Welcome to the United Nations. It's your world.

International Day of Peace, 21 September 2010

putting up peace day poster

An Afghan youth puts up a poster for the International Day of Peace

during its launching ceremony at the office of the United Nations

Assistance Mission in Afghanistan

Global Events

Since the inception of the International Day of Peace, numerous commemorative events, activities and observances have been held around the world by United Nations offices, governmental and non-governmental agencies, and civil society and religious groups to promote the ideals of peace and non-violence. While this year events marking the IDP at the UN in New York will be held on 17 September, UN offices and missions around the world will mark the IDP on the actual day of 21 September.

 

Events listed by civil society groups

"PEACE DAY" 2010 Global Internet Broadcast - www.peaceday.tv: The Global Broadcast celebrates the UN International Day of Peace and will take place from 17 to 21 September 2010. The theme this year is Building Peace through Sustainability, and the full Broadcast begins on 17 September with the ringing of the Peace Bell from UN Headquarters in New York by the UN Secretary-General, and continues through September 21, the official International Day of Peace.The Broadcast is produced by Unity Foundation, a California non-profit organization with a 34 year history of promoting world peace, cooperation and unity.

Universal Peace Federation -- http://www.upf.org/: With a shared interest in sports as instruments for peace, UPF chapters are organizing Sports for Peace projects on the upcoming UN International Day of Peace, September 21. These one-day programs integrate athletic competitions and education in sportsmanship as a way to promote peaceful communities. Such cooperation for a greater purpose demonstrates the culture of peace that is at the heart of the UN International Day of Peace.

Make Peace Happen - http://www.makepeacehappen.net/: On 31st August 2009, the African Union Assembly declared 2010 the Year of Peace and Security in Africa. The year provides the continent with an opportunity to take stock of and celebrate its achievements in peace-building, as well as to review current efforts with a view to strengthening them and where appropriate launching new initiatives for peace and security. The landmark decision to declare 2010 the Year of Peace and Security is captured in the Tripoli Declaration, and underlines the commitment of African Heads of State and Government to put an end to the scourge of conflict on the Continent. The Year of Peace and Security in Africa campaign will centre on International Peace Day - 21st September, which has been designated by the AU as Peace Day. On Peace Day, the AU is pushing for a day with no violence, no conflict, no fighting; where all Africans will experience peace simultaneously.

The World Peace Prayer Society - http://www.worldpeace.org/: calls for participation in the 100 days leading up to the Day of Peace through the following activities: Plant a Peace Pole; hold a Minute of Silence on 21 September; join PeacePals International (connecting children around the world); declare the IDP (ask your local or national government to issue a proclamation declaring the International Day of Peace). Share your Plans on www.internationaldayofpeace.org

Pathways to Peace/ Culture of Peace Initiative - http://internationaldayofpeace.org/, http://www.pathwaystopeace.org/, http://cultureofpeace.org/:
Each year, CPI assembles a detailed report about International Day of Peace events around the world.

Peace One Day - http://www.peaceoneday.org/: Peace One Day Paris Concert 2010 with Jude Law, Patti Smith and Sharon Stone (17 September 2010, Zenith, Paris); What will you do on Peace Day? Log it on the website at http://peaceoneday.theconcertchannel.eu/Landing.aspx; tell everyone about it; create your own personal commitment for Peace Day.

Celebrate Positive - http://celebratepositive.com/: International Positive Week, 20-26 September. Help make the UN’s Peace Day more mainstream by associating it with this international “positive” movement. See 2010 United Nations NGO Peace Awards.

URI Africa, the World Peace Prayer Society, and the Interfaith Peace-building Initiative - Collaboration of the African Union in Addis Ababa, led by URI Africa: 90-day countdown to a ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in conflict areas; distribution of humanitarian supplies and material to communities in conflict and non-conflict areas in critical need of services.

United Religions Initiativewww.uri.org: Members observe the IDP in a variety of ways, from prayer vigils to education, celebrations and public events around the world. IDP Participation Forum: URI is asking local houses of worship to take part in the International Day of Peace. Invite your local temple, mosque, church, synagogue, etc. to pray for peace on or around 21 September. Observe the Minute of Silence at 12 noon.

Star Syringe - http://www.starsyringe.com/home.html: For Peace Day 2010, Star Syringe will, once again, be delivering safe medicine in the countries in which it operates and engage its stakeholders in the peaceful observance of the day.

Pump Aidwww.pumpaid.org: For Peace Day 2010, Pump Aid will, once again, provide clean water and improved sanitation to rural communities in Africa. Pump Aid aim to do this by working with their partners and communities on the ground in Malawi with a major focus on Women and Water.

