*The International Day of Peace "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. " * Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General, 2005
As humanity edges closer to the possibility of annihilating all life on earth with nuclear weapons or other methods of mass destruction, it becomes increasingly critical to spotlight the observance of the International Day of Peace.
Each country belonging to the United Nations is called upon to devise, organize and publicize activities to celebrate the occasion. It is usually ordinary citizens who seize the incentive and assume responsibility for making the day a memorable one. This is as it should be.
When national leaders declare wars, it is the citizens who suffer, either by fighting in the military forces. or by bearing the brunt of enemy attacks. Casualties, refugees, members of shattered families, widows, widowers, orphans, starving and poverty-stricken victims on both sides come from the ranks of ordinary people. They, most of all, appreciate the importance of marking a day dedicated to global peace.
The initial resolution for a special day to promote peace was introduced in 1981 to the United Nations General Assembly by the government of Costa Rica. Member nations voted that the third Tuesday of September, the opening day of regular sessions, be designated as an International Day of Peace.
The first Peace Day was celebrated in 1982, but it failed to gather significant global support.
In 2001, a new resolution, sponsored by the United Kingdom, was passed by the General Assembly which gave the Day of Peace a fixed date, September 21, and declared it a global cease-fire day as well.
On September 21, 2005 Secretary-General, Kofi Annan of Ghana called for a worldwide day of non-violence. * ( See above.)
In 2006, the Peace Bell was rung once again on September 21, and a United Nations' resolution "encouraged individuals, groups and communities around the world to contemplate and communicate thoughts and activities on how to achieve peace."
The Japanese Peace Bell deserves a special mention here. It was presented to the United Nations in 1954, by the United Nations Association of Japan. The bell was cast from coins collected by people, including children, from sixty different countries.
It has become traditional to ring the bell twice a year: on the first day of Spring, and on September 21, the International Day of Peace.
In 2007, UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, rang the Peace Bell at the United Nations headquarters in New York City and called again for a 24-hour cessation of hostilities on September 21, and for a minute of silence to be observed around the world.
Each year, the celebrations and commemorations for the International Day of Peace continue to grow. They now include millions of people in all parts of the world.
Leaders of nations can certainly declare wars , but without the support and the cooperation of ordinary citizens, they are greatly handicapped in waging effective campaigns. That lesson was driven home during the Vietnam conflict.
The power to achieve and maintain peace in the world ultimately resides in the hearts and minds of ordinary people. When every citizen is steadfastly determined that international differences be settled through non-violent means, and the leaders become aware of that unyielding conviction, peace must prevail. The absence of combatants would make war an impossibility.
Achieving and maintaining world peace is really up to us. We need only seize the initiative. What are you planning for September 21st.?
"Peace is the only battle worth waging." Albert Camus (1913-1960)
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