International Day of Peace

The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by a resolution of the UN General Assembly. In 2001 the date was fixed on September 21. 

Made by Jasper, Austin, Becky, Tami, and me!

This message came from Secretary-General Kofi Annan on The International Day of Peace in 2005-

“Dear friends around the world- Peace is the paramount United Nations mission. It is the basis of our existence. The essence of our identity. The cause that animates everything we do. September 21, the International Day of Peace, is a day on which we reaffirm our commitment to this quest.... It is meant to be a day of global cease-fire, when all countries and all people stop all hostilities for the entire day. And it is a day on which people around the world observe a minute of silence at 12-noon local time. Twenty-four hours is not a long time. But it is time enough for combatants and political leaders to consider the destruction they are visiting on their people, and on their lands. And it is long enough to look over the barricades, or through the barbed wire, to see if there is another path.”


Peace Day Agenda:
1. Vow: 

"I vow to live in peace and cease all hostilities for this entire day."

2. Journal: 
Consider and list ways I can work for peace this fall and winter. 
How can I teach peace? How can I express peace in my art? 

3. Raise Awareness: 

Each year I choose a project to spread the word about Peace Day. One year we made peace flags; one year I invited friends to watch a video about Peace Day. Last year we made a peace poster in my art class.

This year I had a potluck, and we each brought a dish from a country we wished to send prayers of peace to. I made shulbato, or red bulgur and eggplant which I found at the Kitchen of Palestine page.

We also colored a peace picture together.


4. Train Myself for Peace: 
I’ve made an ongoing commitment to working at being peaceful myself, in thought and deed. I have taken several Alternatives to Violence workshops, and this week I am reading the book Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living by Allan Lokos. Here is a quote:

"There is probably nothing we could do that would have  more immediate positive effect on our lives and on those around us than becoming more mindful of the words we speak. We are always in relationships and we are constantly communicating. Words have the power to inspire, encourage, comfort, and uplift. Unfortunately, they can also cut, wound, and cause profound, long-lasting sorrow."