Merlinwww.merlin.org.uk: For Peace Day 2010, Merlin will present a petition to world leaders in New York demanding more and urgent investment in health workers in crisis countries.

World Vision Internationalwww.wvi.org: For Peace Day 2010, World Vision will host its annual Peace Prize and involve various communities worldwide in various activities for peace.

Better World Campaignwww.betterworldcampaign.com: For Peace Day 2010, Thank a Peacekeeper campaign will pay tribute to the men and women who serve in UN peacekeeping operations worldwide by collecting messages of thanks from 29 May up to Peace Day.  Thank a UN Peacekeeper at www.unitedinpeacekeeping.org.

Camps Internationalwww.campsinternational.com: For Peace Day 2010, Camps International will be running, for the second year, its Human Wildlife Peace Day programme though its camps in Kenya, Tanzania, Borneo and Cambodia.

Participatory Environment Development Program (PEDP) - www.peacebuildinginstitute.org: For Peace Day 2010, PEDP will bring humanitarian relief to internally displaced person settlements in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. There will also be a call for unity in the region, and other activities to promote peace-building and intercultural cooperation.

Urban Poor Child Organisation (UPCO) - www.upcoghana.com: For Peace Day 2010, UPCO will organise a Health Walk with children from cities in Ghana, followed by community health screenings. There will be a ceremony with local leaders and families to talk about peace, and cultural performances by the children as well as football matches as part of the One Day One Goal campaign.

JUCONI - Fundación Junto con los Niños - www.juconi.org.ec: For Peace Day 2010, JUCONI will organise a Peace Day Health Program to reach hundreds of children and families in vulnerable communities in Ecuador, principally around Guayaquil, the country’s most populated city.

PCR Congo – Peace and Conflict Resolution Organisation - www.peaceconflictresolutionproject.webs.com: For Peace Day 2010, PCR will provide vulnerable children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with psychological support, health assistance, drug abuse rehabilitation and conflict resolution training.

FONELISCO - www.fonelisco.org: For Peace Day 2010, in Tanzania, the Foundation of New Life for Street Children and Orphans will run classes on HIV/AIDS prevention and provide HIV tests to the local community. They will also bring humanitarian assistance to women in local prisons.

Peace International Foundation - http://peace-intl.org: Hong Kong Peace Festival 18 – 23 September 2010 (more information to come).

Show of Peace - http://showofpeace.com: The International Show of Peace Concert aims to be the largest televised concert event in the People's Republic of China on October 10, 2010 in Beijing.

Events listed by countries around the world

Bahrain: “One World, One Goal”: An open ended walk on/in football match (stet) between members of different religious and ethnic communities in Bahrain. “Planting a Peace Pole”: A Peace Pole at Rainbows For Kids, Muharraq, Bahrain. We, staff, students, parents shall also be giving out peace cakes to the local community with an explanation of our goals; “Flying the Doves, Pin Wheels and Prayer Flags”: We shall be "flying" our Giant Peace Dove, over 100 Pin Wheels for Peace and Peace Prayer Flags throughout the day, as well as holding a Peace Intention Circle which everyone is welcome to join us in.

Brazil: “InterPlay International Day of Peace” - Celebration in Bento Gonçalves, Brazil with the InterPlay International Leaders: Nadia Thalji, Masankho Banda, Phil Porter and groups from other countries.

Cyprus: Cyprus Peace Concert: The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) collaborated with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and its renowned conductor, Yiannis Hadjiloizou, to organize a celebration of music in observance of this year’s International Day of Peace at the old Nicosia International Airport on Thursday, 16 September 2010 at 8 p.m. The backdrop of this evening’s concert – the old Nicosia Airport, now frozen in time, – serves as a powerful reminder of a troubled past. On 16 September, the airport comes alive with the sounds and harmonies of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, an opportunity for all Cypriots and the United Nations community to join as one and reaffirm our commitment to peace. For more information, please go to http://www.unficyp.org/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1

Egypt: “MURAMID” - a 10-year effort creating 12 miles of murals will culminate with an installation of the MURAMID exhibition with over 5,000 murals painted by  half a  million people from over 125 countries, in Cairo, Egypt

Finland: “ENO Treeplanting Day in Joensuu, Finlandhttp://www.enotreeday.net - ENO Tree Planting Day is a global tree planting event for children, youth and NGO's. Trees are planted for peace in over 130 countries on 21 September.

