The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. It’s a day for people of all nations to develop the concepts of peace. In 2001, an additional resolution declares it a day of non-violence and cease-fire.
There are many events that are scheduled during the day and each year has a theme. This year’s theme is Shaping Peace Together. The goal is to spread kindness and compassion during the Covid-19 pandemic and join the UN against using it as an excuse to promote discrimination and hatred.
You can find out more at the International Day of Peace site. There will be a minute of silence at noon in every time zone. It’s called a Peace Wave and everyone around the world is invited to participate at noon in their timezone. On the Get Involved page, there are different activities that all ages can participate in.
While we’re discussing peace….do you know the origins of the peace symbol? The one that looks like a chicken foot? I found it interesting to learn that it actually stands for Nuclear Disarmament. It was created in 1958 by a London textile designer named Gerald Holtom. It is a combination of the flag semaphores for N and D.
Oh, that an observance such as this could make our world more peaceful! But it does start with each of us–that’s all we can really do, right? Thanks for the reminder. Peace!
Thanks for this, Jen. I had no idea about the peace wave and the story behind the flag.
Lord knows we need more peace. For sure.
We need more than one day a year, maybe one day a month. Thanks for including such great resources.
I agree.
Such a great thing if all countries take it seriously. Interesting about the peace sign too.
I was fascinated by the Peace sign.