New Delhi: Peace is something that everybody wants in life, for it is the key to ultimate happiness. Today, as conflicts and clashes have gripped the planet, peace has become all the more important. We must strive for peace and to uphold its importance. Every year on September 21, International Day of Peace is observed all over the world or at least in places devoid of conflicts to uphold the importance of peace.
International Day of Peace: How did it originate?
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) established the International Day of Peace in 1981. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to mark the day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire. The day, according to the UNGA, is devoted to “commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples.”
International Day of Peace: What is the theme this year?
The theme of International Day of Peace in 2024 is Cultivating a Culture of Peace. This year will mark the 25th anniversary of UNGA adopting the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace. The UNGA, in that declaration, stated that peace is not only the end of conflict but is also a positive, dynamic process where everyone must get involved in dialogues and should solve conflicts by having mutual understanding and displaying cooperation.
Conflicts are rising in today’s world and it is time to look back at how the UNGA, in 1999, came together to lay out the values necessary for peace. Those values include human rights, respect for life, fundamental freedoms, commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts, promoting non-violence by means of dialogue, education and cooperation, and adherence to justice, freedom, tolerance, democracy, cooperation, solidarity, cultural diversity, pluralism, and dialogue. The UNGA stated that everyone must choose negotiations over confrontation and work unitedly towards peace.
UNESCO’s Constitution begins with “wars begin in the minds of men” and it is there that peace must be constructed. The notion inspired the theme of the International Day of Peace this year. It is important to cultivate the ideas and culture of peace with the help of education among children and communities. People need to see humanity in each other which is essential for the survival of humanity as a global community.
Every year on September 21, International Day of Peace is observed all over the world or at least in places devoid of conflicts to uphold the importance of peace. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
