International Day of Peace: how to be involved

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Dear colleagues interested in PeaceQuest peace education,

Welcome back to school!

Sept 21, a Saturday, is the International Day of Peace.  Please consider celebrating this day in your schools, particularly on Friday, Sept. 20.

In 2002, September 21 was designated officially as the International Day of Peace after filmmaker Jeremy Gilley persisted in persuading the United Nations to pass a resolution for an actual day. He inspired me with his film, The Day after Peace, and I offered to help this program spread through PeaceQuest.

Gilley founded an organization called Peace One Day, which has grown rapidly throughout the world.  You will find excellent educational resources for students of all ages at http://peaceoneday.org/   These lesson plans are being used by over 11,000 schools in 178 countries.

By celebrating the International Day of Peace, your students will learn that this day is a day of Global Truce – a day of ceasefire and nonviolence which permits aid organizations to enter war zone to vaccinate children or deliver life-saving supplies, and a day to provide victims of combat a day of relief from war. It is also a day of peace in our schools, homes and communities, a day on which we ask everyone to do something to foster peace.