International Day of Peace, also known as World Peace Day, is a holiday recognized by the United Nations annually on September 21st. World Peace Day is exactly as it sounds – a day dedicated to the absence of war and violence and promotes peace around the world. The International Day of Peace was first established in 1981 and celebrated for the first time in 1982 by nations, political groups, and people from all walks of life across the globe. Since 2001, September 21st has been recognized as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.
Each year, a theme is selected for the International Day of Peace. The theme for 2023 is Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals. The United Nations says they picked this theme as a “call to action that recognizes our individual and collective responsibility to foster peace.” Despite the changing themes each year, a constant tradition for World Peace Day is the Minute of Silence/Moment of Peace: “The Peace Wave”. At 12pm local time on September 21st, everyone is encouraged to participate in a moment of silence.
To get you in the mood for International Day of Peace, here are some quotes about World Peace that may bring you some inspiration.
- “It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
- “World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just a mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.” –Dalai Lama XIV
- “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.” –Albert Einstein
- “Peace is our gift to each other.” –Elie Wiesel
- “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” –Desmond Tutu
- “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.
May you have a peaceful day today and every day!!
