The International Day of Peace, also officially known as World Peace Day, is a

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

-sanctioned holiday observed annually on 21 September. It is dedicated to world peace, and specifically the absence of

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

and

violence Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened ...

, such as might be occasioned by a temporary

ceasefire A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state ac ...

in a

combat Combat (French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

zone for

humanitarian aid Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-term help by the government and other institutions replaces it. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and v ...

access. The day was first celebrated in 1981 and is kept by many nations, political groups, military groups, and people. To inaugurate the day, the United Nations Peace Bell is rung at UN Headquarters (in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

). The bell is cast from coins donated by children from all continents except

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, and was a gift from the United Nations Association of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

, as "a reminder of the human cost of war"; the inscription on its side reads, "Long live absolute world peace". In recent years, a searchable map of events has been published at un.org.

History

1981– UN General Assembly Resolution passed

The

United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...

declared, in a resolution sponsored by the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

and

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

, the International Day of Peace, to be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace. The date initially chosen was the regular opening day of the annual sessions of the General Assembly, the third Tuesday of September. (This was changed in 2001 to the current annual celebration on 21 September each year — see 2001 below.)

1983 – Annual Reports

Beginning in 1983, at the request of the Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Pathways To Peace (PTP) submitted a "We the Peoples" Initiative Annual Report to the UN, summarizing the Peace Day activities. The reports from 2005 and 2009 are available as archives as cited below. For its initiatives for the International Year of Peace in 1987, PTP was granted "Peace Messenger" status by UN Secretary-General Perez de Cuellar. In 2006 the name was changed from "We the Peoples" Initiative to "Culture of Peace Initiative."

1996– Seanad Éireann debate

A proposal for expanding the International Day of Peace to include Reconciliation, in which a massive number of emblems (White Doves) would be distributed after a formal presentation at the United Nations, was put forward by Vincent Coyle, of

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...

, and was debated at

Seanad Éireann Seanad Éireann (, ; "Senate of Ireland") is the upper house of the Oireachtas (the Irish legislature), which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann (the lower house). It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its memb ...

. It was accepted that it would be impractical for one member state to ask for a particular slot at a general UN ceremony. However, events have been held at the United Nations in New York, with the support of Kofi Annan, in April.

2001 – Date set at 21 September

In 2001 the opening day of the General Assembly was scheduled for 11 September, and Secretary General Kofi Annan drafted a message recognising the observance of International Peace Day on 21 September. The September 11 attacks, often referred to as 9/11, were perpetrated on that same day when a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the militant Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States of America occurred just blocks away from the UN on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That year the day was changed from the third Tuesday to specifically the twenty-first day of September, to take effect in 2002. A new resolution was passed by the General Assembly, sponsored by the United Kingdom (giving credit to Peace One Day) and

(the original sponsors of the day), to give the International Day of Peace a fixed calendar date, 21 September, and declare it also as a day of global ceasefire and

non-violence Nonviolence is the personal practice of not causing harm to others under any condition. It may come from the belief that hurting people, animals and/or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and it may refer to a general philosoph ...

2004 – Taiwanese commemorative stamp controversy

A diplomatic stir occurred when

Lions Clubs International The International Association of Lions Clubs, more commonly known as Lions Clubs International, is an international non-political service organization established originally in 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, by Melvin Jones. It is now headquartere ...

sponsored a competition for six posters to be used for International Day of Peace commemorative stamps issued by the UN Postal Administration. A poster by 15-year-old

Taiwanese Taiwanese may refer to: * Taiwanese language, another name for Taiwanese Hokkien * Something from or related to Taiwan (Formosa) * Taiwanese aborigines, the indigenous people of Taiwan * Han Taiwanese, the Han people of Taiwan * Taiwanese people, r ...

school student Yang Chih-Yuan was announced as one of the winners, but the announcement was withdrawn. Taiwan media reports, Taiwan Lions Club and the government of Taiwan claimed the decision not to use the poster resulted from pressure from

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

;Taipei Time
''Row erupts over local boy's stamp design''
the rejection of the student's painting on political grounds did not reflect the ideals of the International Day of Peace. The UN issued a statement that, although in the short list of eight designs, "due to an internal misunderstanding and miscommunication, Mr. Yang's proof got publicized in error as one of the six stamps intended to be issued." The government of

Taiwan (Republic of China) Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northea ...

later issued a stamp containing the image.

