Today is the official International Day of Peace.
Our children celebrated on Thursday with a little play and poetry about what peace means to them, led by our 4th grade class.
We met at the outdoor stage and the whole community gathered to hear about peace.
Our 4th grade students leading our Peace Assembly
The International Day of Peace is sanctioned by the United Nations who began to formulate this day as early as 1982. The UN General Assembly uses this day to encourage a day of cease-fire all over the world and asks all nations and all peoples to adopt or strengthen ideas of peace.
In 2001, with the help of James Gilley, a British citizen who petitioned world leaders to adopt and observe a day of peace, the UN ratified the 21st of September as the official International Day of Peace.
“On this International Day of Peace, let us pledge to teach our children the value of tolerance and mutual respect. Let us invest in the schools and teachers that will build a fair and inclusive world that embraces diversity. Let us fight for peace and defend it with all our might.”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
At Rainbow Community School, we strive to uphold the virtues of tolerance and mutual respect.
Traditionally, the UN as well as many world leaders observe a minute of silence at 12 noon in all time zones.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has a Message for Peace on this day. (Click on the link to see his message.)
Ideas for Celebrating Peace Day
If you would like to participate in celebrating this day of peace with your child, there are many things you can do.
- Light a candle with the help of an adult
- Get a peace lily
- Read about peacemakers
- Adopt peace
- Organize a peace march
- Write a poem about peace
- Make a peace crane
- Print out some peace quotes and post them in your room/home
- Make a peace chain
