September

International Day of Peace

Tuesday, 21 September International Day of Peace (United Nations)

The holiday “International Day of Peace” was established by the decision of the UN General Assembly on November 30, 1981. It should be noted that initially it was celebrated on the 3rd Tuesday of September. Then, on September 7, 2001, this holiday was postponed to September 21.

Goals and traditions for International Day of Peace

The International Day of Peace was established to be the day of a global cease-fire. All states of the world on this day should observe the rule of cessation of hostilities.

Bell of peace

Japan in June 1954 as a gift presented the United Nations “Peace Bell“. It was cast from coins that were collected by children from 60 countries of the world.

The UN headquarters, located in New York, also has a similar bell. There is a tradition to call it twice a year: at the very beginning of spring – on the day of the spring equinox, and also on September 21, when this holiday is celebrated.

There is an inscription on this bell, which proclaims the idea of world peace. Every year on this day all over the world, people gather to think again how to maintain peace on our planet and discuss issues related to ending wars. They also recall the victims of the devastating wars that have raged in the world over the past century.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan devotes messages to this day, in which he says that the rulers of different countries should listen to the opinions of their people and should take care to make life in their states more secure.

After his appeal, he strikes the Peace Bell. This ceremony also includes a minute of silence, which is designed to honor the memory of the dead. Then comes the chairman of the UN Security Council. It can be said that this holiday serves to draw the attention of the general public to UN activities aimed at maintaining peace and involving various people, organizations and groups in this process.

 

Fortunately, we have not seen the war and all its horrors. We studied wars only from history textbooks, films, and books. But, in fact, the war is even worse than we can imagine. Every minute, people die there, not only soldiers but also civilians – women, children and old people. The war destroys the country’s economy, causing great damage to it.

Unfortunately, we cannot say that the wars on our planet have stopped. From time to time, armed conflicts erupt in one or another of its corners. And their culprits are the rulers who do not want to understand how important and necessary peace. They start bloody wars without thinking about their people.

For most people, the world is a daily reality, which is why we do not often think about its importance. Attention should be paid to peace at least once a year.

Unfortunately, now for many people in different countries, the world is a pipe dream. They live in a constant atmosphere of fear.

It can be said that the world is the basis for the development of the country and all its citizens. In peacetime, people can learn and work, create families, give birth and raise children, travel, enjoy life, develop in the material, spiritual and moral terms.

The rulers of most states are trying to do everything possible to resolve any conflicts peacefully and avoid war. Their people are grateful for that.

In the history of our country, unfortunately, there are a huge number of wars. The main reason for the emergence of wars can be called the desire of politicians to achieve various goals through armed conflicts.

And from the 2nd half of the 19th century, xenophobia is usually the reason. This concept implies hatred of everything unusual, alien, unfamiliar, the perception of all alien as dangerous and hostile. The Second World War was the largest in the history of mankind.

The state of war has an extremely negative impact on all member countries. It leads to the cessation of diplomatic and other relations between states that become adversaries.

Of course, the main horror of any war can be called, first of all, the massive loss of lives. In addition, the war has many other negative consequences. The main ones include hunger, epidemics, severe stress, and instability of life in the country, catastrophic destruction, huge economic losses, and damage to the ecological well-being on our planet.

 

Dove of peace

The Dove of Peace is an expression and symbol that began to be very popular after the end of the Second World War. Today, this symbol is known to everyone and is used widely throughout the world. Everyone knows this image of a white dove that holds an olive branch in its beak. It should be noted that the author of this picture was the famous Pablo Picasso.

There is also the tradition of releasing white doves as a symbol of peaceful intentions.

Pacifism at International Day of Peace

Today’s fashionable word “pacifism” is also known to everyone, thanks to frequent use. It must be said that pacifism can be defined as an ideology of resistance to violence for the sake of its disappearance. This social movement has found a huge number of followers around the world. These people are fighting for world peace. They oppose any manifestations of violence and against the war as a whole, they condemn the immorality of any military actions, they hold various events – rallies, protests, etc.

Pacifists condemn all wars, they believe in the possibility of preventing wars only by means of persuasion. In our country, pacifists are now even exempted from military service; they have the right to perform alternative service.

In the world, the non-profit organization Peace One Day, which enjoys quite a lot of influence, is widely known.

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