2005 – UN Secretary General calls for 22-hour ceasefire

In 2005, United Nations Secretary-General

Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (; 8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founde ...

called for the worldwide observance of a 22-hour

cease-fire A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state ac ...

and day of

nonviolence Nonviolence is the personal practice of not causing harm to others under any condition. It may come from the belief that hurting people, animals and/or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and it may refer to a general philosoph ...

to mark the Day.

Global survey of celebration

The Culture of Peace Initiative published an annual report for the International Day of Peace in 2005 describing events in 46 countries: Africa 11; East Asia and Pacific 12; Latin America and Caribbean 4; Europe 14; Middle East 3; North America 2 (22 states, provinces).

2006 – Peace Parade, UK

In 2006, then Secretary-General Kofi Annan rang the Peace Bell for the last time during his Term in office. That year the UN asserted the "many ways it works for peace and to encourage individuals, Groups and communities around the world to contemplate and communicate thoughts and activities on how to achieve peace." The United Kingdom held the primary public and official observation of the United Nations International Day of Peace and Non-Violence in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. This was organized by Peace Parade UK.

2007 – UN Secretary General calls for worldwide moment of silence

In 2007, UN Secretary General

Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Ministe ...

rang the Peace Bell at

United Nations Headquarters zh, 联合国总部大楼french: Siège des Nations uniesrussian: Штаб-квартира Организации Объединённых Наций es, Sede de las Naciones Unidas , image = Midtown Manhattan Skyline 004.jpg , im ...

in New York calling for a 24-hour cessation of hostilities on 21 September, and for a minute of silence to be observed around the world.

2009 – International Year of Reconciliation announced

In 2009 – International Year of Reconciliation – the day was marked by a massive number of white doves being distributed after a formal presentation at the United Nations, bearing in mind the Charter of the United Nations, including the purposes and principles contained therein, and in particular those of saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war, bringing about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and

international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...

, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace, and practising tolerance and living together in peace with one another as good neighbours, thus developing friendly relations among nations and promoting

international cooperation In international relations, multilateralism refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal. Definitions Multilateralism, in the form of membership in international institutions, serves to bind powerful nations, discourage u ...

to resolve international economic, social, cultural and

humanitarian Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...

issues. Vincent Coyle of Derry, Northern Ireland gave his full support.

2009 International Day of Peace: WMD – We Must Disarm

"Take Action for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons ... Disarmament and non-proliferation ... to raise awareness of the dangers and costs of nuclear weapons, and on why nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation are so crucial."

Global survey of celebration

The Culture of Peace Initiative published an annual report for the International Day of Peace in 2009 describing events in 77 countries: Africa 14; East Asia and Pacific 20; Latin America and Caribbean 11; Europe 23; Middle East 7; North America 2 countries (48 states, provinces).

2010 – Youth for Peace and Development

"The United Nations is looking for stories from young people around the world who are working for peace. The campaign slogan this year is ''Peace=Future, The math is easy''."

2011 – Peace and Democracy: Make Your Voice Heard

In 2011 the UN Peace Day's theme was "Peace and Democracy: Make Your Voice Heard". Many organizations held Peace Day events worldwide in 2011. There were school activities, music concerts, global comedy clubs (www.thinkPEACE.net), peace doves, prayer vigils, peace conferences, and UN activities. Organizations like Peace One Day, Wiser and

Culture of Peace The Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on September 13, 1999. This occurred after ten months of negotiations in the context of preparations for the International Year for the ...

have been active participants in Peace Day activities for years.

2012 – Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future

The United Nations set the theme for this year's observance as Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future, commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples.

