"We all want peace – celebrate on September 21"
September 3
World peace is an elusive target, but a day has been designated to reflect on that goal writes Harnoor Gill, 16, a Correspondent from Georgetown, Canada, as he offers suggestions about how to promote peace and tolerance.
The International Day of Peace is all about commemorating peace that has been achieved by nations around the world.
It’s about taking a day off in your life to think about how the world would be if everyone was at peace. It’s even about going out there and getting co-workers, peers and family to go out and participate in peace events locally. I will be participating in this year’s International Day of Peace by letting people around me learn more about this, helping them to strive to incorporate this into their everyday lives, and most importantly, spreading the word about an amazing day like this.
On this day, which is celebrated on the 21st of September annually, people across the globe are celebrating to emphasize peace locally, nationally and internationally as well. It is a valuable day to commemorate peace among nations and people. It serves as a day to let others know that peace in the world can indeed be achieved. This specifically relates to ending war and violence that occurs around the world. If there were a war going on International Peace Day, then there would be a temporary ceasefire. This would occur within a “combat zone” in order to provide aid and access to people trapped or living in the area.
The first time that the International Day of Pease was celebrated was back in 1982. Since then it has consistently been celebrated by political groups, nations and people around the world. The chief goal that has been outlined by the Secretary-General of the United Nations is to provide peace education. This will be a key in successfully reducing war because when people are educated about war and violence, they realize that it’s not the answer. It will help people to recognize as well as realize that once they are educated about war and violence, they will let others know and spread the word about the type of problem violence can create. Therefore, education is the key weapon to conquering war and violence in order to achieve success.
As the founder of Peace Welcome Club (PWC), I can let you know that I have incorporated this day into my everyday life through my initiative, PWC. Our project focuses on giving opportunities to newcomer youth in Canada. We also give them information on how they can fulfill the volunteer hours of service that are required as part of their secondary school education. This is accomplished through a series of steps which starts with ‘liking’ the webpage. That allows the newcomer to find out about events, as we constantly update each and every day. I can connect with the International Day of Peace through my initiative because of the way that newcomers are given peace opportunities to volunteer in the community, which in turn lets them participate in this day of peace. Also, I believe that newcomers arriving in Canada from various backgrounds help us look at peace from an international perspective.
So have a peaceful International Day of Peace and be peaceful while you celebrate the best day of the year!!
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About me: I am a student in Georgetown, Canada, and founder of the Peace Welcome Club. I love to volunteer, read, write, and play basketball. I volunteer with local environmental and youth organizations and am dedicated to raising awareness about youth volunteering. My writing has been published in Indo-Canadian Voice, Asian Journal, Times of India, The Independent & Free Press, and in Amazing Kids! Magazine.
https://www.facebook.com/PeaceWelcomeClub
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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response.
To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/
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