Israel: “Peace Day Israel” - will unite people from the diverse sectors of Israeli society to celebrate Peace Day through music, prayer, the arts, and practical actions for peace.

Kenya: The Building Bridges Awards Ceremony will be held at the iHub in Nairobi on 21 September 2010, from 5pm to 7pm. Building Bridges is an Award Initiative that inspired and encouraged individuals and organizations to get involved in preventing and resolving conflicts through long term Peace building activities. To do so, we are set to award some of the most promising Peace Makers to boast their efforts in Peace building. The Campaign ran for three months and we've just concluded the first phase, whereby 630 peace efforts were mapped across Kenya. For more information, please go to www.buildingbridges.co.ke

Korea, Republic of: “Peace Conference and GCS International Convention” - GCS International, a non-religious, non-political, non-profit NGO advocating for world peace, and other associated organizations will celebrate the International Day of Peace with international seminar, commemoration ceremony, musical performance, dance, and art exhibition in Seoul, Korea.

Mexico: An International Community Peace Summit in celebration of the UN International Day of Peace will take place in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Mexico on 20-23 September 2010. At the International Community Peace Summit, people from communities around the world will have a chance to meet each other, to discuss common challenges, to learn from each other and to develop new ideas and strategies for maintaining peace. The event is organized around the categories Peace, Nature and Well-being; Peace, Community and Cultural Diversity; Peace and Education; and Peace and Economics. The International Day of Peace will be celebrated with the dedication of the community’s new Peace Pole Monument. All activities will be conducted in Spanish, English and French. Optional tours and local activities are included so attendants can immerse in the local Mexican culture and lifestyle. For more information, please visit the peace event page on www.imagine-mexico.com

South Africa: “Peace starts in the Park” http://www.peacestarts.co.za – Artists and activists join in the Johannesburg Botanic Gardens.

Switzerland: The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) is organizing, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP), Mandat International and the Geneva Welcome Center, a friendly soccer match to mark the International Day of Peace, the start of the International Year of Youth and the “Stand Up Against Poverty” campaign. The match will take place on Friday, 17 September from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Stade de Varembé. A team composed of diplomats from Permanent Missions in Geneva and staff members of United Nations agencies in Geneva will play against a team of local high-school students. The match will be played with special balls donated by the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace. Made of 24 per cent of recycled rubber materials, these balls were specially designed to withstand the harsh surface conditions of a refugee camp.
annual parade for International Day of Peace in Hawaii

United States: The “4th Annual Parade & Festival for the United Nations International Day of Peace” will be held in Honokaa, on Hawaii’s Big Island, on Sunday, 19 September 2010. Stepping off at 11:00 a.m. from Honokaa High School, the Peace Day Parade is a “moving stage” of music, dance, colorful floats, acrobats, performance artists and entertainers, marching down the “new” freshly-repaved Mamane Street. At 12:00 noon, a community Festival takes place in the Honokaa Sports Complex, with food booths, crafters and community information, plus peace ceremonies, music and entertainment onstage, broadcast via a live webcast linked with other Peace Day celebrations around the world to millions of viewers. The Parade is presented by the Peace Committee of the Honokaa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in cooperation with numerous community organizations. For more information, call (808) 883-0669, email peacedayparade@gmail.com, or visit www.peacedayparade.org.

United States: The Vigil for International Peace and Ecology is a grassroots transformational effort dedicated to promulgate peace through participation in art, song, dance, music, prayer, and ecological awareness. The purpose of the VIGIL is to awaken humanity to harmony and peace through the power of intent and celebration. Our vision is to heal and bridge our lives and communities in order to achieve divinity alignment and recognize the oneness in all. In its 9th year, the VIGIL was inspired by the United Nations' 2001 Resolution 55/282 designating September 21st of each year as an "International Day of Peace", and to have the entire world observe a full day of "global ceasefire and nonviolence." The first VIGIL was held on the 21st of September, 2002 to coincide with the U.N. Resolution. It has since been held in the Bandshell in New York's Central Park on the closest Sunday to September 21st. This year, the Vigil will commence around 9.00 a.m., and culminate with a grand finale by 6:00pm. The celebration will continue throughout the day featuring renowned world speakers, children's choirs, as well as international performers, dancers and poets who will contribute to our program. Representatives and leaders from a variety of local, national, and international organizations will join the festivities. For more information, please go to: http://www.vigil4internationalpeace.org/

The inclusion of links to non-UN websites does not imply the endorsement of the content on those websites by the United Nations.

UN Web Services Section, Department of Public Information, United Nations © 2010