Global Truce Day 2012

In 2011, Peace One Day announced at their

O2 Arena O2 Arena may refer to: *The O2 Arena (London) *O2 Arena (Prague) *The 3Arena The 3Arena (originally The O2) is an indoor amphitheatre located at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands in Dublin, Ireland. The venue opened as The O2 on 16 Decemb ...

concert, a new international campaign called '' Global Truce 2012'', a

grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...

initiative and international coalition with

non-governmental organisation A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...

s and

Students' union A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to ...

s in every continent, which increased participation and action on Peace Day 2012, the day of ''Global Truce''. Particular focus in this campaign included a

cessation of hostilities A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state ac ...

on the day and a reduction of

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for '' intimate partn ...

and

bullying Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an ...

in society. The ''Peace One Day Celebration'' concert on Peace Day in 2012 was held at

Wembley Arena Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500- ...

to celebrate ''Global Truce 2012''. The ''Global Truce'' campaign will continue and be named with each year it leads up to, involving more partners and coalitions for mass participation and life-saving practical action on Peace Day.

2013 – Focus on Peace education

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has dedicated the World Peace Day 2013 to Peace education in an effort to refocus minds and financing on the preeminence of peace education as the means to bring about a culture of peace. Animator and children's book author, Sue DiCicco announced in May 2013 a global campaign to increase awareness of Peace Day and promote peace education within schools and community groups through the Peace Crane Project. Gorey Community School in

Co. Wexford County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

, was chosen to be School of Peace for 2013.

Global Truce 2013

Peace One Day launched a new theme for Global Truce 2013: ''Who Will You Make Peace With''?

Peace Day Comedy 2013

To bring awareness to Peace Day, thinkPEACE promoted a Peace Day Comedy program, "Stand-Up For International Peace," held in over 50 global comedy clubs in 2013.

2014 – Right to Peace

The theme of the 2014 International Day of Peace is the Right of Peoples to Peace, reaffirming the United Nations commitment to the UN ''Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace'', which recognizes that the promotion of peace is vital for the full enjoyment of all

human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...

2014 Peace Day Comedy program

To bring awareness to Peace Day 2014, the thinkPEACE Network will promote a Peace Day Comedy program, "Stand-Up For International Peace," to be held in over 50 global comedy clubs.

Waves Of Kindness global meditation events

The ''Waves Of Kindness Global Initiative'' celebrates the United Nations International Day Of Peace though global meditation events.

Comment in Global Education Magazine

Director of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...

, Katherine Müller, said in Global Education Magazine: "I personally identify with UNESCO's values in the sense that I truly believe Education, Culture, Social and Natural Sciences, and Communication and Information are some of the most powerful drivers for sustainable development and peace, as a sustainable future cannot exist without sustainable peace. Raising awareness, capacity building, promoting understanding and respect for diversity, and fostering opportunities for interaction to find ways to ensure a culture of peace are all actions that will motivate people to become interested in setting peace as a priority for

sustainable development Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The ...

2015 – Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All

The theme of the 2015 International Day of Peace was "Partnerships for Peace –

Dignity Dignity is the right of a person to be valued and respected for their own sake, and to be treated ethically. It is of significance in morality, ethics, law and politics as an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inaliena ...

for All".

2016 – The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace

The theme of the 2016 International Day of Peace was "The

Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future".United Nations (2017) R ...

: Building Blocks for Peace".

2017 – Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All

This theme is based on the TOGETHER global campaign that promotes

respect Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of ...

, safety and dignity for everyone forced to flee their homes in search of a

better life "Better Life" is a song co-written and recorded by Australian country music artist Keith Urban. It was released on 25 July 2005 as the fourth single from his 2004 album ''Be Here''. The song became Urban's seventh number one hit on the U.S. ''B ...

The Peace Crane Project

In 2017,

The Peace Crane Project The Peace Crane Project was founded in 2013 by Sue DiCicco, in order to promote world peace and raise awareness of the International Day of Peace (21 September). A "peace crane" is an origami crane used as peace symbol, by reference to the story o ...

announced the goal of collecting 1,000 cranes from students around the world to display in various venues to celebrate.

2017 Global survey of celebration

A survey by the

Culture of Peace News Network The Culture of Peace News Network is a United Nations authorized interactive online network, committed to supporting the global movement for a culture of peace and nonviolence. The network commenced under the auspices of UNESCO, as part of the Int ...

found internet reports about 562 celebrations of the International Day of Peace from 127 countries around the world this year. These included 128 events coming from most of the provinces and states in Canada and the USA. Next were the countries formerly part of the Soviet Union with 104. There were 96 events cited in 27 European countries, 81 from 29 African countries, 67 from 20 Asian countries, 58 from 16 Latin American and Caribbean countries, and 28 from 21 Arab and Middle Eastern countries.

