pandemic has been accompanied by a surge in stigma, discrimination, and hatred, which only cost more lives instead of saving them: the virus attacks all without caring about where we are from or what we believe in. Confronting this common enemy of humankind, we must be reminded that we are not each other’s enemy. To be able to recover from the devastation of the pandemic, we must make peace with one another.
And we must make peace with nature. Despite the travel restrictions and economic shutdowns, climate change is not on pause. What we need is a green and sustainable global economy that produces jobs, reduces emissions, and builds resilience to climate impacts.
We invite you to join the efforts of the United Nations family as we focus on recovering better for a more equitable and peaceful world. Celebrate peace by standing up against acts of hate online and offline, and by spreading compassion, kindness, and hope in the face of the pandemic, and as we recover.
There are many suggested activities for children and youth, and I have provided links below. Please take this opportunity to discuss with your children about the importance of peace initiatives and have them learn what is being done locally and internationally to promote peace.
For more information, please visit:
https://internationaldayofpeace.org/