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– By Grace Deathridge

Tuesday 21st September is the UN International Day of Peace – ‘Peace Day’ for short. For me its return brings back happy memories of last year’s Peace Day with hope and excitement for what this year’s day holds.

The UN International Peace Day was officially recognised as an annual fixed day in September 2001, due to a dedicated campaign by Jeremy Gilley & his UK-based organisation Peace One Day (http://www.peaceoneday.org). Jeremy has worked hard to get the UN to recognise the day as an International Ceasefire, offering respite to war-torn areas, where a day of peace means so much.

“My experience of conflict is that those who are involved in it long for even a day of peace. To have a day of cessation of violence, that to me is an idea whose time has come.” Mary Robinson, then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

The day aims to promote peace throughout all areas of society – in homes, communities and schools. As a movement, the day’s reputation and impact is growing, with various celebrities (including Jude Law and Angelina Jolie) putting their name and energy behind it. Peace One Day have concentrated their efforts in Afghanistan over the last three years with tangible success, resulting in the immunisation against polio of over 4 million children as a result of Peace Day agreements by all parties.

On Peace Day 2008 in Afghanistan the UN Department for Safety and Security recorded a 70 per cent reduction in violent incidents on the day itself. (Source: Peace One Day).

Now marked and celebrated by over 100 million people across the world, in 2009 people were active on Peace Day in all 192 UN member states. Events to mark the day range from football matches, peace-concerts to individual acts like creating a work of art. The day provides a wonderful opportunity for people to embrace the notion of peace and work together to create it.

Two prominent peace activists John Lennon & Yoko Ono did as much when they spent their honeymoon in bed for a week in 1969 to talk to the world’s media about peace –

“We’re just saying ‘SELL PEACE’ – anybody interested in peace just stick it in the window. It’s simple but it let’s somebody else know that you want peace too, because you feel alone if you’re the only one thinking ‘wouldn’t it be nice if there was peace and nobody was getting killed’ So advertise yourself that you’re for peace if you believe in it” John Lennon

On last year’s Peace Day myself and some friends put a bed on the cathedral steps at Nelson, New Zealand and went to bed for peace on the 40th anniversary of John & Yoko’s honeymoon. We had a relay of approximately twenty John & Yokos throughout the day, along with Tai Chi demonstrations, Tibetan Bowls, music, poetry and other magical happenings.

Our event was a very peaceful and happy affair, which to touched a lot of people. During the day we promoted the idea of inner peace, highlighting how people can create peace in the most basic way – by being gentle and kind with themselves and with other people. There are many things in the world that we can’t control, but one thing we can control is our response to people and situations. If we can create peace in our actions and our thoughts, then we are creating peace in the world around us and inside us.

This International Peace Day there is a minute of silence at noon local time worldwide (http://amillionminutesforpeace.org). I will be on the streets of Bristol in the UK joining a Peace procession with singing and music. I will be thinking of you all that day as I make my wishes for peace.

To log your pledge for Peace Day or to discover/organise something in your region go to http://www.peaceoneday.org
http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org

Yoko Ono is always collecting wishes for installation in her Imagine Peace Tower, in Reykjavik, Iceland. The Imagine Peace tower is a broad laser beam of blue light emanating from a wishing well with ‘Imagine Peace’ inscribed in 24 languages. The tower is lit throughout the year at the solstices – it can be seen from space and is powered by geothermal energy. This year the tower will be lit on October 9th, what would have been John Lennon’s 70th birthday, until December 8th the 30th anniversary of his death.

Send your wishes of peace to: Imagine Peace Tower, PO Box 1009, 121 Reykjavik, Iceland or by email :[email protected] or Tweet them to @IPTower
For more info: http://www.imaginepeace.com

Tags: peace