2018 – The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70

The 2018 U.N. Peace Day Theme is "The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70."

2018 Global survey of celebration

A survey by the

found internet reports about 764 celebrations of the International Day of Peace from 129 countries around the world this year. These included 233 events coming from most of the provinces and states in Canada and the USA. Next were 177 events from Europe and 158 events from Asia. There were 95 events from Latin America and the Caribbean, 71 events from countries formerly part of the Soviet Union, 71 from Africa, and 15 from Arab and Middle Eastern countries.

2019 – Climate Action for Peace

The United Nations has selected the theme "Climate Action for Peace" for the 2019 International Day of Peace. According to the UN website, "The United Nations calls upon all to take action to tackle climate change." "On 23 September 019 the United Nations is convening a Climate Action Summit with concrete and realistic plans to accelerate action to implement the

Paris Agreement The Paris Agreement (french: Accord de Paris), often referred to as the Paris Accords or the Paris Climate Accords, is an international treaty on climate change. Adopted in 2015, the agreement covers climate change mitigation, adaptation, and ...

." The International Day of Peace Student Observance on 20 September 2019 at United Nations Headquarters will feature young people presenting their projects to fight climate change and promote peace.

2019 Global survey of celebration

A survey by the

found internet reports concerning more than 655 celebrations of the International Day of Peace from 103 countries around the world this year.

2020 – Shaping Peace Together

The United Nations has selected the theme "Shaping Peace Together" for the 2020 International Day of Peace. According to the UN website, "This year, it has been clearer than ever that we are not each other's enemies. Rather, our common enemy is a tireless virus that threatens our health, security and very way of life. COVID-19 has thrown our world into turmoil and forcibly reminded us that what happens in one part of the planet can impact people everywhere."

2020 Global survey of celebration

A survey by the

found internet reports concerning more than 717 celebrations of the International Day of Peace from 78 countries around the world this year. The largest number came from Western Europe and from the European countries formerly part of the Soviet Union.

2021 – Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World

The 2021 theme for the International Day of Peace is "Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World.'"

2021 Global survey of celebration

A survey by the

found internet reports concerning more than 628 celebrations of the International Day of Peace from 79 countries around the world this year.

2022 - End racism. Build peace.

The 2022 theme for the International Day of Peace is "End

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagoni ...

. Build peace."

2022 Global survey of celebration

A survey by the

found internet reports concerning more than 846 celebrations of the International Day of Peace from 91 countries around the world this year.

References

External links

*
See International Day of Peace in Punjab Kesari
{{DEFAULTSORT:International Day Of Peace September observances Peace, International Day of Peace

History

1981– UN General Assembly Resolution passed

1983 – Annual Reports

1996– Seanad Éireann debate

2001 – Date set at 21 September

2004 – Taiwanese commemorative stamp controversy

2005 – UN Secretary General calls for 22-hour ceasefire

Global survey of celebration

2006 – Peace Parade, UK

2007 – UN Secretary General calls for worldwide moment of silence

2009 – International Year of Reconciliation announced

2009 International Day of Peace: WMD – We Must Disarm

Global survey of celebration

2010 – Youth for Peace and Development

2011 – Peace and Democracy: Make Your Voice Heard

2012 – Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future

Global Truce Day 2012

2013 – Focus on Peace education

Global Truce 2013

Peace Day Comedy 2013

2014 – Right to Peace

2014 Peace Day Comedy program

Waves Of Kindness global meditation events

Comment in Global Education Magazine

2015 – Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All

2016 – The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace

2017 – Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All

The Peace Crane Project

2017 Global survey of celebration

2018 – The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70

2018 Global survey of celebration

2019 – Climate Action for Peace

2019 Global survey of celebration

2020 – Shaping Peace Together

2020 Global survey of celebration

2021 – Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World

2021 Global survey of celebration

2022 - End racism. Build peace.

2022 Global survey of celebration

See also

References

External links