Music, singing and flag-waving filled the room at UN Headquarters in New York on 21 September as students and youth gathered to celebrate the International Day of Peace. Over 600 participants from local middle and high schools, including youth organizations, were joined via video-conferencing by Palestinian and Israeli students of Bridge Over the Wadi in Kfar Kara, in Israel, as well as Protestant and Catholic students of Hazelwood College in Belfast, Northern Ireland, who talked of their first-hand experience of the destructive atmosphere of hatred and fear that leads to conflict, and how their schools are actively working towards integration and understanding to oppose the existing culture of violence.
The commemoration ceremony was opened by the Under-Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor of the Department of Public Information, who introduced four United Nations Messengers of Peace: author and journalist Anna Cataldi; actor Michael Douglas; primatologist Jane Goodall; and Nobel Peace laureate Elie Wiesel. Chosen for their widely-recognized talents, they spoke of their commitment to ending conflict and fostering a culture of peace through their efforts to focus worldwide attention on the work of the United Nations.
Dr. Goodall described her Peace Dove Project, which sees giant peace-dove puppets flown by young people and the young at heart as a symbol and celebration of the yearning for peace. She told the audience of her vision that one day the peace doves will stretch right around the globe, so that “as we look down from the satellite, we see these great white wings, we see the prayers, the passion, the commitment for peace”.
The commitment for peace was also strongly expressed by the representatives of seven youth organizations working to build friendships among young people worldwide. The recurring themes of the capacity of youth to foster understanding, compassion and, most importantly, action were emphasized by all speakers. Jessica Rimington, the 19-year-old founder of One World Youth Project, said: “Children are not just the future, they’re also the present.” Her organization works to link schools and classrooms around the world to create a culture of peace and understanding, and facilitate discussion on larger global issues, such as the UN Millennium Development Goals. Her empowering message of “peace can start from the ground up, with us, and it has to” was received with enthusiasm by those in attendance.
The International Peace Day observance concluded with the symbolic ringing of the Peace Bell and a World Peace Flag ceremony, which saw the conference room fill with colour and music as students joyously waved the flags of all 191 Member States of the United Nations. Netaria Augcomfar of the International Education and Research Network said: “I think people are afraid of the unknown, and until you discover what is out there, there will never be peace.” Thanks to events such as this, youth around the world can learn about the inspiring work of their peers and become involved to support peace on both local and global levels.
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